Content EPUB files sent to Kindle via email show "Unknown" author.

FacetiousKnave · 10-01-2022, 08:54 PM

After installing the latest software update (5.15.1), when sending an EPUB or MOBI file to the Kindle device via email, the result is that the author is shown within the title field. In other words, both title and author's name are joint together in one filed. On the field destined to display the name of the author it only says "Unknown".

On the Cloud (Amazon Manage Your Device Content) the name of the author also appears as "unknown".

The only way to show the metadata correctly is by side loading the book (using a cable). The obvious problem with this process though, is that the book would not be synchronised.

Is there any trick to force the Kindle to display the metadata correctly?

-- TECH SPECIFICATIONS--

Kindle Paperwhite (11th Generation)
Version 5.15.1 – September 2022

jhowell · 10-01-2022, 09:27 PM

Currently if you email a book the file name of the attachment becomes the title and the author is set to “Unknown”. The various send-to-kindle apps allow you to set the title and author properly.

FacetiousKnave · 10-01-2022, 09:41 PM

"The various send-to-kindle apps allow you to set the title and author properly."

Nope.

Prior to send the book via email I carefully checked the metadata (on Calibre) and both fields for author and title were duly filled.

The only way to transfer the book so that the Kindle display the author in the corresponding field is by side loading it, so the problem is not the book itself but the conversion process that happens in the Amazon servers when you send it via email.

This is not the first time this problem happens. It also occurred in 2020 and Amazon fixed it. I have found some posts on Reddit where people say they can avoid this issue by sending the book via email to their Kindle app on their phones, and then from their phones to the Kindle.

But it did not work for me.

hleo12 · 10-02-2022, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacetiousKnave

"The various send-to-kindle apps allow you to set the title and author properly."

jhowell means the send to kindle programs. Like Send to Kindle for PC or the Kindle app for mobile. Both have an author field you'd have to fill up before sending the book. But that method is tedious since the PC app still isn't updated to send epubs so you'd have to change the extensions to something like 'txt'. Not to mention doing it one book at a time.

edit: there is a discussion of this topic here. You can red back the last few pages for more details.

FacetiousKnave · 10-02-2022, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hleo12

jhowell means the send to kindle programs. Like Send to Kindle for PC or the Kindle app for mobile. Both have an author field you'd have to fill up before sending the book. But that method is tedious since the PC app still isn't updated to send epubs so you'd have to change the extensions to something like 'txt'. Not to mention doing it one book at a time.

edit: there is a discussion of this topic here. You can red back the last few pages for more details.

Sorry, but I am a bit confused.

If I understand correctly, you're saying that you can email an EPUB file to your Kindle app installed on your mobile and edit there the author's name. Additionally, once you have done that, you can send the EPUB file from your phone to your Kindle device.

If that is indeed what you are saying, I am afraid that is incorrect. When you have an eBook in your Kindle app for mobiles you cannot modify the title nor the author’s name. In fact, you cannot modify anything at all.

FacetiousKnave · 10-02-2022, 04:34 PM

After some research I finally understand what you mean! There is a "Send to Kindle" software you can download in your Mac or PC. And as you mentioned, the only formats it accepts are RTF TXT DOC etc. So, yes, it is not an ideal solution. But thanks for the info.

hleo12 · 10-02-2022, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacetiousKnave

After some research I finally understand what you mean! There is a "Send to Kindle" software you can download in your Mac or PC. And as you mentioned, the only formats it accepts are RTF TXT DOC etc. So, yes, it is not an ideal solution. But thanks for the info.

I have this workaround for using the send to kindle program on your computer. Not the ideal solution, but it's the best I have given Amazon's complete and utter disregard for its users.

FacetiousKnave · 10-02-2022, 09:30 PM

I know what you mean. During the last three software updates I have spent more time trying to find a solution to their bugs than actually reading. Many thanks for the workaround.

GeniusJ · 10-05-2022, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hleo12

jhowell means the send to kindle programs. Like Send to Kindle for PC or the Kindle app for mobile.

How do you use the Send to Kindle feature from the mobile Kindle reader app?

FacetiousKnave · 10-05-2022, 08:07 PM

There is no "Send to Kindle" feature in the Kindle Reader app for mobiles. That was the misunderstanding.

What they meant is that there is an app literally named "Send to Kindle" which you can download on either your Mac or PC. The features only allows you to upload TXT, DOCX files that are later automatically converted into a Kindle format.

CathyA · 10-05-2022, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeniusJ

How do you use the Send to Kindle feature from the mobile Kindle reader app?

Install the Kindle app on your phone. Then use the Share feature on a file. One of your sharing destinations will be Send to Kindle. This works the same as the PC/Mac Send to Kindle program. You enter the title and author and the file gets uploaded to Amazon, and then you can download it to any Kindle or Kindle app registered to your account.

DenS · 10-05-2022, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CathyA

Install the Kindle app on your phone. Then use the Share feature on a file. One of your sharing destinations will be Send to Kindle. This works the same as the PC/Mac Send to Kindle program. You enter the title and author and the file gets uploaded to Amazon, and then you can download it to any Kindle or Kindle app registered to your account.

Just to add that if you try to upload an epub using the Kindle App, you will not be able to add certain characters ( -, ?, :, ) in the title and author field. Not even a comma is possible to put. Already in Send to Kindle for PC it is possible, however some characters are changed by a "_" when they arrive in the Kindle.
I use the Kindle app on an android. I don't know if the behavior is the same on iOS.

FacetiousKnave · 10-07-2022, 11:30 AM

Again, there is no way to share a document from Kindle App. When you are either on home or on your Library and tap on a document, none of the options allow you to share it.

The only options available are:

- Add to Collection
- Mark as Read
- Remove Download
- Remove from Library
- Remove from Home
- Cancel.

hleo12 · 10-07-2022, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacetiousKnave

Again, there is no way to share a document from Kindle App. When you are either on home or on your Library and tap on a document, none of the options allow you to share it.

The only options available are:

- Add to Collection
- Mark as Read
- Remove Download
- Remove from Library
- Remove from Home
- Cancel.

I think you misunderstood what they meant when they said "share".

On the iOS and Android versions of the app, you can upload epubs directly to Amazon without using any 3rd party apps.

Navigate to the epub you want to send using a file explorer app, then share it. One of the options that will pop up is the Kindle app. If you choose that, you'll be taken to a pop-up similar to the Send to Kindle for PC where you can fill out the title and author fields.

It's one of the new things Amazon has implemented recently.

FacetiousKnave · 10-07-2022, 12:00 PM

So I got it all wrong from the very beginning. Never before I shared a document like that, but I just did and it worked. Thanks for explaining.

10-01-2022, 08:54 PM	#1
FacetiousKnave Unconscionable Posts: 76 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Helsinki Device: Kindle	EPUB files sent to Kindle via email show "Unknown" author. After installing the latest software update (5.15.1), when sending an EPUB or MOBI file to the Kindle device via email, the result is that the author is shown within the title field. In other words, both title and author's name are joint together in one filed. On the field destined to display the name of the author it only says "Unknown". On the Cloud (Amazon Manage Your Device Content) the name of the author also appears as "unknown". The only way to show the metadata correctly is by side loading the book (using a cable). The obvious problem with this process though, is that the book would not be synchronised. Is there any trick to force the Kindle to display the metadata correctly? -- TECH SPECIFICATIONS-- Kindle Paperwhite (11th Generation) Version 5.15.1 – September 2022 Attached Thumbnails

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
"Unknown Author" in cbz files with Kobo	tedio	Library Management	12	05-11-2021 09:06 PM
AZW3 files only show in "your items" on Kindle, not Books	danieljohn	Library Management	1	11-03-2020 09:41 PM
A warning for Linux users: slow "Add Books", "Unknown" title and Author	rolgiati	Library Management	8	07-24-2013 04:36 PM
Saving to disk with "Unknown" in author field	Joe42	Calibre	20	11-08-2011 12:57 PM
"Unknown Author" and can't open when transferring to Nook	unclelobsterman	Calibre	4	02-08-2011 02:31 PM

10-01-2022, 09:27 PM	#2
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,498 Karma: 84420419 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Device: Kindles	Currently if you email a book the file name of the attachment becomes the title and the author is set to “Unknown”. The various send-to-kindle apps allow you to set the title and author properly.

10-01-2022, 09:41 PM	#3
FacetiousKnave Unconscionable Posts: 76 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Helsinki Device: Kindle	"The various send-to-kindle apps allow you to set the title and author properly." Nope. Prior to send the book via email I carefully checked the metadata (on Calibre) and both fields for author and title were duly filled. The only way to transfer the book so that the Kindle display the author in the corresponding field is by side loading it, so the problem is not the book itself but the conversion process that happens in the Amazon servers when you send it via email. This is not the first time this problem happens. It also occurred in 2020 and Amazon fixed it. I have found some posts on Reddit where people say they can avoid this issue by sending the book via email to their Kindle app on their phones, and then from their phones to the Kindle. But it did not work for me.

10-02-2022, 04:34 PM	#6
FacetiousKnave Unconscionable Posts: 76 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Helsinki Device: Kindle	After some research I finally understand what you mean! There is a "Send to Kindle" software you can download in your Mac or PC. And as you mentioned, the only formats it accepts are RTF TXT DOC etc. So, yes, it is not an ideal solution. But thanks for the info.

10-02-2022, 09:30 PM	#8
FacetiousKnave Unconscionable Posts: 76 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Helsinki Device: Kindle	I know what you mean. During the last three software updates I have spent more time trying to find a solution to their bugs than actually reading. Many thanks for the workaround.

10-05-2022, 08:07 PM	#10
FacetiousKnave Unconscionable Posts: 76 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Helsinki Device: Kindle	There is no "Send to Kindle" feature in the Kindle Reader app for mobiles. That was the misunderstanding. What they meant is that there is an app literally named "Send to Kindle" which you can download on either your Mac or PC. The features only allows you to upload TXT, DOCX files that are later automatically converted into a Kindle format.

10-07-2022, 11:30 AM	#13
FacetiousKnave Unconscionable Posts: 76 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Helsinki Device: Kindle	Again, there is no way to share a document from Kindle App. When you are either on home or on your Library and tap on a document, none of the options allow you to share it. The only options available are: - Add to Collection - Mark as Read - Remove Download - Remove from Library - Remove from Home - Cancel.

10-07-2022, 12:00 PM	#15
FacetiousKnave Unconscionable Posts: 76 Karma: 20000 Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Helsinki Device: Kindle	So I got it all wrong from the very beginning. Never before I shared a document like that, but I just did and it worked. Thanks for explaining.

Advert

Advert