DOCX to EPUB Converter
Most books are written in Word, and most e-book stores and readers want EPUB. This converter turns a DOCX manuscript into an EPUB, using your heading styles for chapters and the table of contents, so you can proof the book on a real reader before it goes anywhere.
E-book Converter
or drop EPUB, MOBI, AZW … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
0 keeps the book's own size. E-readers let the reader change size anyway; this mainly matters for PDF, DOCX and TXT output.
Space around the text on each page. 5 mm suits e-ink screens; use 15–20 mm for a PDF you plan to print.
Justified text has straight edges on both sides like a printed book; left-aligned avoids wide gaps between words on small screens.
A5 is close to a paperback and reads well on tablets. Match device sizes the page to the reading device chosen above.
Keep the book's cover, use the first image as the cover (comics and photo books), or leave the book without one.
JPEG quality for pictures and comic pages. 85 looks identical on e-ink; lower it to shrink large comics.
Leave empty to keep the title stored in the file. This is the name shown in the reader's library.
Leave empty to keep the existing author.
How to use this tool
- 1
Style the chapters
In Word, apply Heading 1 to each chapter title and Heading 2 to any sub-sections. Then upload the .docx, up to 20 files of 95 MB each.
- 2
Set cover and details
Cover is set to First image, so a picture placed at the very top of the document becomes the EPUB cover. Fill Title and Author under Advanced settings if Word's document properties are empty.
- 3
Convert and proof
Press Convert to EPUB and page through the book in an e-reader app. The uploaded manuscript is deleted after 30 minutes.
Word's heading styles are the whole trick. A chapter title styled Heading 1 becomes a chapter of the EPUB and an entry in its contents menu; a title that is merely bold and centered is just another paragraph.
How Word styles turn into EPUB chapters
A DOCX file is a ZIP archive of XML parts in the Office Open XML format, standardized as ECMA-376 in 2006 and Word's default since Word 2007. An EPUB is a ZIP too, of XHTML chapters, CSS and a package file listing the reading order. Converting between them means translating Word's styles into HTML: Heading 1 starts a new chapter and becomes its title, Heading 2 a section inside it, Normal paragraphs stay paragraphs, and italics, bold and lists become inline markup.
What does not translate are things that only make sense on paper. Headers, footers, page numbers, odd and even section breaks, text boxes and columns are dropped or flattened, because an e-reader paginates by itself. Footnotes become linked notes. Pictures set inline with text survive best, while pictures floating beside a paragraph are pulled into the text flow.
Amazon's and Draft2Digital's formatting guides give the same advice for the same reason: use styles rather than manual formatting and the e-book almost builds itself. Kindle Create and Calibre both read Word files on that principle.
Which stores take DOCX and which want EPUB
| Organisation | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | Accepts DOCX and EPUB for Kindle e-books; MOBI is no longer accepted for reflowable books | kdp.amazon.com |
| Apple Books | EPUB, which must pass EPUBCheck validation | — |
| Google Play Books Partner Center | EPUB, or PDF for fixed pages | — |
| Draft2Digital | DOCX recommended; EPUB and RTF also accepted | — |
| Kobo Writing Life | EPUB, or Word files that Kobo converts itself | — |
Common DOCX to EPUB problems and fixes
The EPUB has no chapter menu
Chapter titles were formatted by hand. Select each one in Word, apply Heading 1 and convert again with Table of contents on.
Fonts look different on the reader
Manuscripts often use system fonts the reader does not have. Embed fonts carries them into the book; turn it off to let the reader's own font take over, which many readers prefer.
Blank pages appear between chapters
Delete empty paragraphs and manual page breaks around chapter titles. Each Heading 1 already starts a new chapter.
The cover is missing
Cover uses the first image in the document. Place the cover picture as the very first item, inline with text rather than floating.
DOCX
Microsoft Word document
DOCX is Microsoft Word's default document format since Office 2007, based on the Office Open XML standard (ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500). It is a ZIP package of XML files holding text, styles, images, tables, comments and tracked changes. It is the most common format for editable documents in offices, schools and job applications. Layout can shift slightly between Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages, especially with complex formatting. Most word processors open DOCX files.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 2007 · Microsoft
EPUB
Electronic Publication
EPUB is the open ebook standard, first published by the International Digital Publishing Forum in 2007 and now maintained by the W3C. It packages XHTML, CSS, images and metadata in a ZIP file, so text reflows to fit any screen size and font setting. EPUB 3 adds audio, video, fixed layouts and accessibility features. Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books and most reading apps open EPUB, and Kindle accepts it through Send to Kindle.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 2007 · IDPF (now W3C)
DOCX to EPUB is the self-publishing step, turning a styled Word manuscript into a book you can proof on a reader and upload to stores; EPUB to DOCX is for editing a book that already exists.
DOCX to EPUB questions
Can I upload the DOCX straight to KDP instead?
Yes, Kindle Direct Publishing accepts Word files and converts them itself. Converting to EPUB first still pays off: you can open the book in a reading app, spot a missing chapter or a broken image, and fix the manuscript before the store ever sees it.
Is my Word table of contents used in the EPUB?
No, and it is better deleted. The e-book contents menu is built from Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles, while a Word contents page with page numbers would show up as an extra page of meaningless numbers in a reflowable book.
Do track changes and comments end up in the e-book?
They can. Accept or reject every change and delete comments before uploading, because pending revisions may carry deleted text or comment markers into the EPUB.
Which Word version do I need for DOCX to EPUB?
Any that saves .docx, which has been Word's default since Word 2007; LibreOffice Writer and Google Docs export it too. Older .doc files are accepted as well, but DOCX keeps styles more reliably.
How do I get the e-book back into Word for edits later?
EPUB to DOCX reverses the trip and puts chapter titles back on Heading styles, so the next round of edits starts from a clean manuscript.
Can I read the converted EPUB on my own Kindle?
Yes. Send it through Send to Kindle by email or app, or follow send EPUB to Kindle to make an AZW3 file for a USB transfer.
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