Trouble uploading to Kobo?

[Whackatagin]

Greetings,

I've been away for a while, but the render farm is running today, and I'm stuck on this clunky laptop for a few hours.

So, here's my question:

If you a re a small/micro publisher, or a clever SP author, who has managed to sign an agreement with Kobo (Canada), do you have problems getting your content through their "System" without your CSS, or worse, being stripped? Paying to go through their conversion service works just peachy, but send your well formed generic, over simplified & stripped, epub via their upload servers and "BOOOOF"

• Double spacing between all paragraphs.
• Global left alignment (i.e. no indents)
• Unspecified font classes ignored
• etc, etc, etc....

Kobo's response to a polite inquiry as to why this happens?


We are having some issues with our processing service, we are sorry, we are working on this problem which we hope to have resolved within the next few months.


We ask: But why is this happening? What can we do to ensure our publications come out the other side of your "Processes" in the same form as they enter. We will make what ever adjustments are necessary to elevate this problem, just give us some info or specs.


Kobo responds : We are having some issues with our processing service, we are sorry, we are working on this problem which we hope to have resolved within the next few months.


So, let me translate for you;


You're a chancer! We speak to you politely and professionally, but your titles are not seen as potential large volume sellers. You are not one of the big publishing houses, so, if you don't pay us to have your content converted for KOBO, to make it worth our while, we'll always have this "technical issue". (i.e. pay for our conversion service or prove you can sell 100k+ per title.)


Anyone else experienced this "technical" issue? I'd be especially interested to hear from small indie publishers. If there is a default format to ensure safe passage through KOBO's processes, then please, do share your tips.

Whack'sback. (Stirrin it up as usual)