I’m well aware that all the Scrivener users are probably feeling smug right now, but in no time even the non-scrivener-folks will be full of smugness just like you fancy pants.
I know firsthand how irritating it can be after you’ve finished your MS and you don’t know how to convert it into a readable e-book format. It is really annoying to not be able to read your precious book on your e-reader after all the handwork you’ve put in it. After months (or years) of waiting, it’s only fair to be able to read your book as an e-book. But how?
After a little bit of research on the internet, I finally came up with a permanent solution. Ta-da! I found a great free software that can be easily downloaded and quickly installed and can be used offline. It converts the files pretty quickly and you can choose from quite a huge variety of e-book formats.
This amazing software is CALIBRE. (You can download it here.)
It is a one-stop solution for e-book management and works beautifully. You can visit their page and easily download the software for Windows as well as MacBooks.
Converting files with Calibre is not only hassle-free but also extremely quick.
Step-by-step guide to convert a file to various e-book formats:
- Download and install Calibre from here.
- Open Calibre by double clicking on it’s icon.
Calibre icon 
Calibre home screen - Click on ‘Add books’ and select the file that you want to convert into an e-book.
Here I’m selecting the .doc file of my book, but you can choose a file in any format.
Select your book or any other file you want - Now, after the book is added to Calibre’s library (it takes only 3 seconds), select the book and click on ‘Convert books’ icon.Take two minutes and observe the window that appears on the screen. Do not rush because this is where you’ll select the format, book name, series name (if any), author name, publisher name, cover design, and other crucial stuff.
- After filling up all the required fields select the desired format (epub, mobi or any one from the long list) from the top right corner of this window. After selecting the format click on ‘OK.’
It takes around 10 seconds (or less) to convert your book/file into the selected format. GO to step-6 if you’ve converted in your desired format. But, if you want to convert the book into more than one format, select the same file again from home window and convert it to desired format. Don’t worry at this point because all the converted books will be saved under one folder only. - Now to check the book(s) right click on the file in the library and select ‘Show in folder.’ There will be a folder with your name (author name) in the window that pops up. Open it and there you’ll have another folder with your book name and in that you’ll have your book/file in the format(s) you selected along with the original copy.
Folder with author name 
Folder with book name 
My book in the formats I selected (mobi, epub and txt)
There you have it, your file or book converted into various e-book formats. To get it on your reading device, simply copy the appropriate format and paste it in your device or transfer it via DropBox.
Here’s my book on Kindle (it’s the un-edited copy I created for a few author friends to get their testimony):
I hope you’ll find this article helpful. Let me know if you have any questions or doubts.
Did you already know about Calibre or do you use any other software to convert files? Please share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.
All the images used in this article are my own, except for the featured image.
Featured Image Source: Pixabay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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