14 DAY TRIAL // Calibre is the ultimate eBook reader, editor, and library management out there and, to top it all off, it's also free. Even if it's an excellent app, it can get even better with the proper plugin.
One of the strongest suites of Calibre is its ability to support plugins, and the community has been more than willing to provide them. Here is a short list of plugins that you will surely need at one point or another.
1. The Barnes & Noble Metadata Source Plugin allows users to download source for book metadata, including some excellent quality covers, by retrieving it from www.barnesandnoble.com. The default sources in Calibre are Google and Amazon, but they can be greatly enhanced.
2. Some devices support custom book covers and the Copy Cover plugin will allow users to populate your device's “special” screensaver directory with Calibre covers of the correct shape, size, and format.
3. The Count Pages plugin will determine a number of pages and/or words in a book and store the result in custom column(s). This is very helpful because not all devices are capable of doing this operation. Kindle users will also find that it comes with a few special options just for them.
4. Extract ISBN is a plugin that can be used to try to find the ISBN for a book using the text within a book format. This is very useful when trying to get metadata for your book. The odds of finding the correct cover and metadata increase greatly when you know the ISBN code.
5. Kindle Collections is a great tool for users who want to manage their Kindle collections, margins, and fonts. It works on Kindle DX, 2, 3, and 4 non-touch (but not the Kindle Touch).
All the plugins can be installed from the application. Enjoy Calibre and all its great features!