Step Four · Understand Book Production
eBook Conversion
How a finished manuscript becomes a responsive, navigable and platform-ready digital edition
eBook conversion is the technical process of transforming an edited and approved manuscript into a digital publication that can adapt to different screens, reading apps and user settings. It requires clean structure, reliable navigation, accessible content, valid files and careful testing across devices.
An eBook is not a smaller PDF. It is a different publishing format with its own logic.
A successful digital edition must remain readable when the user changes font size, screen orientation, device, line spacing or background colour.
Guide Contents
Move directly to the eBook conversion subject you need.
1. What Is eBook Conversion?
eBook conversion is the preparation of a manuscript for digital reading systems. The converter creates a structured file in which headings, paragraphs, images, notes, links and navigation behave correctly across compatible devices and applications.
Conversion is not simply exporting a word-processing document. Source files often contain hidden formatting, manual spaces, inconsistent headings, broken lists and print-specific layout instructions that do not work in a reflowable environment.
The objective is to preserve editorial meaning and visual identity while allowing the text to adapt safely to the reader's chosen device and settings.
2. Principal eBook Formats
Different platforms may accept different file types, but EPUB is the central publishing standard.
EPUB
The principal open eBook format used by most retailers, libraries and reading applications. It supports reflowable and fixed-layout editions.
KPF
Kindle Package Format may be created through Kindle publishing tools for submission to Amazon's Kindle ecosystem.
A fixed-page document suitable for some digital uses, but not a substitute for a properly reflowable eBook.
Older references to MOBI should be treated carefully.
Contemporary eBook workflows generally centre on EPUB and platform-specific conversion systems. A publisher should follow the current requirements of the intended retailer rather than rely on outdated file practices.
3. Reflowable and Fixed-Layout eBooks
The content determines which digital structure is appropriate.
Reflowable eBook
Text adapts to screen size and reader settings. This is usually the right choice for fiction, memoir, general nonfiction and text-led books.
Fixed-Layout eBook
Each page retains a controlled composition. This may suit picture books, comics, illustrated manuals and publications where page relationships are essential.
| Feature | Reflowable | Fixed Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Reader font resizing | Usually supported | Limited or unavailable |
| Screen adaptation | High | Low |
| Best for | Text-led books | Image-led or page-dependent books |
| Production complexity | Moderate | Higher |
| Accessibility potential | Generally stronger | Requires additional care |
4. Preparing the Source Files
The cleanest conversion begins with a final, edited manuscript and an approved structure. The source should contain one authoritative version of the text.
Before conversion, confirm:
- Final title, subtitle and author name
- Final chapter order and headings
- Approved front matter and back matter
- Final footnotes or endnotes
- Final image files, captions and credits
- Working hyperlinks
- Permission status for visual material
- One clearly identified production master
5. Semantic Structure and Clean Styles
A good eBook depends more on correct structure than on decorative formatting.
Headings
Chapter and section headings should use proper heading levels rather than manual bold and enlarged text.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs should use consistent structural rules without manual spaces, tabs or forced line breaks.
Lists
Bulleted and numbered lists should be coded as actual lists so they behave correctly across devices.
Quotations
Extracts, epigraphs and block quotations should use distinct structural classes.
Emphasis
Italics, bold and other emphasis should be used semantically and consistently.
Page Breaks
Chapter breaks should be controlled through styles rather than repeated empty paragraphs.
7. Images, Tables and Special Material
Digital elements must remain legible on small screens and under changing reader settings.
Images
Images should be optimised for quality and file size, with descriptive alternative text where appropriate.
Tables
Wide or complex tables may not reflow well and may require restructuring, simplification or image treatment.
Footnotes
Notes should use functional links and clear return paths so readers can move between text and note.
Poetry
Line breaks and indentation require careful testing because narrow screens can alter visual form.
Charts and Diagrams
Labels must remain readable, and essential information should not depend on colour alone.
Special Characters
Symbols, diacritics and non-Latin scripts should be tested in the intended reading systems.
8. Fonts and Reader Control
Reflowable eBooks should respect reader control. Users may choose their own font, size, line spacing, margins and background. The conversion should not attempt to reproduce every print-layout decision.
Embedded fonts should be used only where editorially necessary, legally licensed and technically supported. Excessive font embedding increases file size and may reduce compatibility.
9. Accessibility
Accessible digital publishing improves usability for all readers.
Logical Reading Order
Content should follow a clear order that works with screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Heading Structure
Proper heading levels allow readers to understand and navigate the document.
Alternative Text
Informative images should include concise descriptions appropriate to their purpose.
Link Clarity
Hyperlinks should make sense from their text and should not depend on colour alone.
Language Information
The publication and any language changes should be identified correctly.
Flexible Presentation
Text should remain usable when readers adjust size, contrast and spacing.
10. eBook Metadata
Metadata identifies the digital edition and supports discovery, retail listing and library systems. It should match the publisher's title record and the information displayed inside the file.
Core metadata includes:
- Title and subtitle
- Author and contributor names
- Publisher or imprint
- Language
- Publication date
- Digital-edition ISBN where assigned
- Rights information
- Description and subject categories
- Cover image
Each publication format should be managed as a distinct edition.
The eBook should have its own edition record and, where applicable, its own ISBN rather than reusing the paperback identifier.
11. Validation
A file may open successfully and still contain structural or compatibility errors.
EPUB Validation
The package should be checked for structural, metadata, navigation and code errors before submission.
Link Checking
Internal and external links should be tested and corrected where broken.
Asset Checking
Images, fonts and stylesheets should be present, correctly referenced and free from missing-file errors.
12. Testing Across Devices and Applications
Validation checks whether the file meets technical rules. Device testing checks whether the reading experience is acceptable in practice.
The eBook should be reviewed at different font sizes, in portrait and landscape orientation, with light and dark backgrounds and, where possible, in more than one reading application.
Testing should include:
- Opening page and cover display
- Digital table of contents
- Chapter breaks
- Paragraph indentation and spacing
- Images and captions
- Footnotes and return links
- Hyperlinks
- Special characters
- Large font settings
- Dark mode or night mode
13. Retail and Distribution Platforms
Each platform has its own submission, preview and metadata requirements.
Amazon Kindle
The file should be previewed in Kindle-compatible tools and checked for navigation, spacing and image behaviour.
Apple Books
EPUB quality, metadata and visual consistency should be reviewed before submission.
Google Play Books
The edition should be checked for file compatibility, metadata and pricing requirements.
Kobo
EPUB structure and device behaviour should be tested with the retailer's reading environment in mind.
Library Distribution
Library channels may require additional metadata, accessibility and rights information.
Direct Sales
Publishers selling directly should establish secure delivery, file protection and customer support procedures.
TGEP eBook Conversion Workflow
At The Good Earth Publishers, the digital edition is prepared from the final approved text and managed as a distinct publication format.
- Final edited and corrected manuscript is confirmed.
- Digital front matter and back matter are reviewed.
- Reflowable or fixed-layout format is selected.
- Source files are cleaned and structurally prepared.
- Headings, paragraphs, lists, quotations and notes are coded consistently.
- Images are optimised and alternative text is added where appropriate.
- Digital navigation and table of contents are created.
- Metadata and edition identifiers are confirmed.
- The EPUB or platform-ready file is generated.
- The file is validated.
- The edition is tested across reading environments.
- Errors are corrected and the final file is revalidated.
- The approved file is archived with its source package.
- The edition is submitted to the intended retail or distribution platform.
What TGEP Expects from an eBook Conversion Vendor
The final handover should support submission, correction and future editions.
Validated EPUB
A clean, standards-compliant digital file suitable for the intended distribution channels.
Platform File
Any required retailer-specific package, where separately requested.
Source Package
Organised HTML, CSS, images, fonts and metadata files sufficient for future maintenance.
Validation Record
Confirmation that the final file has passed validation and identified errors have been resolved.
Testing Record
A concise record of the applications or devices used during quality review.
Correction Support
Timely correction of conversion defects discovered during platform preview or initial publication.
14. Common eBook Conversion Mistakes
- Uploading a print PDF as though it were a reflowable eBook
- Converting from an outdated manuscript version
- Using manual spaces, tabs and line breaks for layout
- Failing to create a functional digital table of contents
- Embedding unnecessary or unlicensed fonts
- Using images that are too large or too small
- Leaving images without useful alternative text
- Failing to test footnote links and return links
- Forcing print page numbers into a reflowable edition
- Using fixed-width tables that fail on small screens
- Ignoring accessibility and reading order
- Submitting without EPUB validation
- Testing in only one application
- Failing to retain editable source files
15. Final eBook Conversion Checklist
Confirm these points before submitting the digital edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
General answers to common questions about eBook conversion.
Can the print PDF be used as the eBook?
A fixed PDF may be distributed digitally in some circumstances, but it does not provide the flexible reading experience of a properly converted reflowable eBook.
What format should most text-led books use?
Most fiction, memoir and general nonfiction titles are best prepared as reflowable EPUB editions.
Does an eBook need its own ISBN?
Where an ISBN is assigned, the digital edition should use an identifier distinct from the paperback or hardback edition.
Can readers change the font in an eBook?
In most reflowable reading systems, readers can change font, size, spacing, margins and background. The conversion should support this flexibility.
Why is validation necessary?
Validation detects structural, code, navigation and metadata errors that may not be visible during a casual reading check.
Should the eBook copy the print page numbers?
Reflowable eBooks do not have stable pages because pagination changes with the device and reader settings. Print page numbers should not be forced into the digital text unless a specific scholarly system requires them.
What is the difference between validation and testing?
Validation checks technical compliance. Testing examines the actual reading experience across devices, applications and user settings.
Continue from digital production to edition identification
Continue to the ISBN Guide to understand how paperback, hardback and digital editions are identified and managed within the book trade.
Continue to ISBN