I have been replacing my paperback books with digital copies in Apple Books. I have searched in the help and the forum of how to import those purchases into Bookpedia but haven't found how to do this.
It's either that I haven't looked hard enough or this feature does not exist. Any help on this would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Bookpedia - Import Apple Books Purchases
Re: Bookpedia - Import Apple Books Purchases
Hi DanThe.
I did an article on this in May 2019 and posted it in the PediaTalk forum. Importing Kindle or iBooks into Bookpedia Part 2
I have not actually tested with Bookpedia version 6 on macOS 10.15 Catalina as I have now imported all my ebook purchases and now just use amazon asin or the ISBN usually found in the front of Apples ebooks. I will have to get around to testing that.
I did an article on this in May 2019 and posted it in the PediaTalk forum. Importing Kindle or iBooks into Bookpedia Part 2
I have not actually tested with Bookpedia version 6 on macOS 10.15 Catalina as I have now imported all my ebook purchases and now just use amazon asin or the ISBN usually found in the front of Apples ebooks. I will have to get around to testing that.
Re: Bookpedia - Import Apple Books Purchases
Thanks FineWine. I have played around with it but it would be nice if the drag and drop could be done directly from the Books app instead of the file location folder. That being said, here are my observations of the drag and drop results for Apple Books.
1. There are 2 types of files in the Books folder which are 'epub' and 'ibook'. The files with the 'ibook' extension do not get imported into Bookpedia.
2. The the number of ePub fields that are imported into Bookpedia is not consistant. For example, the book Inside Out by Nick Mason (ISBN: 9781780221755) has much more details than Waging Heavy Peace Deluxe by Neil Young (ISBN: 9781101616833).
3. In some cases, the field information is completely wrong. For example, Allegiant by Veronica Roth (ISBN: 9780062209276) has the Format field listed as '544 pages' instead of 'ePub' plus only the Publisher, Format, Language, Genre, Pages and ISBN fields were populated.
I realize to that this is still a work in progress.
Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction regarding the importing of digital books.
1. There are 2 types of files in the Books folder which are 'epub' and 'ibook'. The files with the 'ibook' extension do not get imported into Bookpedia.
2. The the number of ePub fields that are imported into Bookpedia is not consistant. For example, the book Inside Out by Nick Mason (ISBN: 9781780221755) has much more details than Waging Heavy Peace Deluxe by Neil Young (ISBN: 9781101616833).
3. In some cases, the field information is completely wrong. For example, Allegiant by Veronica Roth (ISBN: 9780062209276) has the Format field listed as '544 pages' instead of 'ePub' plus only the Publisher, Format, Language, Genre, Pages and ISBN fields were populated.
I realize to that this is still a work in progress.
Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction regarding the importing of digital books.
Re: Bookpedia - Import Apple Books Purchases
Hi DanThe.
POINT 1
The reason that the .ibooks file format books wont get imported is that this format is a propitiatory Apple DRM format created by authors who use Apples "iBooks Author" program. So Apple will not allow the likes of Bookpedia access to that format and its contents. The .iBooks format is also a multi-touch and interactive format which is good in the educational fields but not that good for just good old novel writers. The iBooks Author program can export to ePub & PDF but it has to strip that multi-touch and interactive content out when doing so. Also, in my understanding, is that iBooks Author is slowly being deprecated as Apple Pages is slowly taking over all of its abilities. Though Apple recommends that authors acquire an ISBN for their books, it is not a hard and fast requirement. Unfortunately you are going to have to add these books to Bookpedia the old way of the Add function using; Title or Author or ISBN.
Have a little read here: Apple Books Asset Guide and an Apple Support Forum Topic Convert .ibooks file to epub file to be read on Kindle, Nook, etc. for more info.
POINT 2
Bookpedia can only import the data that is found within the ePub file format which of course Bookpedia has no control over.
NOTE: if you right click on an ePub file and choose 'Show Package Contents' you will see what I mean. Bookpedia has to sift through all that info. (garbage in, garbage out you could say)
POINT 3
Allegiant by Veronica Roth (ISBN: 9780062209276) That ISBN number is an Amazon Audible Audiobook so you will not get the same info as for a physical book or even an ebook. Remember 97% of an ebooks info is the same as a physical book except for its dimensions (none) and price and ISBN.
So what you are going to have to do is use Bookpedia's Add search function using that ISBN number and then in the amazon web page select either Hardcover or Paperback and use the ISBN-10 number NOT the ISBN-13 number as the 13 number will lead you back to the audiobook.
In a perfect world we would not have to do this but each format, physical or electronic, has a different ISBN number so the same book could have 4 or 5 ISBN numbers each with its own amount of information on that book
In your original post you state "I have been replacing my paperback books with digital copies in Apple Books"
A big task as I have done the same with my physical books that I keep re-reading.
As you know these imported ebooks automatically go into a Collection 'Imported e-books'. Whether you include that Collection into your main Book Library is upto you, I have because it is still another book therefore goes towards the overall Main Library Collection count. Ensure you have Count turned on in; File > Show Count. But I have also made two Smart Collections; Apple iBooks & Kindle.
Now when I add a new Apple iBook or Kindle book that I do not have as a physical book that book will also be listed not only in the main Book Library but also the relevant Smart Collection which is all based on;
Format > is > Kindle Edition or Apple iBook
Purchased At > is > Amazon or iBooks
Location > is > Kindle or iBooks
Match > any
Hope this information is of assistance.
POINT 1
The reason that the .ibooks file format books wont get imported is that this format is a propitiatory Apple DRM format created by authors who use Apples "iBooks Author" program. So Apple will not allow the likes of Bookpedia access to that format and its contents. The .iBooks format is also a multi-touch and interactive format which is good in the educational fields but not that good for just good old novel writers. The iBooks Author program can export to ePub & PDF but it has to strip that multi-touch and interactive content out when doing so. Also, in my understanding, is that iBooks Author is slowly being deprecated as Apple Pages is slowly taking over all of its abilities. Though Apple recommends that authors acquire an ISBN for their books, it is not a hard and fast requirement. Unfortunately you are going to have to add these books to Bookpedia the old way of the Add function using; Title or Author or ISBN.
Have a little read here: Apple Books Asset Guide and an Apple Support Forum Topic Convert .ibooks file to epub file to be read on Kindle, Nook, etc. for more info.
POINT 2
Bookpedia can only import the data that is found within the ePub file format which of course Bookpedia has no control over.
NOTE: if you right click on an ePub file and choose 'Show Package Contents' you will see what I mean. Bookpedia has to sift through all that info. (garbage in, garbage out you could say)
POINT 3
Allegiant by Veronica Roth (ISBN: 9780062209276) That ISBN number is an Amazon Audible Audiobook so you will not get the same info as for a physical book or even an ebook. Remember 97% of an ebooks info is the same as a physical book except for its dimensions (none) and price and ISBN.
So what you are going to have to do is use Bookpedia's Add search function using that ISBN number and then in the amazon web page select either Hardcover or Paperback and use the ISBN-10 number NOT the ISBN-13 number as the 13 number will lead you back to the audiobook.
In a perfect world we would not have to do this but each format, physical or electronic, has a different ISBN number so the same book could have 4 or 5 ISBN numbers each with its own amount of information on that book
In your original post you state "I have been replacing my paperback books with digital copies in Apple Books"
A big task as I have done the same with my physical books that I keep re-reading.
As you know these imported ebooks automatically go into a Collection 'Imported e-books'. Whether you include that Collection into your main Book Library is upto you, I have because it is still another book therefore goes towards the overall Main Library Collection count. Ensure you have Count turned on in; File > Show Count. But I have also made two Smart Collections; Apple iBooks & Kindle.
Now when I add a new Apple iBook or Kindle book that I do not have as a physical book that book will also be listed not only in the main Book Library but also the relevant Smart Collection which is all based on;
Format > is > Kindle Edition or Apple iBook
Purchased At > is > Amazon or iBooks
Location > is > Kindle or iBooks
Match > any
Hope this information is of assistance.