Right on every screen, accepted by every store.
Formatting is where finished manuscripts go to get rejected: store validators are strict, Word exports are chaos, and each platform has quirks. Here's what Amazon, Apple, Google and Kobo actually require — and the production choices that decide how your book reads.
The format landscape
| EPUB | The universal eBook standard — reflowable XHTML under the hood. One clean EPUB serves all four major stores. |
|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | Accepts EPUB for new titles (converting internally); enforces cover minimums (1600×2560px recommended) and TOC navigation. The store most authors must get right first. |
| Apple Books / Google Play / Kobo | EPUB-native. Differences are in account setup, metadata fields and pricing controls rather than the file itself. |
| Print-on-demand | A separate discipline: fixed PDF interior with real typography — margins, widows/orphans, page headers — plus a wraparound cover sized to spine width. |
Reflowable or fixed layout?
Reflowable is the default and the right answer for novels, memoir and most nonfiction: text adapts to every device and reader preference. Fixed layout — where each page is locked like a printed spread — exists for children's picture books, cookbooks and photo-heavy titles, at higher production cost and patchier cross-store behaviour. If your book is mostly words, reflowable; if the page design is the content, fixed.
Why conversions fail
Nearly every rejected or ugly eBook traces to the same source: a Word file's hidden mess reproduced faithfully. Manual spacing becomes random gaps; styled-by-hand headings produce a broken navigation TOC; floating images land mid-sentence on small screens. The fix is structural — rebuild on clean heading styles, generate a real navigation document, and test across screen sizes. That rebuild is precisely what our formatting service does, validated against all four stores before delivery.
Asked and answered
What file format do eBooks need?
EPUB is the universal standard accepted by Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Google Play and Kobo. Amazon converts EPUB on upload (MOBI is retired for new books). Print-on-demand needs a separate fixed PDF interior.
What's the difference between reflowable and fixed layout?
Reflowable adapts to any screen and font size — right for novels and most nonfiction. Fixed layout locks each page — right for picture books and photo-heavy titles, at higher production cost.
Why does my Word export look broken as an eBook?
Word carries hidden formatting — inconsistent styles, manual spacing, floating images — that EPUB conversion reproduces as chaos. Professional formatting rebuilds on clean structure: proper headings, real navigation TOC, reflow-safe images.
Do all four stores have the same requirements?
The core EPUB is the same, but validation differs: cover dimensions, navigation rules and metadata fields vary by store. Check against each store's validator before upload.
Send the manuscript; get back files every store accepts.
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