There is nothing like working days in formatting your epub only to have your validated document changed when uploaded to iTunes. Thus is the tune John Walker played today in his post “Bugs” Ugly Gotcha Importing EPUB Books into iTunes.”
What transpires is the never ending issues with iTunes. Walker says, “When you import an EPUB book, iTunes makes a copy of the .epub archive in its own library directory structure and, in the process, adds a file named iTunesMetadata.plist to the archive which contains metadata describing the file. It does not add this file to the EPUB manifest. So far, so good—Apple is perfectly free to add information to documents it’s managing within its own application’s database.
But it doesn’t stop there: iTunes then goes and modifies the document you’re importing as well, including the iTunesMetadata.plist file in it and thereby rendering it an invalid EPUB archive. This is done without any warning to the user that the input file is being modified. If you subsequently publish this modified file, you’re providing your customers an invalid and defective product. It may very well work, but if they go to the trouble of validating it themselves, they’re going to be getting in touch with you.”
Solution
Walker has some advice to epub users if you plan to use for other devices:
“As long at this bug remains in place, it is essential that EPUB book developers always copy documents they’re about to test by importing them into iTunes into a throwaway document, import that, and then delete it immediately after its importation. Never import an EPUB file into iTunes which you intend to use in any other manner subsequently.”
Validation Service and Other EBook Tools
It is a wise writer who validates his work prior to uploading. Without validation, you run the risk of faulty formatting and invalid errors.
- Three Press EPUB Validation (Online)
- Three Press EPUB Tools
- SIGIL: A WYSIWYG Ebook Editor
- Calibre: eBook Management
