Confused about what to do, or having problems? Check this list for common issues, or visit Get Satisfaction for help.

What do I do first?

The easiest way to get acquainted with Bookworm is to take the tour.

For more information, try reading the About page for some background on the goals and strengths of Bookworm.

I'm having problems adding a book

Here are some common things to check:

Is the book in ‘ePub’ format?

Bookworm only accepts ePub books. You'll know an ebook is in ePub format if its name ends in .epub. If it doesn't, it's probably a PDF or some other kind of ebook. Check the website where you got the book for help on what software to use when reading it.

Did Bookworm tell you there was a problem with the book?

You might get an error message like this when you add a book:

The ePub format is still new, and not all ePub books are made quite right. Bookworm tries to accept a wide variety of ePubs, but sometimes it can't handle ebooks that are too unusual.

On the other hand, Bookworm is also new and still has bugs. When your book was uploaded into Bookworm and a problem was detected, Bookworm contacted an ePub validation system, which uses a program called ‘epubcheck’ by Adobe. Bookworm will tell you if epubcheck also thought there was a problem with the ebook. If they both agree, it's likely that the publisher didn't make the ePub correctly.

Whenever an ePub book fails to get added to the library, the Bookworm developer is notified. If a bug in Bookworm is found, it's usually fixed in a few days, so check back or email bookworm@oreilly.com for a status.

Does the book contain DRM (Digital Rights Management)?

Some ePub books have restrictions that prevent them from being read on unauthorized devices. Bookworm does not support any kind of DRM and the developers feel it is not a sufficient piracy deterrent to warrent limiting where you can read.

Consult the bookstore where you purchased the book or the publisher about which software you should use to read your book.

Is the ebook very large, or contain large images?

Some ebooks are too large to be safely stored and viewed in Bookworm. Excessively-large books will be rejected. An ePub is consider too large if it is over 30 megabytes in size.

Can I use Bookworm with my e-reader?

Yes, if your e-reader can open ePub books. In each case you will need to download your ebook to your computer and then add it to one of these applications, or use the mobile version of Bookworm with a device that is online.

The number of e-readers out there changes all the time, but as of March 2009:

Device	Supports ePub?	How-to
iPod Touch	Yes	Use Stanza.
iPhone	Yes	Use the mobile web version of Bookworm when online. Point your phone at http://m.bookworm.oreilly.com/. For offline reading, export directly from Bookworm to Stanza. More hints on this.
Other web-enabled phone	Yes	Use the mobile web version of Bookworm when online. Point your phone at http://m.bookworm.oreilly.com/.
Sony Reader	Yes	PRS-505 or PRS-700.
iRex iLiad	Yes
Amazon Kindle	Indirectly	The Kindle cannot read ePub files yet, but you can use Bookworm's mobile version over the Kindle's Whispernet by pointing its web browser at http://m.bookworm.oreilly.com/.

I see OpenID mentioned on the sign up page. Do I need one?

You don't need an OpenID to use Bookworm, but we recommend setting one up if you haven't already. In fact, you probably already have one. Find out more about OpenID.

Can I upload all my files at once or access Bookworm without a browser?

Yes, we implemented the Bookworm API to help users and developers use Bookworm in ways we hadn't originally imagined. A savvy developer can use the API to upload a number of ePubs at once or to download all the items in your Library. If you build something with the API, please let us know on Get Satisfaction

I have additional questions

There's more information about Bookworm on the About page.

For problems and feature requests, visit Get Satisfaction or the open source issue tracker.