e-Book Conversion – Self-Publish or Choose a Specialist?

With rapid advancements in technology, eBooks are growing faster than printed books in sales and popularity. Electronic books offer convenience and portability and have become the preferred option for readers of all age groups. According to a report from Scanse, ebooks are expected to grow faster than print books, with their revenue projected to reach $15.29 billion by 2027.

For authors, creating a professionally formatted eBook is essential to stand out in today’s crowded digital marketplace. One question that most authors ask themselves is: should I self-publish (DIY) or should I hire a professional ebook conversion services? Whether you’re publishing on Amazon, Apple Books, or other platforms, a clean, readable, and device-friendly format is essential for a better experience for readers and more positive reviews.

What is eBook Conversion?

eBook conversion is the process of transforming content, typically from formats like Word, PDF, InDesign, or printed books, into digital formats compatible with eReaders such as Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, or Nook. Creating a digital book requires a solid understanding of key formatting, technical aspects and publishing requirements of various platforms.

• • Format: The first thing to understand when it comes to creating electronic books is their format. There are two primary electronic book formats: reflowable layouts and fixed layouts. The key difference between these layouts is the way they display and adapt content to various devices.
    • Reflowable layouts: These layouts automatically adjust and resize text and images automatically to fit the screen, regardless of device or font size settings. This makes them ideal for text-heavy content like novels.
    • Fixed layouts: In contrast to reflowable, fixed layouts preserve the original page design, including images, text placement, and layout elements, as intended by the creator. As a result, they are best when visual layout is integral to the content, such as in children’s books or graphic novels. While PDF is a fixed-layout format, it is not suitable for small screens, but is still used for graphic-rich eBooks like textbooks.

Other options include:

• • ePub3 – This is the most widely accepted open format, which supports both fixed and reflowable layouts, multimedia, interactivity, and accessibility.
  • MOBI/AZW3/KPF – These are Kindle-specific formats. KPF (Kindle Package Format) is now the preferred format when using Kindle Create.
• eBook Platform Requirements: Publishing an ebook requires understanding the requirements of different platforms. Leading platforms like Amazon KDP and Apple Books have specific requirements for manuscript formatting and file types. These specifications relate to file format, minimum word count/page count, cover image, meta data, and content guidelines. For e.g., Amazon KDP requires a minimum of 2500 words for text-based electronic books and 32 pages for picture books. Apple Books accepts EPUB files, and it’s recommended to check the file with Kindle Previewer to make sure everything looks right before uploading.
• Accessibility Compliance: Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance becoming a must for educational and government publishers. If your book is an educational and government publication, integrating accessibility from the initial stages of content creation to the final publication is essential to ensure your digital content is accessible to everyone.

Now, let’s weigh the pros and cons of the two main digital formatting options: DIY versus professional eBook conversion.

Option 1: Self-Publishing and DIY Conversion

There are several cost-effective or free tools available for DIY conversion such as Calibre, Draft2Digital, Kindle Create. These tools allow self-publishing authors to convert their manuscripts into digital books at little to no cost, while maintaining full creative control over layout, formatting, and design.

Pros: The DIY approach works best for simple, text-based novels or short stories. It’s also a good option for if you are tech-savvy or working with a limited budget.

Cons: DIY conversion can come with a steep learning curve, especially if you are new to digital formatting. Understanding and using the best tools for self-publishing eBooks and processes involved can take time. There’s also a risk of technical errors, which may result in poor formatting or even rejection from publishing platforms. Moreover, if your book has complex layouts, which contain images, footnotes, or tables, DIY conversion is not recommended.

Here are some best practices to overcome these barriers and drive self-publishing success:

Start with a clean manuscript: Use styles consistently (e.g., Heading 1 for chapters). Allow formatting tools to handle the layout and avoid tabs and hard returns for spacing. Including a table of contents is vital for navigation. Make sure to include front/back information about the author, copyright, call to action, and other books. Finally, to ensure compatibility, test your eBook on multiple devices such as Kindle app, iBooks, Kobo, etc.

Option 2: Working with a Professional eBook Formatting Company

When it comes to ensuring professional formatting that meets publishing platform standards, partnering with a specialist is the best option. These services can meet your unique publishing requirements and ensure compatibility across a wide range of eReaders and devices.

The key features of these services include:

• Seamless Conversion: Smooth conversion from various formats such as PDF, HTML, InDesign, and Word to industry-standard ePUB.
• Content Optimization: Support for reflowable layouts, fixed-layout designs, and rich multimedia integration, depending on content type and audience.
• Interactive Enhancements: Integration of audio, video, interactive quizzes, animations, gamified elements, and other engaging features.
• Thorough Checks: Rigorous testing to ensure the final output is error-free and fully compatible with all major devices and platforms.
• Metadata Enhancement: Optimization of metadata to improve eBook discoverability and boost search engine visibility.

Pros: Compared with the DIY option, working with a reliable ebook formatting provider:

• Saves Time and Reduces Stress: Hiring a professional streamlines the publishing process, allowing authors and publishers to focus on writing, marketing, or other creative aspects. It eliminates the hassle of learning complex tools and troubleshooting technical issues, saving hours or even days of effort.
• Ideal for Design-Rich Books: Children’s books, cookbooks, and textbooks typically require fixed layouts, embedded images, interactivity, or complex formatting. Specialists ensure that these elements are properly handled and displayed consistently across all devices.
• Customization: Professionals can tailor the layout, fonts, navigation, and interactive features to suit your specific branding and content needs, creating a unique and polished final product that reflects your vision.
• Latest Technology: Conversion specialists use up-to-date software and digital publishing tools that support advanced formatting, interactive features, and device compatibility, ensuring your eBook meets current digital publishing standards.
• Specialized Skills and Expertise: Experienced professionals understand the nuances of ebook formatting, publishing platform guidelines, and device-specific requirements. Their expertise helps avoid common pitfalls like rejections due to formatting errors or poor user experience.
• Provides Scalability and Flexibility: Whether you’re converting a single title or an entire catalog, professional services can scale to meet your needs. They also offer flexibility in formats (e.g., ePUB, MOBI, PDF), layouts, and publishing platforms..
• Adherence to Security Protocols: Reliable providers follow industry best practices to protect your manuscript, metadata, and intellectual property throughout the conversion process, using secure file transfers and data handling procedures..
• Maintains Compliance: Specialists ensure that your digital book complies with accessibility standards like WCAG 2.0 and ADA, as well as technical specifications required by platforms like Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and others—minimizing the risk of rejection and maximizing audience reach..

These services also provide troubleshooting support and optional add-ons such as cover design.

Cons: The limitations to hiring external support include:

Higher upfront cost: Hiring a professional ebook conversion service usually costs more than using free or low-cost DIY tools. The price depends on how complex your book is and whether it includes things like images, videos, or special formatting. While the quality and time saved can make it worth it, the cost may be a concern for new authors or those on a tight budget.

Less hands-on control: When you outsource your project, you may not be as involved in the formatting and design process. This can be a drawback if you like to be in full control or want to make quick changes. Although professionals do offer revisions, the process might take longer compared to doing it yourself.

Here’s a table to get a quick overview of DIY vs. hiring an ebook conversion specialist:

Feature	DIY Conversion	Hiring a Specialist
Format Quality	Variable	Professional
Cost	Low/Free	Moderate to High
Time Involved	High	Low
Support	Limited	Full Support
Ideal For	Simple books, budget authors	Complex layouts, busy authors

Stay in Sync with Trends with Specialized Support

As eBook publishing evolves, keeping up with trends like AI-assisted formatting, accessibility compliance, interactive content, and multi-format delivery is essential. The rise of HTML5-based interactivity in educational content, the growing demand for ADA and WCAG compliance, and the shift toward cloud-based conversion platforms highlight the complexity of modern digital production. Professional ebook conversion solutions offer the expertise, tools, and scalability needed to navigate these changes smoothly. Whether you’re an independent author or a large publisher, having expert support ensures your eBooks are future-ready, accessible, and optimized for every platform and reader.