Reviewing your ebook
Once your ebook has been converted, it's important to review it in the way readers will actually experience it. Ebooks behave very differently from printed books, and they don't display reliably in web browsers or standard document viewers. Taking a few simple steps at this stage will help you see the file properly and avoid unnecessary concerns about things that are simply part of how ebooks work.
Open the ebook with the right software
You can't review an ebook by opening it in a browser or double-clicking the file and expecting it to behave like a PDF. Epub files aren't designed to be viewed that way and won't reflect how the book appears on real devices. The best way to review your ebook is to use Amazon's free Kindle Previewer software, which shows how the file will look on a range of devices, including phones, tablets, and Kindle e-readers. This gives you a much more accurate picture of what readers will see.
Understand how ebooks differ from print
Before making notes on changes, it's worth reminding yourself that ebooks are deliberately different from printed books. Fonts will not match your print edition, as many print fonts aren't available or practical for ebooks, and readers can choose their own font and text size anyway. Layout features such as text wrapping around images, multi-column layouts, background images, and precise positioning are not supported in reflowable ebooks and are intentionally avoided to keep the book readable across devices.
Don't expect fixed pages
Unlike printed books, reflowable ebooks don't have fixed pages. Text flows continuously and reshapes itself depending on screen size, orientation, and reader settings. This means it isn't possible to keep specific elements together on a “page” in a consistent way. Attempts to force content to stay together often cause blank spaces or awkward gaps elsewhere, which is why ebook layouts are designed to be flexible rather than fixed.
Be aware of color differences
Some e-readers display color, while others, particularly popular e-ink Kindles, show only black and white. As a result, any color elements from the print book may appear in grayscale on some devices. This is normal and expected, and it's one of the reasons ebook designs prioritise clarity and contrast over decorative color.
Understand ebook navigation
If your printed book includes a contents page, it may be handled differently in the ebook. Ebooks usually include built-in navigation that readers can access from their device menu at any time, rather than turning to a specific page. In some cases, a visible contents page is still included, often with clickable links, but the overall navigation experience will not mirror print exactly.
Review with flexibility in mind
When reviewing your ebook, it's important not to judge it based on one specific device or text size. Changes that make the ebook look perfect on your screen can sometimes make it worse on others. The goal is not to optimise for a single view, but to ensure the book works well across a wide range of devices and reader preferences.
Mark changes clearly
If you do spot something that genuinely needs changing, it's important to describe it clearly so everyone is looking at the same thing. Because ebooks don't have fixed pages, you can't refer to page numbers. The best approach is to add PDF comments to your ebook proof file, describing the issue and, where possible, the surrounding text. This helps us locate the exact point in the file and make changes accurately.
Reviewing an ebook can feel unfamiliar at first, especially if you're used to working with printed pages. Our aim is to help you focus on what matters, understand what's normal for ebooks, and give feedback that improves the reading experience across devices, rather than reacting to quirks of a single screen.