Epub converted to Mobi, hyperlinks jump to line after on Kindle

[dkingdesigner]

I'm creating a somewhat complicated ebook for a client. I've created the epub, but need to make her a Kindle file as well. The epub works correctly in Calibre--if I click on my cross references (to endnotes) it jumps to the correct endnote and jumps back to the correct place in the text. However, once converted to mobi, the hyperlink now jumps to the paragraph after. So if I click on reference 6, it jumps to the beginning of endnote 7 and if I click to return to text, the top of the page is the line after the line that contains the reference. I'm frustrated enough that I've been looking for other converters to see if it's the Kindle reader that's misbehaving or the conversion that's at fault.

Anyone have any ideas how I can fix this problem? The book contains 100+ endnotes and I really need the hyperlinks to work correctly.

[dkingdesigner]

No one is responding, but I have seen someone else complaining about this behavior on another site, so I know I'm not the only one. However, viewing the Mobi or Epub inside Calibre show no issue, it's only when I load the Mobi into any Kindle viewer that I have the problem. Clicking on the reference in the body of the document sends you to the line after the destination. Clicking on the link back to the text is even worse--I originally said line after, but I actually think it is the next page after the destination. I just tested the file on my Android tablet using my Kindle app and clicking on the 4 reference back to text sent to the page after text that contained 4,5, and 6 in several paragraphs. These hyperlinks work just fine in Calibre. Is this a Kindle bug or have I set something up incorrectly?

[WT Sharpe]

It sounds to me as if the bookmarks weren't placed correctly, but I don't understand why the links to them should work properly in calibre but not in the Kindle. When you say you click back, are you using the return button on the Kindle, or have you linked the endnotes to a location in the text? If the former, I don't understand whay the Kindle should be acting that way. That is truly bizarre behavior.

[JSWolf]

How did you convert the ePub? If you used Calibre try Mobipocket Reader to load it. IT may work. Also try Mobipocket Reader to test the converted file. Don't use Calibre's viewer since it's not actually viewing the Mobi file as is. It converts to ePub and then views.

[Snorkledorf]

You might use Sigil to look at the ePub source and see if the anchors are indeed placed where you'd expect them to be. There might be a mild wackiness in the anchor placement that the ePub readers ignore but that the mobi reader is more finicky about?

Also, although you may already be using this, I'd suggest using Kindle Previewer to see how mobi files "officially" display on the Kindle. That's saved me a lot of time.

[dkingdesigner]

Thanks for the responses. I am using hyperlinks for the cross references. The number in the text is set to jump to the beginning of the endnote line and the number at the beginning of the endnote line is set to jump back to the number in the text. As I said, it works correctly in the epub in Calibre, but when I convert it to Mobi, Kindle for Windows, Kindle Previewer on every device and Kindle app for Android all have the same problem. When you click on the hyperlink, it jumps past the destination by at least a line. And since it puts the line it jumps to at the top of the page, you have to page back to read what you jumped to read. Returning to the text is even more problematic because it reflows the text and when you then page back to try and find your place, it reflows the text again. It's very weird.

I just downloaded and tried the Mobi Reader and it does the same thing. Epub works, but obviously is not converting correctly to Mobi. I did try Zamzar, as well, and the Movi file converted there does the same thing.

[dkingdesigner]

I installed Sigil and opened the epub file there, and the hyperlinks work beautifully. The text reference jumps right to the beginning of the intended endnote and the endnote number jumps to the beginning of the number reference in the text. Does anyone have any idea if there is a better conversion route I can take to get a Kindle file that would work?

[dkingdesigner]

I just tried Amazon's cmd line converter. It errored out on the conversion. Gave a lot of error messages that read "escaping malformed URI reference" with line numbers throughout the book. I'm guessing this is where the problem is, so there must be something wrong with the way my epub is built that is preventing the correct conversion.

[dkingdesigner]

I fixed all the file names so there are no spaces and got rid of the "escaping malformed URI" errors. I now have a PDF that passes both EPUB validator and Sigil validation. However, the KindleGen CMD line conversion still errors out. The error now appears to have something to do with the TOC. Zamzar's conversion to PRC also dumps the job for errors. Mobi file converted by Calibre still has the internal hyperlink bugs.

I really don't know what else to try. Does anyone have any other troubleshooting suggestions?

[JSWolf]

I don't think anyone can really help without seeing some of the code. Can you post a sample ePub that works as ePub but fails when converted?

[dkingdesigner]

I will see if I can put together a sample of the book that demonstrates the problem. It isn't my copyrighted property, so I can't post the whole thing. I assume I have to upload it somewhere and put a link to it here?

[dkingdesigner]

OK. I've uploaded a zip file that contains a sample epub and the Mobi file that Calibre produces. The epub endnote references work like they should for me, but in the Mobi file, clicking on an endnote reference takes you to the line after the destination and clicking on the endnote number takes you to the beginning of the paragraph after the paragraph containing the destination reference. This is a very small portion of my client's copyrighted book. Please use it only for troubleshooting the reference issue. Thanks for your help.

SampleEbook

[dkingdesigner]

Just want to bump this up in case no one has noticed that I've posted a sample of the problem and am awaiting someone to either confirm or troubleshoot the issue. Please help!

[JSWolf]

I've just downloaded your sample. I'll take a look either Monday or Tuesday depending on time.

[WT Sharpe]

Thanks, Jon.