Many current e-book generators (e.g., Smashwords, etc.) prefer that their input be in the old Word 97 format. Since LO stopped offering this “deprecated” output support, has anyone tried creating e-books using the output that LO offers now?
… in the old Word 97 format. Since LO stopped offering this “deprecated” output support
Please indicate via a link where you read this? File > Save As… > click on the All Formats button and scroll down to “Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP/2003 (.doc)”. This answer indicates it is possible to export to EPUB3 via an extension (although EPUB2 is recommended). Bug fdo#33226 (add EPUB exporting to LO) also offers a couple of links to extensions.
Hi,
The Smashwords Style Guide specifies the old Word format as the preferred input to their multi-format output generator called “meatgrinder”. Meatgrinder takes old clean Word .doc -only format as input. Why? because Meatgrinder predates any Epub standard that is only now becoming mature. Someday maybe…but not now.
True, they claim now to accept Epub2 (NOT 3!) also but I can tell you that any Epub output I’ve created (with e.g. Calibre) doesn’t fly well in Smashwords, even when run through the Epub “Autovetter”.
See Smashword’s Style Guide recommendations here:
https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/52/12/smashwords-style-guide
Bottom line: if one is going via Smashwords (and they’re pretty big in e-book circles) you need “old” Word.
Cheers!
J.