EPUB->MOBI (Kindle) problems

[JimmyPage]

I have some epub format books which look fine in the Calibre reader. However, trying to convert them for my Kindle is causing problems. When I take the resulting MOBI file and use the Amazon email-conversion system, I get an email saying it's not in one of the recognized formats.

If I drop it directly onto my Kindle, I get the "Cannot be opened" message.

BUT, playing around, converting to RTF and *then* emailing via Amazon, gets me a result. It goes.

The problem with this is the book comes in as being written by me !

Is there a way to debug/troubleshoot bad MOBI conversions. Or (based on hours of googling) is it just a dark art ?

[HarryT]

Something strange going on, Jimmy. I've converted many hundreds of ePub files to Kindle format, and never had the problem that you describe.

Are all the books causing problems from the same publisher, or ebook store, or do they have anything else in common?

Have you tried converting to AZW3 format, rather than Mobi? You won't be able to email it to your Kindle, but it's a more more capable format for sideloading.

[JimmyPage]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Something strange going on, Jimmy. I've converted many hundreds of ePub files to Kindle format, and never had the problem that you describe.

Are all the books causing problems from the same publisher, or ebook store, or do they have anything else in common?

Have you tried converting to AZW3 format, rather than Mobi? You won't be able to email it to your Kindle, but it's a more more capable format for sideloading.

The two books I was having problem with appeared to be Penguins.

Converting to AZW3 and sideloading appears to work, so at least I worked around it. However I keep my Calibre collection on a remote machine, so have to go across a network to sideload to my Kindle, connected to my PC. Also, I won't have a copy in my Amazon locker ...

Weirdest thing is, I have used Calibre since I got my Kindle (2011) no problem, and have converted hundreds of books too. Which meant I took a few months off to read them When I came back, I went to share these books via email, as usual, but nothing. Then I thought maybe my Kindle wasn't syncing, so I refreshed the WiFi. Then forgot for a while.

It's only now I have a new tablet and Kindle app, I'm looking to organise my eBooks, that I revisited the problem.

e2a: Just tried another book I thought I had sent to my Kindle and never arrrived. Calibre converted it from ePub to MOBI, and happily opens the MOBI file. But it never got to the Kindle. Sideloading the AZW3 file from Calibre works fine.

Could I have unwittingly borked something in the ->MOBI config ?

[kovidgoyal]

Open a bug report and attach the epub file that when converted to mobi does not work on your Kindle. However, in my experience, the Kindle tends to hang when indexing certain mobi files for no discrenable reason and the set of such mobi files changes from kindle version to version. So unless I can get it to hang on my Kindle, it's unlikely that I will be able to see what's causing it.

[JimmyPage]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Open a bug report and attach the epub file that when converted to mobi does not work on your Kindle. However, in my experience, the Kindle tends to hang when indexing certain mobi files for no discrenable reason and the set of such mobi files changes from kindle version to version. So unless I can get it to hang on my Kindle, it's unlikely that I will be able to see what's causing it.

Hi.

Thanks for that, but as I have a workaround (albeit a little clunky) I'm happy for now - I'm sure there are many better things you could do with your time

If there's a reference anywhere to the correct MOBI settings for Kindles, I would grateful, so I can check mine.

[kovidgoyal]

The settings dont matter, there is no setting I know of that could possibly cause the Kindle to fail to see a MOBI file.

[HarryT]

The only restrictions I'm aware of are with the Kindle apps on Android and iOS; they will only work with "old" Mobi files, not with dual Mobi/KF8 or pure KF8 Mobi files. Shouldn't be any restrictions with eInk Kindles.

[JimmyR]

If the MOBI file type is set to 'new' in the conversion output options, Amazon would reject it and it wouldn't work if sideloaded. If set to 'both', it should be accepted by Amazon but still wouldn't work if sideloaded. That's been my experience at least.

[kovidgoyal]

As far as I know, "new" MOBI files work if sideloaded, they wont work if emailed, because amazon's email service does not accept KF8.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

As far as I know, "new" MOBI files work if sideloaded, they wont work if emailed, because amazon's email service does not accept KF8.

They'll work if sideloaded onto an eInk Kindle, but not onto a Kindle App (or at least, not onto the iOS App - I'm not sure about Android).

[JimmyR]

I just tried a "new" mobi and my Paperwhite is "Unable to Open Item". If the file extension is changed to AZW3, it will work.

[HarryT]

That's interesting - thanks. Personally I always create AZW3 files, so I hadn't come across that restriction.

[JimmyR]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's interesting - thanks. Personally I always create AZW3 files, so I hadn't come across that restriction.

Same here. I rarely use the personal document service and mobi files. Only for testing problems I see crop up on MR.

A strange aside: I uploaded a dual format MOBI to Amazon and ended up with a PRC file on my Android device (Nook color). However, the AZW3 file works fine if sideloaded.

[astrodad]

I just started having this problem this morning. I went to put to MOBI files (converted from EPUB) and they wouldn't load on the PW. I converted them to AZW3 and side-loaded and they both read fine. Could a recent update to the Kindle software have broken something?

[kovidgoyal]

It would help if you posted some the epub file that caused problems when converted to MOBI.