What Ebook Formats Can a Kindle Read
What is The Best eBook Format For Kindle?
Virtually eBook Formats
I of the questions that nosotros are oftentimes asked is, "what is theall-time eBook format for Kindle? I'm not ever sure what question I'm being asked. Is the person asking to find out what file format they shouldupload to Amazon? Are they asking what's the best way tomake a book for the Amazon-Kindle ecosystem? Really, there are just 2 eBook formats that are still remaining in the USA, and, when y'all look around, in the world. Those formats are:
- ePUB: which stands for ePUBlication (clever, eh?), which is used by B&N, iBooks, Sony, KoboBooks, and Google, and,
- MOBI format, which isthe preferred Kindle file format.
If yous've Googled, you've likely seen all sorts of claims, ranging from some folks telling you that y'all tin can put an ePUB on Kindle, to the thought that using Word is the best "Kindle eBook format." The bottom line is, the files that Amazon sells to its readers are, mostly,a single file format, called "MOBI."
What Format Does Kindle Use?
At present, if you lot've run across various forums, you may take seen people refer to AZW format, or AZW3 format. The former is the actual, final, encrypted Kindle format that is dispensed from the Amazon store, to your Kindle every bit a purchased book. That's non a format that you can make yourself. And, even if yous could, you lot can't upload that format at the KDP, the Kindle Digital Publishing platform. The latter, AZW3, is a file format, created to emulate what's chosen "KF8," (the more-avant-garde Kindle formatting) by a piece of free library software called Calibre. However, just like AZW, you can't upload an AZW3 file format at the KDP. You tin certainly make a file in that format, and side-load it to your ain Kindle device,just you tin can't publish it. Obviously, that format, then, lacks utility. Fine for personal utilise, simply useless for publishing. If someone starts yammering away at you, talking nearly how you can convert your file to AZW or AZW3 format, for the purposes of publishing--that'due south not someone to whom you should exist listening.
Tin can Kindle Read ePUB?
If y'all've banged around some more, yous've seen some folks, including people similar me, who volition tell you that you can utilize an ePUB to Kindle formatting process. You upload an ePUB at the KDP, and the process will automatically create a MOBI file for you lot. This is admittedly true. ePUB is one of the accepted file formats at the KDP. Then, you lot can, then, finer ePUB Kindle. But before you do that, y'all need to empathize the ePUB format--which isn't something that most DIYers want to practise. Even here at Booknook.biz, we don't "do" one-size-fits-all eBook-making; when we've completed an ePUB for a customer, and it's approved, we take that file, make some tweaks, and use the revised content (with slightly different commands and instructions within information technology) to create or build the concluding MOBI file for Kindle. And nosotros do that using KindleGen, an Amazon tool, rather than doing any conversion at the KDP itself.
What's Inside a MOBI file?
Every bit we mentioned in our recent commodity, Why is a MOBI Kindle File like a Cake? a MOBI file isn't a simple thing, like a Word file. It'south complex. Inside a MOBI file is firstly, a whole copy of the source of the final, built MOBI file. So, if y'all uploaded a Word file, a complete copy of that will be inside the final MOBI stored on Amazon's servers. Then, in that location'due south an entire "KF7" MOBI--which ways, a MOBI Kindle file that's optimized to be read on the older Kindle devices (like the K2 e-inks and the DXes). Amazon does this because they continue to support even the oldest of their e-reading devices. Finally, there'due south an optimized "KF8" MOBI file, which is very much like an ePUB file, that is crafted to work all-time on the more modern readers, like the Fire, the Fire HDX, and that group. It'south the KF8 MOBI files that volition accept embedded fonts, can float images side by side to paragraphs of text, display Dropcaps and that sort of thing. Amazon's tools build the files this way, so thatevery reader tin can accept the book delivered to them in the best format suited for their particular eastward-reading device. It'south great for y'all as both a reader, or an author. When a reader buys your volume, they receive the re-create of the book--either KF7 or KF8 format--that suits their device.
What Are the KDP-Compatible File Formats?
Lastly, you should know what file formats you can, and cannot, upload at the KDP in an effort to build your volume, or put your book on sale. If yous're doing information technology yourself, the KDP volition accept files uploaded in .Dr. and .DOCX format (Word or Give-and-take equivalents), .TXT files, HTML files (guidelines use!), and PDF's and try to catechumen those for you. We highly recommend that y'all don't effort uploading a PDF--the results are almost e'er very, very poor. (For the reasons why, please see our article Why PDF'south Actually Don't Work At Kindle). If you're tecchy, you can effort to create your own ePUB and upload that, because .ePUB format is accepted at the KDP, as discussed in a higher place.
Your best option is to upload a complete, fully-crafted and custom-built MOBI file, created for your own book. This method results in the fewest "suprises" at the KDP. We receive a lot of requests from prospective clients, who've tried to DIY, simply to find out subsequently they click the "Preview" button at the KDP that the results arenothing like what they expected. If yous create or have created a MOBI file, there won't be any surprises; you'll know without any doubtexactly what your file volition look like on your reader's Kindle device. And that'due south the best eBook Format for Kindle--the one that doesn't requite you any unpleansant surprises.
Source: https://www.booknook.biz/tips-tutorials/what-is-the-best-ebook-format-for-kindle
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