How do I convert my book to ePub or Mobi? | Which eBook file type do I need to upload to Amazon KDP?

[@1MKWilliams]

Need more help getting your first book self-published? I have an entire playlist of questions on getting your book set up: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4Ckk3eQpM97faM and a book to help guide you through the process: 1mkwilliams.com/self-publishing-for-the-first-time-author/

[@falitosis]

hey m.k. the link you provided shows as private

[@1MKWilliams]

@@falitosis hmmm weird. How about now? Being Your Own Publisher: kzbin.info/aero/PL5wG4jOiELp0fS9uKMd0dv7qXvNOGzHnT

[@falitosis]

@@1MKWilliams that works!

[@falitosis]

@@1MKWilliams Thank you!

[@sheilatextorbeeministries1890]

Your content is getting better and better. Thanks so much for all the information.

[@1MKWilliams]

That is so great to hear! Thank you :)

[@stevieg3078]

Thank you. I would like to see you walk through the steps of taking a Word document with a cover photo and converting it to an ebook.

[@KGSpradleyAuthor]

Thank you. Not going to lie, I was overwhelmed so I outsourced it to a commercial company to do.

[@1MKWilliams]

Happy to help! Yes, outsourcing can be so helpful!

[@leonaheraty3760]

Thank you so much! So helpful! 😊

[@1MKWilliams]

So happy I can help!!

[@shirleymay7986]

Thank you very much for this tip I just finished writing my book and I’m ready to format it 👩‍💻

[@1MKWilliams]

Awesome! Congrats on finishing your book and best of luck on getting it out there!

[@shirleymay7986]

@@1MKWilliams Thank you very much it’s a poetry book when it all finish I will send you a copy 💕

[@1MKWilliams]

That's so sweet. Reach out again when it is ready and I'll see how big my to read pile is at the time 🙂

[@shirleymay7986]

@@1MKWilliams ok 👍

[@renepoggenpoel1711]

Fabulous information! Are the details still relevant after making the video and has any of the details changed about formatting?

[@1MKWilliams]

The biggest change is that KDP no longer accepts mobi, they have now changed to epub or docx files

[@AhmedTelleserDehyer]

Thanks for your sharing. AfterThen learning this method, I can read foreign Epub books with the help of Immersive Translate.

[@1MKWilliams]

Happy to help!

[@christabelabonyi]

Hello, I can't believe I found this video 2years after. Anyways, it's so informative and thanks. I created an ebook on canva with some high quality generated Canva pictures, and I downloaded my ebook as a pdf. My problem now is how to convert to a mobi file that's acceptable on Amazon kdp. Any recommendations on that please?

[@1MKWilliams]

Since I made this video KDP no longer accepts mobi only epub or Kindle create files. If you have a lot of images I suggest you convert using Kindle create (it is a free program for KDP authors to use) best of luck

[@christabelabonyi]

Thank you, I'll try that.

[@Nazirite_SouL]

so Amazon KDP doesn't automatically convert the doc to epub/reflowable? or does a word doc convert well to Ebooks?

[@1MKWilliams]

This is directly from Amazon KDP : "Most DOC/DOCX files convert well to eBooks. However, some files with complex formatting may not convert as well." I have been using FormattedBooks for a few years now and they provide me with an ePub file I can use anywhere. But yes, you can still upload a DOC or DOCX file to KDP (they changed the no DOCX rule after I made this video)

[@Nazirite_SouL]

@@1MKWilliams ok, thank you.

[@DoreenMallett]

We created an interactive ebook for students. They can do their MCQs right there in the ebook and they can access internal audios and videos. They can also link directly to websites for prescribed resource material. The authoring software allows us to export an EPUB as one of the formats. Will Kindle users have the interactive features? On a Mobi format (I think) they would not have interactivity so this is why I am asking.

[@1MKWilliams]

Hmmm I'm not sure. You can download Kindle Previewer and open the exported ePub file there to emulate how it will look for students (or open it directly in your Kindle app).

[@AllisonMiller30]

I need help to send my book out to people so that it’s in the page turning format. I have the book published, but what I’m confused about is, do I just send out a PDF and hope they have a app that can read it, or is there an app that can help me?

[@1MKWilliams]

Hi Allison, I have some follow up questions to help you troubleshoot. When you said it is published do you mean that it is already available via Amazon KDP or IngramSpark? Is it already published as a PDF or an eBook or just as a print book?

[@AllisonMiller30]

@@1MKWilliams on Amazon. Someone suggested smashwords, do you recommend that service

[@1MKWilliams]

@@AllisonMiller30 yes if you have the file o KDP then it should already be converted to Mobi. Smashwords is great, I use them as well, they also convert to Mobi and EPUB

[@carolepenfield7295]

Hi MK. Love your videos. I uploaded an ePub to KDP for presale in 7 weeks. Does that mean I cannot send an ARC until the release date? It seems to defeat the purpose of having an ARC if selected readers cannot read the book in advance. What do you suggest?

[@megabaneen8057]

GREAT tips thanks M - k

[@1MKWilliams]

Thank you!

[@INNERSTRENGTHTRANSITION]

Thank you 🎉🎉🎉

[@1MKWilliams]

You're welcome!

[@jamesbaran6418]

So, thanks for the video and info. Question: How much time does it take using Smashwords or Draft2Digital, and what is dollar cost? Is there a way that I can do this myself?

[@1MKWilliams]

It is easy to use Draft2Digital (they acquired Smashwords so all new uploads need to be on the Draft2Digital side). There is no cost to using Draft2Digtatl.

[@ecolefrench]

This was sooooooo helpful thank you!!

[@1MKWilliams]

You're welcome!

[@annieshabbir478]

Loved this video !

[@1MKWilliams]

Glad you liked it!!

[@johnometalman]

Have you considered doing a walkthrough tutorial??

[@1MKWilliams]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z33Wonh8q5qnd9E

[@jamesbaran6418]

Separately, I cannot find any company named "Formatted Books" which you mention in your video. I suppose by now they've changed their name, were bought out by someone.

[@1MKWilliams]

Yes, Formatted Books recently closed shop. A great alternative is 100Covers: 100covers.com/?ref=49

[@LesleyWexler]

Hello. I'm an InDesign person, so I take my print book InDesign files and convert them to ePub. I create mostly ePub Reflowable. It's a lot of work if you have flourishes and images. I don't like to dumb down my print design in prep for reflowable. I like to dumb it down for ePub after I design the print. Anyway, I heard you talk about services costing $120 to $200 and I was wondering if you know of services that convert from InDesign and if that price you mentioned was for Fixed or Reflowable ePubs. Thanks. Great job explaining!

[@1MKWilliams]

Yes, the service I work with does both reflowable ePubs as well as non-reflowable pubs (in the case of fixed text for illustrated children's books and certain poetry books).

[@LesleyWexler]

@@1MKWilliams, thanks. I might check that out. It takes me too long to prepare the reflowable and work through coding. I'd rather pay someone else. ;) it's definitely worth $120, especially if they take my files and create the semantics, html hierarchy, new TOC, and anchor all the artwork. I would rather say…… here you go. ;)

[@barbaragalloway6190]

Thank you for your video! I have a book saved in Book Bolt in RGB what steps can I take next if I want to have an EBOOK to sell on Etsy? Thank you in advance for your insight!

[@1MKWilliams]

I've never used Book Bolt. If you have the PDF file you can sell it as a printable on Esty. Best of luck!

[@barbaragalloway6190]

@@1MKWilliams Thank You!

[@leafoflifeinterventioninte4908]

I spent a lot of time creating an animated ebook in canva for educational purposes. However, I am really stuck not knowing how export or download without losing the quality of the book. Can you help me?

[@1MKWilliams]

So I generally don't recommend formatting eBooks in Canva for this reason. An animated ebook could be something you sell on your website directly, but I don't know of any platforms that accept that. You need an ePub file to upload to the major self-publishing platforms. You may want to contact a formatting service to see if they can recreate the file. I like using Formatted Books: formattedbooks.com/?ref=31

[@whyaskwhybuddry]

@M.K. Williams, Sounds like Smashwords needs to upgrade their platform because Microsoft is no longer supporting Office Versions prior to 2016. Can you still "Save As"? Yes, but for how much longer remains an open question.

[@1MKWilliams]

Yes, you can "save as" the earlier version.

[@daveedmonds4702]

MK, I still have no idea how to convert my docx to ePub. I get that the docx needs to be saved as doc in the old versions of Word, but how does the doc turn into an ePub?!

[@1MKWilliams]

Hi Dave, you can take the formatted .Doc file and upload directly to KDP (they will convert to ePub for you) or Smashwords (they will convert to ePub as well). Best of luck!

[@daveedmonds4702]

@@1MKWilliams thank you so much! I believe that's how I converted my doc last time to a Mobi. What format do you recommend for sending out ARCs?

[@1MKWilliams]

@@daveedmonds4702 ask your ARC readers which format they prefer and send that version. Make it easier for them:)

[@daveedmonds4702]

@@1MKWilliams You are quickly becoming my new BFF! If I may ask another question: OK, uploading my doc into KDP will solve that ePub issue. Do I have to have the book on KDP before I send out the ARCs, or the other way around? If the latter is the case, I need to be able to convert the doc to ePub myself.

[@1MKWilliams]

@@daveedmonds4702 You can send an ARC at any time. No requirement that it is sent prior to uploading. Best of luck!

[@mymadfamily1]

Thanks, so Kindle will automatically convert my Word document when I upload it?

[@1MKWilliams]

Correct, the MS word file will be converted to ePub

[@mymadfamily1]

@@1MKWilliams just one more question the word document has legal files I uploaded as part of the story, will the Kindle system include these files, will the Kindle system convert all the files contained in the word document? Thanks.

[@mymadfamily1]

Ok one last, last question will the Kindle system except photos?

[@1MKWilliams]

@@mymadfamily1 yes

[@OracleInstitute]

Can an ebook be created from the final interior PDF?

[@1MKWilliams]

Yes it can, but the process to do that is a little technical. I work with Formatted Books to handle all of that for me: formattedbooks.com/?ref=31

[@OracleInstitute]

@@1MKWilliams Thank you. And we also just learned that our printer can do it. Crossing fingers, as this is a big book with hundreds of endnotes.

[@faridmuhtat2799]

How do I convert Arabic, Persian and other complex Right-to-Left books to eBook format?

[@1MKWilliams]

I would suggest working with a formatter in this instance who can ensure the book flows correctly. I work with FormattedBooks and they help authors all over the world in multiple languages: formattedbooks.com/?ref=31

[@restlessspiritproductions2861]

Thanks for all the great info! Subscribing! I have a question: If I've converted to epub, do I really need to convert to mobi anymore?

[@1MKWilliams]

Nope!! It figures that as soon as I make a video about something, Amazon changes the requirements. No need for a mobi anymore :) Thank you for subscribing!

[@sharayprevost7122]

Does ingram covert it to epub automatically if I have it in PDF or?

[@1MKWilliams]

You can use the IngramSpark ePub conversion service and they will adapt your PDF to ePub at a fixed price per page, but then you can only use that with Ingramspark, you can't download the ePub to use elsewhere.

[@superchargecoach]

Thank you for the great tips!!

[@1MKWilliams]

You are so welcome!

[@pipstonespublishing8802]

Hello! I watch so many of your videos. Thanks for the helpful information. What knowledge can you give me in the area of children’s books file types for ebook? This is an area I have dove into and it is frustrating. I would like to use draft2digital, but can’t seem to get the right file types and small enough to be able to be on most platforms. I’ve been uploading an EPUB, but the EPUB3 won’t take and the EPUB2 is also a problem. D2D keeps giving me warning errors for the different platforms. Any advice?

[@1MKWilliams]

EPub is the commonly accepted file type across the different platforms. You can use kindle create to make a KPF file, however you can only use that with KDP. One question I would ask is the age range of your audience. I would guess any reader under the age of 5, the parent is likely not looking for a eBook version for their children to read. Most parents want to limit screen time for their kids and would probably prefer a print book. As they get into early readers, probably the same. Story books and early chapter books you may see some demand for eBooks. Middle grade and up would most likely want eBooks as well.

[@carmenrobert8751]

@@1MKWilliams ebooks are great for launch to gain traction and reviews for all genres/niches, but you're right, most children's books don't need to be in an e-book format.

[@joshuagrant3821]

.doc and not docx!? You've just blown my mind.

[@1MKWilliams]

I think since I made this video some of the platforms are now accepting .docx (pretty much every time I make a video about old tech they update it, lol)

[@jennifercline4941]

Hi Mk, love your channel. I wrote and illustrated a children's book in Canva so I don't have a word doc. My file options are JPG, PNG and PDF. Do you have any advice on how that's converted to ePub?

[@1MKWilliams]

Hi Jennifer, I would suggest a few items here: 1.Chidren's books don't always lok as great in reflowable ePub files because they are image heavy. You may be better off using Kindle Create to make a kindle specific file that would be accepted instead of an ePub file from your PDF. 2. Did you upload your own illustration into Canva? If you are using your own images you should be fine, if you are using Canva images you may need to check that you can use them in the book. Best of luck!

[@jennifercline4941]

@@1MKWilliamsThanks Canvas images come with commercial licensing for merchandise as long as your not using it as standalone content :)

[@chaimaasmaili8868]

Hey ,I'm facing the same problem. Did you find a way ?

[@Madison12342]

I have a hard copy book that I am already selling on Amazon. The files are in a PDF. So, I am wondering what is the next step to convert to an eBook? Thank you for your great presentation but I am not sure what the next step is? Also, can I hire someone to do this? 9:51

[@1MKWilliams]

Yes, you can convert from PDF to ePub (or you can convert your MS word file to ePub when you upload to KDP.) If you need it formatted I always recommend Formatted Books formattedbooks.com/?ref=31

[@emmyrose7]

Wonderful video thank you 😊

[@1MKWilliams]

You're welcome!

[@acrock21]

one last quick question... i made the old mistake of using my print version to make my ebook... so i am throwing out things and changing the margin... im too far in to go back and i have almost got there... my print was in 5.5x8.5 ... my question is this okay to use for my ebook? i was going to go back to 8.5x11 but art and everything was so skewed out of place... it looks so much better in the 5.5x8.5 that i had previously set... is there any cons to using it? it looks good in the previewer...

[@1MKWilliams]

So your eBook is going to be reflowable, as in it will adjust based on the screen size. I would use your master document for this and not anything that has been formatted for print. If it is imague heavy it would make sense to work with a formatting service to ensure it will adjust correctly. Best of luck!

[@acrock21]

@@1MKWilliams thank you so much!

[@_Vidya_Sagar_]

congrats your channel is now monetized ............................. i use calibre..... and it works best for me.

[@1MKWilliams]

Awesome! I haven't used calibre but I hear good things about it

[@_Vidya_Sagar_]

@@1MKWilliams yes it is free but a bit cumbersome to use. But once you learn how to use, you can create professional ebooks. I used this tool to create my friends ebook " Learn to be successful by ravindra prasad"

[@lauramagicspirit6841]

I want to make an e-book out of my 500 pages big pdf ( paperback), size 8.5 x 11 but after converting it to word the whole text is a mess, what can I do thnx:))

[@1MKWilliams]

I would go back to your original source file that you used to create the paperback and take that MS word doc (or google doc) and upload that.

[@lauramagicspirit6841]

@@1MKWilliams Thank you:) my original document is a pdf which I used for my paperback. I tried to convert this one into a word document, but as I said everything is messed up now...

[@1MKWilliams]

@@lauramagicspirit6841 Ok so when you originally drafted and wrote your book, you did that in a PDF? I work with FormattedBooks for my eBook conversions, They should be able to work with your source files for the PDF to create an ePub file: formattedbooks.com/?ref=31

[@lauramagicspirit6841]

@@1MKWilliams thank you for your answers. yes I used Canva and downloaded my book as a pdf. Okay I will check them out. I hope they convert big files too:D

[@salemcountrycabin]

I need convert a children's book to EPUB. Help🥺

[@1MKWilliams]

I recommend working with Formatted Books: formattedbooks.com/?ref=31

[@sdgr5111]

Hi M.K. I am reading your book and following your steps to Go Wide! Loving the book. In the process I have encounter a couple of questions. Can I use the Kindle Create EPUB file to upload that EPUB file to other platforms? I haven’t find a ay thing saying I can’t but neither have I found something that says I can. I just want one program to format EPUB just once and not having to do it at each platform.

[@argonaut119]

Liked your info. Nice video - also LIKED. But I would recommend more coverage of conversion to PDF because that need exists. For example, let's say you need to read those books on a laptop (not a reader) with a common format. PDF solves the problem. And I also know many persons that (for eyesight accessibility needs) require a TXT version so that the book can be verbally read to them. Many of these texts do not have accompanying audio versions of the book. No copying for outside sales. No income production. Just personal needs for either backup or accessibility or availability to read across different devices (still owned by the original owner). Keep on producing nice content!

[@igu642]

❤❤❤❤

[@epicscoreCS2]

Me just wanting to make a personal reminder list to keep track of my life. Seems i am to write a book, open the door and let's talk honestly. eh ill do a pdf.

[@labulabuland]

🔹️2:40

[@_Vidya_Sagar_]

you are looking exhausted in this video , hope you are fine........ M.K.....