Installing Your eBook

If you have not previously downloaded an ebook and added it to your reading device, here is information which will help you with ebooks you purchase and download from the Self-Counsel Press website. This information does not apply to ebooks you might purchase and download from the ebook stores operated by the various reader devices listed below.

File Formats

We publish ebooks in two formats:

1. EPUB: this is an almost universal format which you can use to read on your computer desktop, or on any of a very wide range of devices.
2. Kindle (MOBI/AZW): this is a proprietary format used by Amazon.

Desktop Reader Software

If you do not have a hardware device for reading ebooks (such as one of those devices mentioned under EPUB Readers and Kindle Readers below), you can still read books on your desktop or laptop computer screen. What follows is a partial list of software with links to pages where you can download it:

• Adobe Digital Editions displays EPUB books on Windows and Apple computers (free)
• Aldiko Reader displays EPUB books on Android tablets and phones (free).
• Bluefire Reader displays EPUB files and PDFs on Apple IOS devices and Android (free)
• Bookle displays EPUB books on Apple computers (purchase)
• BookReader displays EPUB books on Apple computers (free)
• Kobo Desktop Software displays EPUB books on Windows and Macintosh computers (free, ONLY works with ebooks purchased from Kobo)
• Kindle software displays MOBI books on Windows and Macintosh computers (free)

EPUB Readers

What follows is a partial list of the hardware devices that can be used to read EPUB format ebooks:

1. Apple iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone
2. Kobo brand readers
3. Sony brand readers
4. Barnes & Noble "Nook" readers
5. Mobile devices using the Android operating system version 2.1 or above, including Android Smartphones, Android tablets and others (via the Aldiko Book Reader software application)
6. Dozens, if not hundreds of dedicated ereaders including ones from Bookeen, Elonex, BeBook and others

Kindle Readers

The .MOBI and .AZW formats are supported by:

1. The various models of Kindle ebook readers from Amazon. These readers allow you to add books to them.
2. Amazon Kindle application ("App") software which is available for a variety of portable devices. At this time Amazon Kindle App software only directly supports ebooks purchased from Amazon, but if you have an Amazon account you can get a special email address to email ebooks to the Kindle reader software.
3. Aldiko and FReader on Android devices (download from the Android Market)

When in Doubt

If you are unsure which format to download, we suggest you select the EPUB format because ebooks in this format can be loaded to and used on a very wide range of devices.

iPad, iPad2, iPod Touch, iPhone

These devices from Apple can all read EPUB format files.

Prerequisites

You need a current version of iTunes installed on your computer and authorized to work with your Apple i-device. Buying and downloading directly to an iPad or other i-device online is not a good idea as Apple's security settings are likely to tell you something like, the server you are trying to download from does not have a valid certificate. Using iTunes as described below is the better method.

You also need the (free from the Apple App Store) iBooks application for reading, so be sure to download the iBooks application on the device you are using.

Installing your ebook

The illustrations below show an iPad used with iTunes; the screens are the same for the iPod Touch and the iPhone. Click on an image to enlarge it.

When you download your book in the EPUB format, make a note of where you save the file. The file name will be bookname.epub where “bookname” is the book title.

1. Open iTunes
2. At the top of the screen, look for the File menu item and click on it to open the menu. Look for Add File to Library... in the menu which opens and click on it.

1. Use the dialog which opens to navigate to the location where you saved the EPUB file you downloaded and select the file.
2. In the left column of iTunes is a list of media types. Look for the "Books" item and select it. All the ebooks you have added to iTunes are listed here. Look for the book you just added to iTunes in the previous step and make sure there is a check mark in the bok to the left of the book title (This tells iTunes the book is okay to sync onto any of your devices).

1. Connect your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone to your computer with the USB cable.
2. The device you connected will appear in the left column in iTunes, under the Devices heading. Click on the device name to select the device.
3. At the top of the iTunes window you will see a list of tabs. Click on the Books tab.

1. You should see your new EPUB book in the list of books. You can choose whether to sync all books in the list to your device, or you can select individual books to put on the device.

1. Once you have made your selection, click on the Apply button and iTunes will sync your selection to your device.
2. After iTunes completes the sync, check your iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone and your book(s) should appear on the iBooks bookshelf, ready for you to read.

The process sounds like a lot of steps. Once you have done it a few times it will feel simple!

Kobo Reader

The Kobo Reader and Kobo software uses EPUB format files.

Prerequisites

The Kobo eReader with current software and the USB cable to connect it to your computer.

Installing your ebook

When you download your book in the EPUB format, make a note of where you save the file. The file name will be bookname.epub where “bookname” is the book title.

1. With the Kobo device powered off, connect it to your computer via the USB cable.
2. After the connection is made, turn the Kobo device on.
3. The KOBOeReader File Browser window should appear on your computer.
4. On your computer, select the EPUB file you downloaded and drag it into the KOBOeReader File Browser window.
5. In the KOBOeReader File Browser window, eject the eReader device.
6. Unplug the USB cable.
7. Your eReader will update itself and the new book will appear in its own “Books” library, ready for reading.

Sony Readers

Sony Readers use EPUB format files.

Prerequisites

You will need to download and install (free) Adobe Digital Editions software if you do not already have it on your computer (described below), and you will need the USB cable to connect your Sony Reader to your computer.

Installing Adobe Digital Editions

1. If you do not have Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) on your computer (it is called Reader Library after it is installed), you need to download it. 
2. After you have downloaded the ADE install package, double-click it and follow the instructions to complete the install process.
3. When ADE first opens, you have to "authorize" your computer with the software and this includes the need to create an Adobe account. Make a note of the email address and password you use to create the account.
4. Next, if you have not done this already, your Sony Reader needs to be authorized to work with ADE, so connect your Sony Reader to your computer using the USB cable, then open the ADE Library menu and use the "Authorize Computer" option to authorize your Sony Reader, which will then appear as an icon in the left sidebar in ADE.

You need to complete the above steps once, to get the necessary software installed and authorized. After that, just follow the instructions below to add EPUB books to your Sony Reader.

Adding your book

1. When you installed ADE, the software added a folder called "My Digital Editions" to your Windows "My Documents" folder.
2. Drag your downloaded EPUB file from wherever you stored it on your computer to the "My Digital Editions" folder.
3. Now you have everything ready. In Adobe Digital Editions, open the Library menu and choose the "Add Item to Library" option to make your new book visible in the right side window in ADE.
4. Drag the book from the right side window to the Sony Reader device in the left sidebar.
5. Before you pull the Sony Reader USB plug from your computer, first disconnect the Sony Reader using the "Safely Remove Hardware" button in the lower right taskbar in Windows (or turn off your computer).

Follow the steps under "Adding your book" above for future books.

Barnes & Noble Nook

The Nook eReader uses EPUB format files.

Prerequisites

You will need to download and install (free) Adobe Digital Editions software if you do not already have it on your computer (described below), and you will need the USB cable to connect your Nook to your computer.

Installing Adobe Digital Editions

1. If you do not have Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) on your computer, you need to download it. 
2. After you have downloaded the ADE install package, double-click it and follow the instructions to complete the install process.
3. When ADE first opens, you have to "authorize" your computer with the software and this includes the need to create an Adobe account. Make a note of the email address and password you use to create the account.
4. Next, your Nook needs to be authorized to work with ADE, so connect your Nook to your computer using the USB cable, then open the ADE Library menu and use the "Authorize Computer" option to authorize your Nook, which will then appear as an icon in the left sidebar in ADE.

You need to complete the above steps once, to get the necessary software installed and authorized. After that, just follow the instructions below to add EPUB books to your Nook.

Adding your book

1. When you installed ADE, the software added a folder called "My Digital Editions" to your Windows "My Documents" folder.
2. Drag your downloaded EPUB file from wherever you stored after download to the "My Digital Editions" folder.
3. Now you have everything ready. In Adobe Digital Editions, open the Library menu and choose the "Add Item to Library" option to make your new book visible in the right side window in ADE.
4. Drag the book from the right side window to the Nook device in the left sidebar.
5. Before you pull the Nook USB plug from your computer, first disconnect the Nook using the "Safely Remove Hardware" button in the lower right taskbar in Windows (or turn off your computer).
6. On the Nook, EPUB books are stored in a different folder than the books you purchase from Barnes and Noble. The EPUB books are stored under "My Library" in "My Documents," and the Barnes and Noble books are stored under "My Library" in the "My B&N Library". This how-to only deals with EPUB books purchased on this website, not Barnes & Noble books you get from the Barnes & Noble web site.

Follow the steps under "Adding your book" above for future books.

Android Devices

An Android smartphone, Android tablet, or other device using the Android operating system version 2.1 or above.

Prerequisites

The Aldiko Book Reader software application.

Installing your ebook

Download and install the Aldiko Book Reader software on your Android device.

This article on the Aldiko site describes how to use the SD card on your Android device to import a non-DRM-encrypted ebook (like ours).