Apple alternative to Calibre (epub organiser)

Question

Apple alternative to Calibre (epub organiser)

Apple alternative to Calibre (epub organiser).

I would like a program/software that will allow me to edit and organise my pub files. I currently have 8200 files, and some haven't been saved with the correct author, title, series name etc. I would like to be able to edit the metadata of these files and have them in a library so that i can sort and search on all of them.

Key features that i am interested in...

Edit metadata
Organise files
Connect with my eReader
Search and apply covers

Alternatives that i have looked at already...

Alfa eBooks Manager - Not made for Apple
BookONO - Keeps crashing
Kitabu - Cannot edit the metadata
Adobe Digital Editions - Cannot edit the metadata
Lucidor - Doesn't Launch
ClearView - Cannot edit the metadata
Jutoh - Cannot edit the metadata

I would really appreciate everyone/anyones help to find an alternative to both edit and organise my ebook library.

Please also correct me if i am incorrect with any of the above statements, or perhaps have a better phrase that i can search on.

Posted on Feb 2, 2015 2:28 AM

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Answer 1

etresoft

Level 9

56,674 points

Feb 2, 2015 5:09 AM in response to tash fromperth

iBooks?

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Answer 2

Feb 2, 2015 3:54 PM in response to etresoft

Thanks, but you can't edit the metadata.

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Answer 3

etresoft

Level 9

56,674 points

Feb 2, 2015 5:20 PM in response to tash fromperth

tash fromperth wrote:

Thanks, but you can't edit the metadata.

You can in Yosemite. When Yosemite came out, I had to make my own ePub metadata editor free. If you aren't using Yosemite, you can downloadiBookplate for free.

Disclaimer: Although iBookplate is free, there are other links on that site that could give me some form of compensation, financial or otherwise.

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Answer 4

Feb 3, 2015 4:10 AM in response to etresoft

You can't edit in iBooks. Unless theres something I'm missing.

You can edit in iBook Author. But that means using two pieces of software to manage my library.

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Answer 5

etresoft

Level 9

56,674 points

Feb 3, 2015 4:12 AM in response to tash fromperth

tash fromperth wrote:

You can't edit in iBooks. Unless theres something I'm missing.

I think you are missing the fact that you can edit metadata in iBooks.

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Answer 6

Feb 3, 2015 4:24 AM in response to etresoft

Ok, Thanks Etresoft.

Can you please provide me the steps to edit the metadata in iBooks?

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Answer 7

etresoft

Level 9

56,674 points

Feb 3, 2015 4:33 AM in response to tash fromperth

tash fromperth wrote:

Can you please provide me the steps to edit the metadata in iBooks?

Launch iBooks
Switch to List view
Click once on field to edit
Wait about 2 seconds to avoid triggering a double-click
Click again on field to edit
Edit field

To change a cover, use a non-List view and just drag a new image from the Finder or other image-viewing app onto the existing cover.

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Answer 8

Feb 3, 2015 4:35 AM in response to etresoft

Ohhh, thats great! Thank you so much!

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Answer 9

Feb 3, 2015 5:31 AM in response to etresoft

Thanks Etresoft.

When i change the data in iBooks tho, it doesn't change the original file. So if i import onto another laptop, the files don't have the updated information.

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Answer 10

etresoft

Level 9

56,674 points

Feb 3, 2015 7:00 AM in response to tash fromperth

If you migrate your iBooks database, your modified metadata should go along with it.

But you are correct, it will not modify the underlying ePub file. Is that something that you would want to do? I wrote my iBookplate app to work the same way and avoid modifying the actual ePub content. But I suppose now that Yosemite is taking on that role, I could repurpose iBookplate and have it modify the metadata directly and make it more independent from iBooks. It would be quite easy to do. iBookplate was selling well until Yosemite and I couldn't justify charging money for it. Alas, I will probably have to pull the old "iBookPlate Pro" trick. Such is life. Check the Etresoft iBookplate web site sometime in April.

Disclaimer: Although iBookplate is currently free, there are other links on my site that could give me some form of compensation, financial or otherwise.

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