How do you convert manuscripts between formats?
- Word (.docx): editor handoff, queries, submissions.
- ePub (.epub): ebook retailers (KDP, Apple, Kobo, B&N).
- PDF: print retailers, galley copies, print proofs.
- Markdown (.md): personal notes, version control.
- Pandoc, Calibre, Vellum, and Atticus handle most conversions.
You convert manuscripts between formats using purpose-built converters: Pandoc (command line, free, all formats), Calibre (GUI, free, ebook formats), Vellum or Atticus (paid, ebook + print). Different stages need different formats: Word for editor handoff, ePub for ebook retailers, PDF for print and galleys. Most authors stay in Word/Scrivener through editing and convert at the layout stage.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Format conversions almost always lose something — fonts, italics, smart quotes, special characters. Authors who convert at the wrong stage (e.g., to ePub before line editing) re-do the conversion repeatedly. The right stage is after copy edit and before layout, with one canonical converted file per format that goes to the right retailer.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Word to ePub: Vellum (Mac), Atticus (cross-platform), Calibre (free, less polished).
- Word to PDF: export from Word directly for galleys; InDesign for final layout.
- Markdown to Word: Pandoc command-line.
- Scrivener compile: built-in compile to .docx, .epub, .pdf.
- A format-conversion checklist: smart quotes, em-dashes, italics, special chars.
- A test read: open the converted file and read the first 5 pages before distribution.
Chapter iii·Example
A self-publishing author finishes line editing in Scrivener and compiles to .docx for her copy editor. Three weeks later she receives the marked-up .docx, accepts changes, and runs the clean file through Vellum to produce ePub and print PDF. She test-reads the first 5 pages of each converted file before uploading to KDP and IngramSpark.
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