dscheenaard

Q: 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

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

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  • by etresoft,

    etresoft etresoft Apr 5, 2014 11:08 AM in response to C Welch
    Level 7 (29,298 points)
    Mac OS X
    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.

  • by drans208,

    drans208 drans208 May 23, 2014 7:49 AM in response to whataboutmatthew
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 23, 2014 7:49 AM in response to whataboutmatthew

    Thanks for the tips.

     

    Unfortunately, I'm still running into two problems:

     

    1. As a longtime calibre user, I've always edited my ebooks there and then transferred over to iTunes/iBooks before syncing to my iPad... when I update the cover photo in calibre, though, iBooks (and therefore my iPad) still maintains the old image!

    2. When I use your tip of replacing the cover image in Library/Containers/etc., the old image remains in iBooks (and therefore my iPad)!

     

    GRRRR.... Apple....

  • by bobbd,

    bobbd bobbd May 23, 2014 8:13 AM in response to drans208
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 23, 2014 8:13 AM in response to drans208

    That's strange. I edit my books in Calibre as well and the updated covers usually appear in iTunes and on my iPad. That said, I did notice one that did not have an updated cover so I tried downloading the metadata and cover in Calibre again. I applied it and replaced the epub in iTunes and on my iPad. No new cover art. And even when I added the new cover art to the book in iTunes, it didn't show up in iBooks on my iPad.

     

    Is it possible that some books don't allow changes? I know I've added covers to lots of books through Calibre.

  • by drans208,

    drans208 drans208 May 23, 2014 8:16 AM in response to bobbd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 23, 2014 8:16 AM in response to bobbd

    I just now stumbled upon the solution in another thread:

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5509530

    (see the post by "stevekrischer")

     

    Basically, what you have to do after updating the cover photo in Calibre is "re-convert" the epub file to epub and then add that new epub file to your iBooks library. I just tested the approach on a few books, and it worked perfectly!

  • by bobbd,

    bobbd bobbd May 23, 2014 8:35 AM in response to drans208
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 23, 2014 8:35 AM in response to drans208

    So what I must be doing is importing the books in whatever the original format was, adding the metadata and cover, then converting and saving. I just tried on the book I tested earlier and it did indeed work. Most books I have didn't originate as epub which may be why I never noticed the difference. Thanks for pointing out that thread.

     

    I still wish Apple hadn't messed up the Books library.

  • by rajee7,

    rajee7 rajee7 Sep 22, 2014 8:17 AM in response to dscheenaard
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Sep 22, 2014 8:17 AM in response to dscheenaard

    A hack to solve this:

    Open the book in Preview

    Under File > Print, select Save as pdf from the PDF dropdown list.

    Edit info and save it.

     

    Now you'll find a new pdf copy with edited info in the same folder as your original pdf.

    You can now delete the old copy and open the new one in iBooks. 

  • by larodmusic,

    larodmusic larodmusic Oct 16, 2014 6:40 AM in response to dscheenaard
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 16, 2014 6:40 AM in response to dscheenaard

    I agree this is pathetic, and the worst thing about it is that after a year is still not fixed. Apple is the new Microsoft..

  • by Fletch6617,

    Fletch6617 Fletch6617 Oct 24, 2014 12:29 PM in response to MorningDewProcess
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 24, 2014 12:29 PM in response to MorningDewProcess

    This worked great on Mavericks. I have since updated to Yosemite. iBooks is back. And I can't change it like I did before. The book store agent is not there to be deleted. Any help would be appreciated.

     

    Thanks,

    Caleb

  • by OsLivon,

    OsLivon OsLivon Feb 7, 2015 7:38 AM in response to dscheenaard
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 7, 2015 7:38 AM in response to dscheenaard

    Happilly it's now possible to edit books informations in iBooks 1.1.

    To do that you have to activate the List View mode and click the field you want to edit.


  • by tash fromperth,

    tash fromperth tash fromperth Mar 26, 2015 4:24 AM in response to dscheenaard
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 26, 2015 4:24 AM in response to dscheenaard

    Good evening,

     

    I know that now in iBooks for Yosemite, you can now edit the data/metadata.

     

    I want to be able to have those changes also reflect in the original file (like iTunes does with music files), so that if i move my iBooks library, it moves the updated file.

     

    Any ideas team?

     

    Tash

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