How to Review Your eBook Files
Software, devices, and best practices for reviewing ebook files
So you received your ebook files and are ready to review them! There are a lot of ebook formats, and each one is only supported by specific e-reading software and devices. Use this guide to ensure you are using the correct software and devices to review your specific ebook format. Also included are review and feedback guidelines for the best way to review your ebook files, understand each format’s abilities and limitations, and provide feedback in a usable way.
Reflowable ebooks:
A reflowable ebook is an interpretation of your print book in the digital space, meaning that it does not have the same exact page layout, but it retains the fonts, design, and the overall flavor of the print book. Reflowable ebooks “reflow” based on user settings to control text size, font, margins, line height, colors, and more. This means that your book should look nice at varying settings. But it also means that your book does not have “exact” page numbers, as the pages reflow based on user settings.
epub3 (.epub)
Software & Devices
Review & Feedback recommendations:
- In your e-reading software’s settings, set your font to “Default” or “Publisher Default” to ensure you see the embedded fonts. Then select your preferred user settings for everything else: text size, margins, line height, color modes, etc.
- Page through the ebook using your preferred user settings.
- Spot check the ebook using a variety of different user settings to ensure that things look how you want them to under those circumstances.
- Click on all hyperlinks to confirm they go to the right places
- Click on all Bookmarks to confirm they go to the right places
- When providing feedback, include location information such as the section or chapter of the book and reference exact text nearby so we can find the right spot to fix. (Because this ebook is reflowable, the “page numbers” you see are auto-generated based on the user settings you’ve selected and can’t be replicated easily.)
- Example feedback: Add period after “Mr” in chapter 3, in the sentence “Mr Green has a fancy hat.”
- IMPORTANT: When you review updated ebook files, make sure to delete old versions from the e-reading software first, otherwise you may see a cached version of the ebook.
Fixed layout ebooks:
A fixed layout ebook (FXL) is an exact visual replica of your print book but in the digital space, meaning that it has the same page layout without changes to text size, font, colors, etc. This also means that your ebook has the exact same page numbers as your print book, and you can reference these in your feedback.
FXL epub3 (.epub)
Software & Devices
Review & Feedback recommendations:
- Page through the entire ebook, watching for any gutter jump issues or images that won’t load.
- Click on all hyperlinks to confirm they go to the right places
- Click on all Bookmarks to confirm they go to the right places
- If you are reviewing on a tablet or phone, try viewing the ebook in both landscape and portrait orientation. On landscape orientation, the ebook should show a 2-page spread. On portrait orientation, the ebook should show a single page.
- When providing feedback, you can reference exact page numbers, as these are the same in the ebook and the print book.
- IMPORTANT: When you review updated ebook files, make sure to delete old versions from the e-reading software first, otherwise you may see a cached version of the ebook.
kf8 (.mobi)
Software & Devices
Review & Feedback recommendations:
- Page through the entire ebook, watching for any gutter jump issues or images that won’t load.
- Confirm you can double tap to zoom in to 1/3 of the page.
- KF8 does not support hyperlinks, so these will not be clickable.
- KF8 format automatically includes a bookmark for every 2-page spread, which is numbered chronologically. These bookmarks cannot be renamed.
- KF8 format automatically displays the front cover at the very end of the ebook. This is controlled by Amazon’s Kindle software and cannot be removed.
- When providing feedback, you can reference exact page numbers, as these are the same in the ebook and the print book.
- IMPORTANT: When you review updated ebook files, make sure to delete old versions from the e-reading software first, otherwise you may see a cached version of the ebook.
interactive PDF (.pdf)
Software & Devices
Review & Feedback recommendations:
- Page through the entire ebook, watching for any gutter jump issues or images that won’t load.
- Click on all hyperlinks to confirm they go to the right places
- Click on all Bookmarks to confirm they go to the right places
- Do not review the PDF in “two-page view”, as this will show misaligned spreads. Distributor’s e-reading software automatically treats the first page as the cover, and will display it on its own spread. Then every two pages thereafter will form spreads.
- When providing feedback, you can reference exact page numbers, as these are the same in the ebook and the print book.
- IMPORTANT: When you review updated ebook files, make sure to delete old versions from the e-reading software first, otherwise you may see a cached version of the ebook.
Got questions? Reach out!