How to Put a Sufficient Velocity Story on Kindle With Calibre
You can put a Sufficient Velocity story on a Kindle without using Amazon’s Send to Kindle service. First, download the thread as an EPUB with WP Downloader. You can then convert it to AZW3 with calibre and copy it to your Kindle over USB.
WP Downloader is a free browser-based tool. Calibre is a free e-book manager for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What you need
You will need:
- The Sufficient Velocity story’s thread URL
- A computer with calibre installed
- Your Kindle and its USB cable
A Sufficient Velocity story link looks like this:
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/some-story-name.123456/Stories on Sufficient Velocity are forum threads. WP Downloader collects the threadmarked chapters and combines them into one book, saving you from downloading each post separately.
Step 1: Download the story with WP Downloader
Open the Sufficient Velocity downloader and paste the story’s thread URL into the box.
WP Downloader detects the site and downloads the whole story. For Sufficient Velocity, it cannot download a single chapter or a story list.
Select EPUB as the output format. EPUB downloads are free for everyone, and you can choose whether to include the story’s images.
You do not need to sign in for a public story. You can sign in with your Sufficient Velocity account to reach members-only stories that the account can already read. WP Downloader cannot bypass locked content, paywalls, or age restrictions.
Save the EPUB to your computer. The Sufficient Velocity download guide has more information about this step.
Step 2: Add the EPUB to calibre
Open calibre and select “Add books.” Find the EPUB from WP Downloader and add it to your calibre library.
The story will appear in your book list. If you want, you can edit its metadata or cover before converting it.
You can also check the EPUB in calibre’s e-book viewer. The viewer has a “Read aloud” feature for listening on your computer.
Step 3: Convert the EPUB to AZW3
Select the story in calibre, then choose “Convert books.”
Set the output format to AZW3 and start the conversion. Kindle e-readers can open AZW3 files copied over USB.
WP Downloader does not create AZW3 or MOBI files. It supplies the EPUB, which calibre can convert to AZW3 for this USB transfer. Calibre can also convert books to formats such as MOBI and PDF.
Step 4: Connect your Kindle over USB
Connect your Kindle to the computer with its USB cable. After calibre recognizes it, select the converted story in your library.
Choose “Send to device” to copy the book to the Kindle. When the transfer is complete, disconnect the Kindle and open the story from its library.
The file moves directly from your computer to the connected Kindle, without going through Amazon’s Send to Kindle service.
USB transfer and Send to Kindle
Send to Kindle and calibre’s USB transfer use different methods. Send to Kindle accepts supported files through Amazon’s service, while calibre copies a converted book directly to the device with a cable.
If you prefer Amazon’s service, see the guide to send Sufficient Velocity stories to Kindle.
Kindles still open MOBI and AZW3 files copied over USB. Amazon stopped accepting MOBI through Send to Kindle, but this does not affect MOBI files transferred by cable.
For the USB method described here, convert the EPUB from WP Downloader to AZW3 with calibre.
Getting new chapters later
WP Downloader cannot add new chapters to an EPUB you have already downloaded. When the Sufficient Velocity thread gets new threadmarked chapters, download the whole story again.
Add the new EPUB to calibre, convert it to AZW3, and transfer the new version to your Kindle.
Transfer steps differ for other e-readers. Kobo users can follow the guide to read Sufficient Velocity stories on Kobo.
FAQ
Can WP Downloader send a story directly to my Kindle over USB?
No. WP Downloader creates the EPUB. Calibre converts it to AZW3 and sends the converted book to the connected Kindle.
Does WP Downloader create MOBI or AZW3 files?
No. WP Downloader provides EPUB downloads for everyone and PDF downloads with a free Discord sign-in. Calibre can convert the EPUB to AZW3 or MOBI.
Why use USB instead of Send to Kindle?
A USB connection lets calibre transfer an AZW3 or MOBI file directly to the Kindle without using Amazon’s Send to Kindle service.
Can I download one Sufficient Velocity chapter?
No. WP Downloader downloads the whole story by collecting its threadmarked chapters into one book. It does not download individual chapters or lists from Sufficient Velocity.
Do I need a Sufficient Velocity account?
You do not need an account for public stories. Signing in is optional and lets WP Downloader access members-only stories that your account can read.