eReaders... they’re fab aren’t they? Whether you belong to the cult of Kindle or are devouring novels on your iPad, you’ve got a stash of books in digital format that (we assume) you paid good money for.

The problem is: your ebooks are locked into a format. Apple uses the ePub format for its pods and pads. Kindle uses its Amazon-brand format called AZW, which is based on the Mobipocket format that usually has the file extension .mobi. Then there are PDFs and more.

It’s frustrating! But... there is a handy app called calibre that can convert just about any digital book file into the format you’re looking for, provided it’s not copyright-protected.

Calibre back-to-basics 

STEP 1:

Go to http://calibre-ebook.com/download and download the version you’ll need (you have a choice of Windows, OSX or Linux).

Select ‘Run’, agree to the terms and conditions, and let it the Setup Wizard install calibre. When it’s done, make sure the ‘Launch calibre’ box is ticked and hit Finish.

STEP 2:

You’ll be asked to choose your language (obviously I went with English) where you want to set up your calibre library. If you’re not running some kind of file-sharing media library with more than one user, like you and your boyfriend share videos or music on a home network, I suggest simply making a file under your user name and linking to it, like in the screenshot.

STEP 3:

Select your reader... this is what device you usually use to read your digital books. If you pick Apple, for instance, calibre will convert everything you add to its library to ePub files. I selected ‘Generic’ as I use more than one e-reader. Click Finish.

STEP 4:

Your empty calibre library will open. To add books to your calibre library, select the red Add books icon in the top left corner. In the screenshot below I am adding Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange that I happen to have on my PC’s hard drive. I can’t read it because it’s in ePub (Apple) format.

STEP 5:

Now, if selected your e-reader device in the beginning, calibre will automatically convert your ebook into the right format. I selected ‘Generic’, so I have to pick a format myself. For this I highlight the book title and click the yellow Convert Books icon.

STEP 6:

A window opens that contains all the metadata for my digital version of A Clockwork Orange, even its cover, author and more. In the top right corner of the window, I select the Output format tab and select what format I’m converting to. I went with the MOBI format, and hit OK.

STEP 7:

In the bottom right-hand corner of the calibre library a wheel icon starts spinning next to the word Jobs. If you click it, you will see a status bar showing how long it will take for your ebook to convert to its new format. It takes 31 seconds for A Clockwork Orange.

STEP 8:

Now double click your converted book in the calibre library and start reading – or transfer it to your Kindle or iPad, whichever device you’re using. Simple!