Formatting

[Randall]

I'm trying to find out a way to add page numbers to my e-book. I've got it downloaded to Sigil, but have not found a way to import the numbers.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

[[deleted user]]

As far as I know, you can't number ebook pages. Since ebook readers have the option of changing the size of the font, and thus the amount that each page shows, a set page number could never be accurate.

[Randall]

Thanks Ken, but I have several e-books on my nook and Kindle that at the bottom say something like:

page 27 0f 255

and so forth. Am I missing something?

[K.]

I know this is on one topic, but I wanted to mention a wonderful formatter that I used: Polgarus Studio. They are prompt and reasonable, and easy to work with, and have several best selling clients. Kevin

[Martin]

Those numbers are dynamic as you change the text size.

[Tom]

Hi Randall,

As far as I can tell, the page numbers are unimportant for ebooks. But if I were to guess, I'd say the numbers are carried over from whatever number of pages they'd be in the print version.

I selected one book at random on my Kindle and changed it from "locations" to "page numbers" and then proceeded to change the font size drastically. When I was at my normal font, one swipe advanced the story one "page," and when I went to the large font, it took three or four swipes to read the next "page." Some books have the page counts enabled, while others do not. I imagine it's up to the author whether or not to enable the pages option upon upload, likely sourcing the total page count from the paperback version.

[[deleted user]]

Randall wrote: "Thanks Ken, but I have several e-books on my nook and Kindle that at the bottom say something like:

page 27 0f 255

and so forth. Am I missing something?"

Maybe I'm missing something. I never noticed that some books do give a page count, and when the font size is increased, the page number spans several "pages" before it changes. It may possibly be taken from the paperback page numbers, or it could be cued by the location number, which calibrates differently for different font size. So I'll have to change my answer to a big "I don't know."

[Micah]

Thomas is correct. Page numbers are totally meaningless in an eBook.

Users can set the size of the font, and there are a huge number of eReader devices all the way from tiny phone screens up to gigantic PC monitors.

When the number of words displayed on the screen can change dynamically, how do you define "page?"

I hate the Location thing, but my Kindle also shows what % of the book I've read. That's how I gauge my progress now.

My advice is to Keep it Simple and don't fuss with page numbers in eBooks. Leave that to your hard copy works.

[[deleted user]]

This is what Amazon says: "Important: delete the page numbers and leading dots (“………..123”) from your new table of contents. Readers can change the font size, margin size, and line spacing, so page numbers do not really apply to Kindle books."

[[deleted user]]

You can't add page numbers to an eBook because the sizes of pages vary from device to device, and if the customer changes the font size. I agree with Micah:% of book is how I keep up with it.

Morris

[G.G.]

I haven't tried it but if anyone did,maybe they could answer. I always thought that if you uploaded on Createspace first and accept the offer for them to use the file for kindle that it was then that you had the page number because it came from the print.

As for the page number, I know it's not accurate per say because of the different font sizes, but it still gives a great idea of where you're at. Personally, i prefer page number over location because it Tells you how long the book is. Not having page number doesn't prevent me from reading a book though.

[Martin]

I am just wondering... Why is this important to you?

[Randall]

I was just wondering why some have page numbers and others don't. I've seen several books on Amazon that advertise 'REAL' page numbers. It got me thinking that maybe I needed them, but you guys have been very helpful in showing me that they are unimportant in an e-book.

Thanks so much for answering my question.

[BR]

Randall wrote: "I was just wondering why some have page numbers and others don't. I've seen several books on Amazon that advertise 'REAL' page numbers. It got me thinking that maybe I needed them, but you guys hav..."

If the book was published through CreateSpace and uploaded to KDP from there, then it will have page numbers. But when you read it on an ereader, you'll see that the "page" you're reading will probably have more pages than the "number".

[[deleted user]]

I was advised early in the game to never use the ebook file generated by CreateSpace because it has flaws in the formatting. I'm not sure if this still applies, but I continue to create my own ebook file independently of CreateSpace.

[[deleted user]]

me, too.

[Lisa]

It's very easy to generate your own .mobi using KindleGen, as long as you have a well-formatted epub. I have put together instructions and a template for creating your own epub from an MS Word doc if anyone is interested.

Also, regarding page numbers vs percentage read. My kobo reader lets me switch between whether I want page number or percentage. I find the page numbers annoying though because it puts them into the text of the page as well as at the bottom.

[Micah]

I'm formatting my next novel now, the first to be published both in CreateSpace and eBook. I'm going to do the Kindle eBook separate as well.

I don't think it's a good idea to trust anything to automated services.

[[deleted user]]

I actually create the basic ebook file as I write. Once everything is set, it's easy to do. When the book is finished and uploaded where I need it to be, I alter that file for CreateSpace. I do it that way because it's easier than converting the other way around, and with CreateSpace it's much easier to see whether or not I did anything wrong.

[[deleted user]]

I create my eBook file in notepad with HTML and CSS which I convert with MOBI Pocket Creater, and a separate one in WORD which I later convert to PDF for my Create Space book. The only issues is, if you need an update, You have to change both documents at the same time.

Morris