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Can't edit epub info in iBooks on OS X 10.9 Mavericks

This is pathetic. Did a team on the other side of the states develop this program?


Why don't Apple model the functionality and UX after the familiar and successful iTunes? Oh right, because Apple is about new ideas and all that nonsense.


I want to be able to organize my books like my music. Setting the titles, authors, cover art and genres the way I'd like to see it on my iDevice. But wait, I can't because that functionality isn't built into iBooks. Why not? Or maybe it's coming in an update. Why release something have done.


Would you serve a half cooked roast at a dinner? No. So why would you do the same with software. Apple has lost their grip on what they were and are spinning off into something Steve Jobs would not be proud of.


Can anyone tell me how to edit the information I mentioned above in the new iBooks?

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 22, 2013 11:48 PM

Reply
84 replies

Dec 15, 2013 10:24 AM in response to bobbd

I recently released a tool to easily edit ePub and PDF metadata for books you want to import into iBooks. iBookplate costs $3.99 from the Mac App Store. I wrote it so I could make all my "generic" books a bit more fancy. iBooks doesn't display much metadata to begin with, but that fact make iBookplate pretty easy to use.


iBookplate will not work with any encrypted books that hopefully already have good cover images and metadata. For that you would have to hack up the ePub file itself.


Disclaimer: I am blatantly posting a link to my site that could give me some form of compensation, financial or otherwise.

Dec 15, 2013 11:09 AM in response to kcir5

You need to restart iTunes. You will have a book tab on the left where the other options like music, movies are. You're going to have to reload the books back into iTunes.


I think app zapper should work. As long as you no longer see iBooks in your applications folder you're good.


So if you don't see the books option on the left hand side (need to make sidebar visible using the view settings at the top), then I would quit and reopen it. If you do see it, you just have to reload your books into iTunes again.

Dec 15, 2013 11:31 AM in response to kcir5

One other thing. If you dont see books, go to File > add to library. Then pick a book and add it to your library. If you still dont see the books option (when you have the sidebar view enabled), then just restart iTunes again and you will see the books tab. Just cant see it now because when you upgraded to Mavericks, iBooks removed all the books from iTunes and there will be no tab there until you add a book.

Jan 26, 2014 6:25 AM in response to dscheenaard

Well, I haven't read all 5 pages of this thread, so apologies if this has already been mentioned.

I've been totally fristrated with iBooks, having come from an Android environment where I had complete control over my books. iBooks is a good reader, but the file management is nonexistent.

Here is what works for me:


  • You will need to install Calibre on the Mac, and Files on the iPad.
  • On the Mac, put the books into Calibre. Edit the metadata to your heart's content.
  • If not done already, convert them to EPUB format.
  • Save to disk. Make a note of the location.
  • On the iPad open Files and create/navigate to the folder where you want to put the files.
  • Using USB or WIFI, add the book(s) to the iPad.
  • in the Files app on the iPad, select the book and choose "Open in..." and select iBooks.
  • Note that you still only have the Titles, Author, Categories to organize in the iBooks library. Series in Calibre seems to translate to Category in iBooks.


HTH

Walt

Feb 7, 2014 11:42 PM in response to walt_scrivens

I like calibre (always wondered why the small c) and you can add books to your "device" directly from there. Plus you can change formats and edit metadata. I would have preferred to use iBooks, liking to use what comes with the OS rather than 3rd party stuff. However when iBooks is basically Finder for your reading library so why even bother to put it into the OS.

Feb 8, 2014 7:41 AM in response to firesidefromellenville

Thanks for the affirmation! I have finally decided to back up my entire collection and re-organize it wiht calibre, then transfer it to the iPad with FilesApp. BTW, the folks that make the FilesApp tell me thate once you open a book in iBooks on the iPad, it creates a second copy, so you can delete the version that's in FilesApp. The original is still on your Mac, so you have a backup.


Walt

Feb 8, 2014 11:57 AM in response to firesidefromellenville

I had been trying to use the Wireless device connection which says it only works for Android. I just realized that the Content Server has a method of opening a book in iReader using Safari. Since I've never been able to download a file from a website with the iPad version of Safari, I never looked into it. Thanks for the info!


Walt

Feb 9, 2014 6:28 AM in response to dscheenaard

You guys probably noticed but one of the many collateral damages of this moronic iBooks management is that since it converts an epub to many html/xhtml files, a spotlight search can end up with tons of additional useless results.


You think we can realisticaly hope for an iTunes-like behavior one day? It's so different that I don't see Apple changing it 180°.

Apr 5, 2014 9:22 AM in response to etresoft

TO: etresoft and ibookplate app in the Mac app store


Thank you thank you thank you for posting this app (ibookplate)! I bought the app because I was pulling my hair out and I left you a 5-star review!


As with one of the previous reviewers, I had to duplicate the book elsewhere, delete the book out of iBooks, and copy it back in, but the #1 reason you are getting all the thank-yous is because I can see my book covers in the Library\\\\Books folder!!! That is worth the money right there! I've been "opening in..." ibookplate and fixing everything I need to. Now that all of my covers are fixed and 1/2 of my categories are fixed, I'm going to download the rest of my ebooks and get them into iBooks. I have 1000+ books and this just saved me a TON of time!


Keep it up and thanks again!!!

Apr 5, 2014 11:08 AM in response to C Welch

C Welch wrote:


TO: etresoft and ibookplate app in the Mac app store


Thank you thank you thank you for posting this app (ibookplate)! I bought the app because I was pulling my hair out and I left you a 5-star review!

Thanks! Unfortunately, there is also a "Fake. Broken. DO NOT BUY" 1-star review. Such is life in the App Store. 🙂


As with one of the previous reviewers, I had to duplicate the book elsewhere, delete the book out of iBooks, and copy it back in

I will fix the documentation for that. I think I speak for all developers when I say that such oversights should be sent directly to the developer so they can be corrected instead of posted in a review. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Can't edit epub info in iBooks on OS X 10.9 Mavericks

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