Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines version 2013.1 Questions

[AlPe]

Agreed.

Let's hope for the fix. For now, I reverted back to 2.7 (which did a great job on my EPUB 3 because they have the fallbacks for EPUB 2).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Still, I suspect there'll be an update that fixes the situation where ALL landmarks are ignored when the doc contains unsupported types.

This is Amazon we are talking about. They ignore users requests like with margins (for example).

[DiapDealer]

Apples and oranges, Jon.
Fixes for bugs in the creation software are much more likely to be quickly addressed than are requests for reading device/app behavioral changes.

[yaelkmiller]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

Ostensibly yes, in much the same way that lots of web browsers support CSS3 and HTML5....

In other words, you can do it, but the problem with living on the bleeding edge is that you tend to bleed a lot.

I get it now. Also, the last paragraph is hilarious.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Apples and oranges, Jon.
Fixes for bugs in the creation software are much more likely to be quickly addressed than are requests for reading device/app behavioral changes.

There have been a lot of requests for using the NCX ToC as the ToC for Mobi if an internal ToC does not exist. That's something that Amazon has ignored and will continue to ignore.

I don't see Amazon leaping to fix what users want.

[DiapDealer]

Neither do I. But the issue being discussed doesn't really have anything to do fulfilling a convenience that a user may like to have added. It's not about want. This is about functionality being lost through a bug… not "pretty please will you build my html toc for me automatically from my ncx file?" Surely you see the difference between bug report and feature request?" The former's always going to get quicker attention than the latter.

[AlPe]

Just to say that today Amazon released kindlegen 2.9 and they did not fix the issue of the non-generated TOC if the nav landmarks contain an element with type different than toc, cover or bodymatter.

[JSWolf]

So what does 2.9 do that 2.8 didn't do?

[AlPe]

Nothing. Both 2.8 and 2.9 have the bug reported in post #11:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...6&postcount=11

I just wanted to follow up my bug report, observing that Amazon did not fix this issue --- hence, I am staying at 2.7 until they do fix it.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There have been a lot of requests for using the NCX ToC as the ToC for Mobi if an internal ToC does not exist. That's something that Amazon has ignored and will continue to ignore.

I don't see Amazon leaping to fix what users want.

Wolfie, my pet:

I wouldn't bet that there have been "a lot of requests." 500 emails from you don't really count as a "lot of requests." That would have to be one email from you and 499 from other people. ;-)

Seriously, though, I suspect I'm not really far off. The vast, vast majority of mobis are made with Word files and by people who can't spell NCX, much less use it as the logical TOC. Probably more than 70% of all mobis have neither an html toc nor an NCX. I would be shocked if they had "a lot of" requests. I don't think I've ever even asked them for it. I've asked them for a fair number of things (usually accompanied by very terse emails in which I try not to say things in four-letter words), many about the dreaded damned and accursed SRL...but I don't think I've ever actually requested this. I mean, making an html.toc takes seconds, so...what's the big deal? Just because you hate them doesn't mean that it's a bookmaker's worst nightmare. Many, many other things, like consistently NOT changing the Pub. Workflow to constantly "fix" unbroken things for Word uploaders, to the detriment of professional book-makers, would certainly be ahead of "use the ncx" on my wishlist items.

Just my $.02.

Hitch

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by Hitch

ike consistently NOT changing the Pub. Workflow to constantly "fix" unbroken things for Word uploaders, to the detriment of professional book-makers,

CJ's "Easy As Pie" tutorials are privileged over Booknook dot biz, sigh.

(I updated two books this week BTW and to my unbounded joy both now open at the cover!)

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

CJ's "Easy As Pie" tutorials are privileged over Booknook dot biz, sigh.

(I updated two books this week BTW and to my unbounded joy both now open at the cover!)

Oh, hell, if it were only CJ, in terms of "do this" over "do that," I'd be thrilled. But it's not. Whacky, whacky things are happening with the SRL. I kid thee not. Things that make NO sense. Like an uploaded mobi's SRL not working properly in one mode--Fire HD 8.9"--but working on the others. (Go ahead, figure THAT one out). Not just on Previewer, mind you; on the actual devices. But it works if you upload an ePUB. Then it does NOT work if you upload it, and add a cover.

Honestly, it's enough to make you drink.

Hitch

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So what does 2.9 do that 2.8 didn't do?

Two things are mentioned.
1. Support for page layout properties (double page spread, facing pages and blank page) when specified as image in spine.

2. bug fixes.