Ebook to PDF Converter

In How I Use AI to Consume 10x More Content, I shared four proven methods for using AI to summarize and synthesize information at scale. You might want to start there if you haven’t read it.

Why This Matters

AI wants PDFs. That’s the gap this workflow solves.

Most AI tools can’t read protected ebooks directly—they need standard PDF files. This process converts any Kobo ebook into an AI-ready PDF in under two minutes. No complicated software. No technical expertise required. Just a simple, repeatable system.

I use this workflow constantly. Every time I buy a business book on Kobo, I convert it immediately and upload it to my AI projects. The AI can then reference the entire book, pull specific quotes, and synthesize insights across multiple sources. It’s transformed how I learn.

Here’s exactly how I do it.

Why Kobo Instead of Kindle?

Kobo is Amazon Kindle’s largest competitor—a major global ebook retailer with millions of titles. But here’s why we’re using them: Kobo’s digital rights management (DRM) structure makes conversion straightforward. Amazon changed their encryption specifically to prevent what we’re doing here. Kindle ebooks can technically be converted, but it requires constantly updated plugins, workarounds that break with every Amazon update, and significant technical hassle.

Kobo works. Consistently. Without the cat-and-mouse game.

That’s the entire reason. You’re not switching ecosystems permanently—you’re just buying business books on Kobo when you want to feed them to your AI tools.

What This Unlocks

Here’s what becomes possible when you convert your business library to AI-ready PDFs:

• Build frameworks customized to your business. Upload Traction to Claude, then ask it to design your quarterly planning process using Gino Wickman’s EOS methodology with your specific company context.
• Get instant book-specific strategy advice. “Using Patrick Lencioni’s framework from The Advantage, analyze my team’s dysfunction and recommend our next three moves.”
• Synthesize insights across multiple sources. Feed Claude five books on financial management, then have it create a monthly financial review process that pulls the best from each.
• Create training materials that reference proven methodologies. Upload The E-Myth Revisited and have Claude build onboarding docs that teach your team to work on the business, not in it—using Gerber’s specific principles.
• Compare competing frameworks. “I’ve uploaded both Scaling Up and Good to Great. Which growth framework fits a $7M manufacturing business better, and why?”

In essence, this workflow will enable you to turn your library into an always-available advisor. Instead of rereading books when you hit a problem, ask Claude (or your favorite LLM) to apply specific concepts from specific books to your specific situation—right now.

A Word About Respecting Authors

Buy your books from legitimate sources. Authors deserve to earn royalties for their work. This workflow is designed for books you’ve legally purchased from Kobo, Amazon, or other authorized retailers. Use it only for books you own.

Turn on privacy settings. Before uploading any PDF to AI tools, make sure you’ve disabled data training in your account settings. Otherwise, the AI company may use your uploaded content to train their models. Check Claude, ChatGPT, and other platforms—most have options to opt out of training.

What You’ll Need

Before you start, make sure you have these three things:

1. A Kobo account with the book you want to convert (sign up here)
2. Kobo Desktop App installed on your Mac or Windows computer (download it here)
3. EPUBOR software installed (get it here)

Warning: You might get an error message on Mac the first time you try to run EPUBOR. If so, go to System Settings > Privacy and Security.Click on Open Anyway. If you need more detailed instructions, you can find them here.

Important: This workflow only works on desktop or laptop computers—not mobile devices. It also only works with the Desktop app (#2 above). You can’t use it with the web reader.

The Complete Workflow

Step 1: Buy Your Book on Kobo.

Purchase the book directly from Kobo.com.

Make sure you’re logged into the same Kobo account you use on your desktop app. If you’re using different accounts, the book won’t show up in EPUBOR later.

Step 2: View the Book on the Kobo Desktop App.

Open your Kobo desktop app and navigate to My Books.

Find the book you just purchased. If it’s there, you’re good to go.

Step 3: Open EPUBOR and Switch to Kobo View.

Launch EPUBOR on your computer.

In the left-hand navigation panel, click on Kobo (number 1 in the screenshot below). This tells EPUBOR to display all your purchased Kobo books.

You should now see a list of every Kobo book you’ve purchased. If the book you want isn’t showing up (number 2 in the screenshot below), make sure the Kobo Desktop app is open.

Step 4: Drag the Book into EPUBOR.

Find the book you want to convert in the Kobo list.

Click and drag it from the left panel into the main EPUBOR workspace (the large area on the right).

EPUBOR will automatically:

• Decrypt the DRM protection.
• Prepare the file for conversion.

You don’t need to configure anything. Just drag and drop.

Step 5: Convert to Multiple Formats.

Click the conversion dropdown at the bottom of the EPUBOR window.

Select “Convert to PDF.”

I would also convert to ePUB and Mobi. Here’s why: Converting to multiple formats (PDF, EPUB, MOBI) at once means you have options later. Need to read on your Kindle? You’ve got MOBI. Want to upload to Claude? You’ve got PDF. Do it once, use it everywhere.

Note: PDF conversion takes slightly longer than other formats—usually 30-60 seconds depending on book length. This is normal. Be patient.

Step 6: Access Your Converted Files.

When the conversion finishes, click the file folder in the lower right-hand corner of EPUBOR.

When you click the file folder icon, your converted files are right there, ready to use.

That’s it. Your book is now a standard PDF (plus EPUB and MOBI formats) that any AI tool can read.

What to Do Next: Upload to Your AI Tools

Now that you have a PDF, here’s how to use it with AI:

For Claude Projects:

1. Create or open your Claude project.
2. Click the + icon in the Files area (number 1 in the screenshot below).
3. Upload the PDF file (number 2 in the screenshot below).
4. Claude can now reference the entire book in your conversations.

For ChatGPT:

1. Create or open your ChatGPT project.
2. Click the Add files button.
3. Upload the PDF.
4. Ask questions about the book’s content.

For NotebookLM:

1. Create a new notebook or open an existing one.
2. Click Add sources.
3. Select your PDF.
4. NotebookLM will index the entire book for searchable reference.

Best Practices I’ve Learned

• Create a dedicated folder. I keep all my converted books in a a subfolder of my AI folder, so I always know where to find them.
• Convert to multiple formats every time. Even if you only need PDF today, having EPUB and MOBI costs you nothing and saves time later.
• Convert immediately after purchase. Don’t wait. Do it right away while you’re thinking about it. Future you will thank present you.
• Keep your originals. EPUBOR doesn’t delete your original Kobo files. They stay in your Kobo app library. The converted versions are copies.

Quick Reference (For Experienced Users)

Once you’ve done this a few times, here’s the speed-run version:

1. Open the Kobo Desktop app.
2. Buy the book you want.
3. Open EPUBOR → switch to Kobo view.
4. Drag book into EPUBOR workspace.
5. Convert to multiple formats.
6. Open output folder.
7. Upload PDF to your AI tool.

Total time: Under 2 minutes.

Why This Method Works

I tested multiple workflows before settling on this one. Here’s why EPUBOR beats the alternatives:

• Faster than Calibre. Calibre requires plugins, configuration, and Adobe Digital Editions. EPUBOR just works.
• Reliable DRM handling. Some tools fail with certain DRM protections. EPUBOR handles Kobo’s DRM automatically—I’ve never had it fail.
• Minimal setup. Install once, use forever. No ongoing maintenance or updates required.
• Multiple format output. One conversion gives you three usable formats. Efficiency matters.

This is the workflow I use every single time I buy a book. It’s fast, it’s reliable, and it gives me exactly what I need to feed my AI tools.

Troubleshooting

• “My book isn’t showing up in EPUBOR.” → You must have the Kobo Desktop app open. If it’s open, quit and then reopen the EPUBOR.
• “EPUBOR says the book is protected.” → Make sure you’re using the same Kobo account in both the desktop app and on Kobo.com. Account mismatches cause DRM issues.
• “The PDF conversion is taking forever.” → Large books (500+ pages) can take 2-3 minutes. Be patient. If it’s been more than 5 minutes, cancel and restart EPUBOR.
• “Where did my converted files go?” → Click the file folder icon in the lower right-hand corner of the EPUBOR app.

One Last Thing

This workflow unlocks something powerful: you can now feed your AI tools knowledge they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

Claude doesn’t know what’s in Traction by Gino Wickman. But when you upload the PDF to your Claude project, it does. ChatGPT can’t reference The E-Myth Revisited. But when you give it the PDF, it can.

Every book you convert becomes specialized knowledge your AI can reference, quote, and synthesize. That’s the real value here—not just reading faster, but thinking better by giving your AI the same library you have.

Start with one book. Follow these steps. See how it changes the way you interact with AI.

Then do it again with the next book. And the next.

Before long, your AI tools will know your entire business library. And that’s when things get really interesting.