Your ebook can look tidy in the formatting program and behave differently when a reader opens it on a phone. Font size, screen width and reading preferences change the layout. A short check of the exported file is worth building into your publication routine.
Susan Odev makes this distinction in her Author Inklings article on book formatting: an ebook needs to reflow, while a print interior has a fixed page layout. Here’s a practical way to put that into use on your next book.
Start with the file a reader will receive
Export the ebook using your normal process, then open that file in a reading app or an appropriate previewer. Checking only the editor view won’t tell you what happened during export. Keep the manuscript available so you can compare any passage that looks odd.
Choose a chapter that contains a scene break and another with something less ordinary, such as a text-message exchange, a letter or a list. If the book includes images, include one of those pages in your check too.
Make the text larger
Increase the reading font size. Look for indents made with spaces or tabs, awkward gaps and scene markers that are easy to miss. Turn a few pages and make sure the story’s structure is still clear. A scene break should remain understandable even when it falls near the top or bottom of a screen.
Try a narrower display as well. The aim is to find anything that depends on your preferred font size or page width to make sense. You don’t need every reader to see an identical page; you do need them to know where they are in the story.
Follow the navigation
Use the table of contents to jump to a chapter. Check several entries, including one near the end. Then follow the links in your back matter. If you invite readers to the next book or to your newsletter, the link needs to take them to the right place.
After correcting an issue, export again and repeat the check on the new file. It’s surprisingly easy to admire the repaired manuscript while leaving the old export in the upload folder.
Check print separately
A print proof answers different questions: whether the gutter gives the text enough room, how the chapter openings look, and whether the cover and interior dimensions agree. A successful ebook check doesn’t replace holding the print copy and looking through it.
For more on the options and common mistakes, read Susan’s full formatting article. You can also join Susan and Karen on September 23 for From First Draft to Launch Day.