Once you have your hands on the XHTML and CSS, here are some issues to address:

»» Anchor tags (such as from linked TOCs): How are they inserted in the HTML? InDesign places them inside the HTML tag, but KF8 prefers them outside:

EPUB from InDesign:

Chapter 1


KF8:

Chapter 1

»» Drop caps: Kindle guidelines recommend using percentages to specify the font size of a drop cap; the usual EPUB practice is to use ems as the unit of measurement. I swap in CSS in percentages while I'm on my way from EPUB to KF8.

»» Covers: Delete the cover.xhtml that InDesign generates if you've designated a cover during EPUB export. KF8 doesn't want it, and leaving it in results in two covers being displayed. Modify your content.opf to remove the file from the Manifest and Spine, and remove links to this page from your toc.ncx, navigation file, and internal table of contents.

»» Book elements: The Guide, which appears in the content.opf of the EPUB, points reading systems to book elements. Kindle supports only the Cover, Go to Beginning, and Table of Contents guide elements. Kindle also supports the landmarks nav list (inside the EPUB 3 navigation document, usually named toc.xhtml).

»» Fonts: Neither EPUB nor KF8 allow PostScript fonts, but they do recognize OpenType (OTF) and TrueType (TTF). Some of these fonts contain PostScript information, which will generate a warning on conversion to KF8. The file will still work with the warning.

Will Amazon ever come into the EPUB fold? I don't think so; all indications are that they will continue developing KF8. As long as it remains close to the EPUB 3 standard for reflowable ebooks, conversion will be necessary and allowances will always need to be made.