My personal workaround is to use template when saving to disk or exporting to devices.
For saving to disk, I use:
Code:
{author_sort:sublist(0,1,&)}/{series:|[|} {series_index:0>2s||] - }{title} - {authors:sublist(0,1,&)}
Basically, books are saved into a directory based on the first entry in the author sort (the sublist(0,1,&) bit) with a filename consisting of the series/series index if it exists followed by the book title and the first author name.
i.e. Nonymous, Ann/Font Tester V3 - Ann Nonymous.epub
For sending to device I use:
Code:
eBooks/{author_sort:sublist(0,1,&)}/{title} - {authors:sublist(0,1,&)}
Basically, a directory called eBooks in the root of the device, followed by a directory based on the first entry in the author_sort and the filename based on the title followed by the first author name.
eBooks/Nonymous, Ann/Font Tester V3 - Ann Nonymous.epub
I don't include the series/series index for sending to device since my Kobo ereader handle series.
The sublist(0,1&) is the key to shortening the paths for me. I already trim book titles to the basic title trimming all the crap off. One recent example was a book my spouse purchased whose title was:
Fall I Want: A Heartwarming, Spicy Small-Town Romance Featuring a Billionaire's Unexpected Love, Fake Relationships, and Autumn Magic—Perfect for Fans ... Spice Café (Cozy Creek Collection Book 1)
The author stated the ebook left her with the title of fall i want. Anything else was added by Amazon. Even Amazon had to trim the Perfect for Fans of multiple random authors to shorten the title.