26 | Create The MOBI Version

The MOBI file is created by controlling KindleGen via Command Prompt.

Heads up: the MOBI format is Kindle ready. This filetype can be sideloaded to any Kindle or Kindle app. 

MOBI is the file to upload for Amazon. Of course, uploading the EPUB to Amazon will push the file through this exact same conversion process, but it wouldn't be much of a tutorial if users couldn't make their own MOBIs. So here's how it's done.

Open Command Prompt

The computer I’m using runs Windows 8.1. Opening the command prompt window is simple: Click the Windows key and type ‘com’. That’s enough to put Command prompt front and center. Click it, and you’re in.

For other Windows versions, usually a trip into the Start Menu > Accessories > System Tools > Command Prompt will do it. If all else fails, Google.

For these tutorial pictures, screenshots were grabbed off hubby’s desktop. His user name is blotted out in all Command Prompt images.

Change Directory to the Production Folder

This is the part that will make you ever-so grateful you put that production folder on the desktop as suggested.

We need to navigate to our production folder so that KindleGen will (eventually) know where to find our kindle_projectx.epub file.

Change directories by following these steps exactly.

In the command prompt window, where the cursor is blinking, type cd desktop

Press enter, like so: (‘cd’ means ‘change directory’)

Next, type cd production and click enter, like so:

Run KindleGen

Okay, now we’re in the proper directory, we can actually run KindleGen and produce a MOBI file.

The command to be typed looks like this:

c:\KindleGen\kindlegen kindle_projectx.epub –c1 –verbose

Pay attention to capitalization and slash direction, please.

(If you have used a long complicated filename instead of kindle_projectx.epub, I am pointing and laughing at you right now. Good luck, improviser.) 

Click enter, and Command Prompt will barf up a ton of text, like so:

“Mobi file built successfully” is my favorite line in the world.

Files without an cover image Semantic "name tag" will get the following message: Mobi file built with WARNINGS!

This is because the cover image was not specified. Your MOBI is still 100% fine.

Lots of things can go wrong, however. The solution to every single KindleGen error report ever can be found by using Google.

Check Things Out

In this step, the kindle_projectx.mobi file needs to be checked over. As mentioned, I do this on my Kindle and on my phone’s Kindle app which, I am forced to admit, is pretty stupid. I have a Kindle keyboard (that I love and they will have to pry out of my cold dead hands). It’s pretty old by technology standards, and the phone’s app is limited as to showing me any potential platform problems.

Update: I now test on the Keyboard kindle, a base-line Kindle, a Kindle Fire, the android Kindle App, and Kindle Previewer. I find very little variance between any of these, except for which html names/numbers are recognized by the versions. And also by the devices; android apps on different phones accept differing names/numbers. Did I mention these things make my head hurt?

Also, I have to give Amazon props for maintaining a Help function inside Kindle Previewer. You might not find every answer in there, but if worst comes to worst, google. You’ll likely end up on the Kindle forums. Behave yourself in there. Like Sunday-best polite. They tend to skin the rude, clueless and unsuspecting in those parts.

ACTION: If changes are required, make the changes to kindle_projectx.epub and rerun KindleGen via Command Prompt as needed.

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