Create eBooks in a single click. dotEPUB is a simple bookmarklet that pulls content from webpages and offers you a downloadable epub file, which you can read on your e-reader of choice or even on your computer.

Finding long, fulfilling articles to read is both rewarding and relaxing, but reading articles on your web browser isn't always ideal. Epub files can be read on most e-readers, including your Android and iOS devices, so you know you will be able to read this file on pretty much any device. dotEPUB is simple to use, and useful for anyone who regularly reads long articles. Stop staring at your computer for long periods of time; move long articles elsewhere as epubs.

Installing dotEPUB

To get started, head over to dotEPUB.com. To install, all you need to do is drag the logo to your bookmarks toolbar:

convert webpages to ebook

Not sure what I mean? Watch this video tutorial provided by dotEPUB:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnNWt51cOVQ

One thing to note - you can turn Immersive Mode on or off before installing the bookmarklet. Immersive Mode is the default, and removes all links and images from an article being converted, so you can focus on the text and nothing else. Even with Immersive Mode off, you might not be able to download pictures with an article; some articles are simply too big for that.

Note that dotEPUB does not work with Internet Explorer, so you might need to upgrade to Chrome or Firefox to use dotEPUB. You probably should anyway, though, so this isn't such a big deal.

Can't get the bookmarklet to install? Your browser may not support it. Check out the manual installation instructions instead. Are you a Chrome user? You can install the official dotEPUB extension instead of using the bookmarklet, if you prefer.

Making epubs

So, you've found a long article and you want to convert it?  First, check to see if the article is split into multiple pages. If so, use the site's "print" function to see the entire article on one page.

After that all you need to do is click your new bookmarklet. You will quickly be offered a download:

convert webpages to ebook

You now have an epub file, which you can read offline with Calibre or any other desktop e-reading software that supports epub files.

You can also add this file to your e-reader, smartphone or tablet. Unsure how to do this? Download our free eBook management guide, which will teach you how to transfer your eBooks with Calibre.

Google Reader

I discovered something while playing with dotEPUB: it's actually a great way to pull down all of your Google Reader articles. Just open your reading list, or whatever collection of articles you want to read, and click the bookmarklet. You now have an epub of your Google Reader feeds!

Alternatives

Do you like this concept, but want PDF files instead of epubs? Check out Magizinify, which turns articles into PDF files. Do you want to read articles in-browser, but without the ads and sidebars? Check out Readability, which offers just that. Finally, you should really check out Instapaper, which creates a reading list for you. It also features an epub download, giving you your entire reading list in one file.

Do you have any other recommendations for would-be web readers? Share them in the comments below, along with your thoughts about dotEPUB.