Turning epub with links into a paperback
 

I have an epub which uploads to KDP without an issue, but I want to create a paperback version of the book, but the epub has 100's of hyperlinks, too many to remove manually.

When I try to upload the epub to KDP I receive the message 'Error processing interior', which I assume is because of all the links.

Is there any way to 'turn off' all links?

This works but it removes the text
a[href] { display: none }

like this does it

a[href] {
pointer-events: none;
cursor: default;
text-decoration: none;
color: black;
}

You will be very lucky if you get good results by uploading an EPUB to create a paperback. It it far better to produce a print book by uploading a PDF file. See the KDP help topic: Create a Paperback PDF File

You can use Diap's Editing Toolbag plugin for the Calibre editor to remove all the link very easily.

As jhowell says, uploading an ePUB to make a paperback is just not a great idea. If you want my best advice--which is worth what you're paying for it--in Sigil, join the HTML sections, (merge) and then save the file. Unzip it, and then open the HTML in Word.

Save as Word (docx) and then use THAT file to make a print layout. When you've formatted it, you should then export it as a PDF and upload THAT to the KDP. Please, trust me on this. If you want to flail around and keep trying to use an ePUB, knock yourself out, but doing this other process will save you untold amounts of brain-damage and frustration.

Hitch

You could create a PDF directly from the ePub, for example with the PrincePDF plugin for calibre. It may need some tweaking and CSS-fu, but if you manage to get a PDF you are satisfied with, you can use that PDF for printing.

In case it isn't obvious I wanted to mention that additional formatting will almost always be needed to produce a proper looking printed book.

For example your EPUB will not have page numbers so they will need to be added, but only on some pages. Your EPUB table of contents will have links to chapters, but for a printed book you will need to provide page numbers instead.

You may want to pay attention to pages that end up with only one or two lines of text when printed and many prefer chapters to begin only on right-hand pages. These are just some of the considerations you need to take into account for a printed book intended for sale.

Well...I would say that Prince, for an ePDF, might be fine, but despite using it for this/that, over the years, for ePUB-->PDF formatting, I would say that it's a pretty far piece from being a viable print layout PDF. Print layout has conventions, traditions, etc., that aren't really even close to what an ePDF uses.

But, that's just my $.02.

Hitch

There is an even easier solution. Use Calibre to convert to HTML. Unzip the HTMLZ file and load index.html into Word. Then you have the full eBook ready to be edited for output to paper.