How to Create an Epub from Word or Markdown: Complete Guide 2026

Creating an epub from your manuscript is the first step to publishing an ebook on Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books or any self-publishing platform. Yet most authors don't know where to start: which software to use, how to structure the file, why their epub displays incorrectly on some readers.

This guide covers everything from manuscript preparation to exporting a valid epub.

What Is an Epub File?

An epub (Electronic Publication) is a compressed archive containing your book's text, layout, metadata (title, author, language) and table of contents. It's the standard ebook format, used by Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and most digital libraries.

Amazon Kindle historically used its own format (MOBI/KFX), but since 2022 KDP accepts epub directly. You no longer need to convert your epub to MOBI to publish on Amazon.

A valid epub conforms to the EPUB3 specification, the most widely supported version today. A malformed epub may be rejected by a platform or display incorrectly.

Preparing Your Manuscript Before Export

Regardless of the method used, a few preparation rules apply.

Chapter structure

Each chapter must be identifiable by a title. In Word, use the "Heading 1" style for main chapters. In Markdown, start each chapter with a # Chapter title line. Without this structure, the epub's table of contents will be empty or broken.

Minimal formatting

Avoid complex formatting: tables, text boxes, multiple columns. These don't translate well to epub. Keep: bold, italic, scene separators (three asterisks *** or dashes ---), lists where necessary.

Metadata

Prepare your book's exact title, your author name, the language and ideally an ISBN if you have one. This information will be embedded in the epub file and displayed by online retailers.

Creating an Epub from Word

Method 1: Folio Studio (recommended)

Folio Studio accepts .docx file imports directly.

1. Open Folio Studio and create a new project
2. Click "Import" and drop your .docx file
3. Folio Studio automatically detects your chapters (H1/H2 headings) and structures them
4. Choose a typographic template from the 15 available
5. Adjust the preview if needed (fonts, spacing, ornaments)
6. Click "Export to epub"

The generated epub includes an automatic table of contents, project metadata and the chosen layout.

Method 2: Calibre (basic conversion)

Calibre is a free ebook manager that can convert .docx to epub. The typographic quality is limited: no templates, generic layout.

1. Open Calibre, drag your .docx in
2. Right-click > "Convert books"
3. Choose epub as output, adjust metadata
4. Run the conversion

Calibre works if you need a quick conversion without layout requirements.

Method 3: Sigil (for advanced users)

Sigil lets you edit an epub directly in HTML/CSS. It's the ideal tool if you want total control, but the learning curve is steep. Not suitable for authors who want a simple workflow.

Creating an Epub from Markdown

Markdown is a plain text format with lightweight syntax. An author who writes in Markdown (in Obsidian, Typora, iA Writer or VS Code) can export to epub without going through Word.

Method 1: Folio Studio

Folio Studio imports .md files natively.

1. Create a new project in Folio Studio
2. Import your Markdown file (or drag it to the import area)
3. Chapters are detected by # and ## headings
4. Select a template, preview in real time
5. Export to epub

If your manuscript is split across multiple Markdown files (one per chapter), import them one by one: Folio Studio adds them in order and handles numbering.

Method 2: Pandoc (command line)

Pandoc is a universal command-line converter. Powerful but technical.

pandoc manuscript.md -o book.epub --metadata title="My Book" --metadata author="First Last"

For an epub with table of contents:

pandoc manuscript.md -o book.epub --toc --toc-depth=2 --metadata title="My Book"

Pandoc produces a valid epub, but the layout is minimal. For polished typographic output you need to provide a custom CSS stylesheet, which requires CSS knowledge.

Pandoc suits technical authors who want to automate epub generation in a pipeline.

Validating Your Epub Before Publishing

Before submitting your epub to a platform, check it with these two free tools.

EPUBCheck

EPUBCheck is the official EPUB specification validator. It flags any error that might prevent your epub from being accepted on KDP, Kobo or Apple Books. Available online at validator.idpf.org or as a command-line tool.

Calibre or Foliate

Open your epub in Calibre (Windows/Mac/Linux) or Foliate (Linux) to check the actual display: table of contents, chapter navigation, font rendering, scene separators.

An epub that passes EPUBCheck and displays correctly in Calibre will work on virtually all readers and platforms.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Empty table of contents
Cause: chapters aren't structured with headings (H1/H2). Make sure every chapter starts with a title.

Missing images
If your Word manuscript contains images, they must be embedded in the .docx file (not linked from an external folder). Folio Studio extracts and embeds them in the epub.

Incorrectly encoded special characters
Epub must be in UTF-8. Modern tools (Folio Studio, Pandoc) handle this automatically. If you're using an older tool, check the encoding.

Epub file too large
Platforms like KDP have file size limits (e.g. 650 MB for KDP). A text-only novel never exceeds a few hundred kilobytes. An oversized epub usually means uncompressed images.

Checklist Before Submitting Your Epub

• All chapters have a title (Heading 1 in Word, # in Markdown)
• Metadata filled in (title, author, language)
• Table of contents is present and correct
• Epub opens without errors in Calibre
• EPUBCheck shows no critical errors
• Images are embedded (if applicable)
• Filename contains no spaces or special characters

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FAQ

Which format is best for importing into Folio Studio?
Markdown if you write in a text editor, DOCX if you use Word. Both are imported with the same quality of result.

Will my epub be accepted on Amazon KDP?
Yes, provided it passes EPUBCheck validation without critical errors. KDP has accepted epub since 2022. Folio Studio generates EPUB3-compliant epub files.

Can I create an epub from multiple Markdown files?
Yes with Folio Studio: import each file separately, reorder chapters if needed, then export. With Pandoc: list all files in order in the command (pandoc ch1.md ch2.md ch3.md -o book.epub).

Will my epub layout look the same on all readers?
No, and that's by design. Epub readers (Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books) apply their own typographic rules and let readers change font and size. Epub is inherently adaptive. Folio Studio templates are designed to behave well across all devices.