It’s great that you are finally writing your book, or planning to. But in reality, writing your book is only half of the publishing process. The other half? Making sure it shows up beautifully on every screen and every printed page.
If you’ve ever exported a manuscript, you’ve probably seen a long list of options: DOCX, RTF, PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and more. Each of these formats has its own purpose. Some are mainly for drafting and editing, others are meant for uploading to Kindle, and some exist for professional printing.
If you choose the right file format for your book, the publishing process will be smooth. Pick the wrong one, and you risk rejected uploads, or an eBook that looks messy on a Kindle.
In this guide, we’ll break down the most common manuscript file types for publishing, explore the best file format for eBook and print, and give you tips on how to choose the right format. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to use and why.
Why Worry About The Format of Your Files
Here’s why correctly choosing your manuscript file types for publishing matters:
- Publisher acceptance – Different platforms have strict requirements. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) may accept DOCX and EPUB, but a poetry journal might only want submissions in a different format . Sending the wrong format can mean automatic rejection.
- How your book looks on devices – A poetry collection uploaded in the wrong format can lose its line breaks, leaving stanzas jumbled and unreadable. Novels with complex structures can end up with broken chapter divisions.
- Reader experience – An reflowable EPUB allows text to resize based on the reader’s device, creating a smooth, flexible reading flow. A PDF locks everything in place, which is great for preserving layouts but a nightmare to read on small screens.
File Types for Drafting Your Book
When you’re working on your manuscript, there are a few file formats you’ll come across. These are the ones most writers use during the drafting and editing stage before moving into publishing.
DOCX (Microsoft Word)
DOCX is the modern Microsoft Word format and the most widely recognized file type for manuscripts. Almost every publisher, editor, and writing software supports it. If you’re drafting your novel, poetry book, or nonfiction project, DOCX is usually the safest file type to work with.
Editors rely on it because of features like Track Changes and comments. You can edit, leave feedback, and review revisions easily, even across different devices. Most publishers and literary journals also accept DOCX, which makes it a reliable format when you’re sharing your work.
DOCX is also accepted on self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP and Draft2Digital. You can upload your manuscript directly, and the platform will convert it into an eBook format.
Limitations: That said, this is where you need to be a bit careful, especially with poetry. While DOCX works well for drafting, automated conversion can sometimes affect spacing, line breaks, or more detailed formatting. If your poems rely on a specific layout or visual structure, it’s better to export to EPUB (or use tools like Kindle Create to generate a KPF file) so you have more control over how everything appears.
Also, more complex layouts or images may look slightly different depending on the system or platform being used.
Best for: Drafting, editing, and submitting manuscripts
RTF (Rich Text Format)
RTF is a very simple text format that’s mostly used for sharing or transferring documents. It keeps basic formatting like fonts, bold, italics, and spacing, but removes anything more advanced.
Because of that, it can be opened on almost any device or word processor without issues. It’s a reliable option if you need to send your work to someone who’s using a different writing tool.
Limitations: It’s not something you’d use for publishing. It keeps the basics, like spacing and line breaks, but once your formatting gets more detailed, it starts to fall short. So if your work depends on how it looks on the page, this isn’t the format you want to rely on.
Best for: Sharing text across different devices or doing simple manuscript transfers.
TXT (Plain Text)
TXT is the most basic file format you can use for writing. It removes everything, down to just the words, with no fonts, styling, or formatting. What you see is simply raw text.
You’ll usually come across TXT files in very simple writing apps like note apps (e.g. notepad), or other distraction-free editors. Because it’s so basic, it opens on almost any device without issues.
Some writers like using TXT because it removes distractions. With such a format, you don’t think about layout or design. You just focus on getting your words down.
Limitations: It doesn’t support formatting at all. No bold, no italics, and very little control over spacing.
Best for: Distraction-free drafting or quick writing sessions
ODT (OpenDocument Text)
ODT is the default file format used by LibreOffice and other open-source writing tools. It works a lot like DOCX and supports formatting, styles, images, and more.
If you’re using apps like LibreOffice Writer or OpenOffice, this is the format your work will usually be saved in. It handles most of the things you’d expect from a standard writing file, including headings, spacing, and basic layout.
It helps if you prefer open-source tools or want something similar to Word without paying for it.
Limitations: While it supports formatting well, it’s not as widely accepted as DOCX. You may need to convert it before submitting your work to publishers or uploading to certain platforms.
Best for: Writers using LibreOffice or other open-source writing tools
Markdown (.md)
Markdown uses a simple way of formatting your writing using symbols instead of buttons. For example, you add ** around a word to make it bold, or # to create headings.
It’s commonly used in minimalist writing apps like iA Writer, Obsidian, or other plain-text editors that support Markdown. These tools focus on writing first, and takes away the need to click through menus.
Some writers prefer it once they get used to it because it’s fast and simple.
Limitations: It takes a bit of getting used to if you’ve never used it before. It’s also not ideal for complex layouts, and it’s not commonly used in traditional publishing.
Best for: Writers who want a simple, distraction-free writing setup and don’t mind using a few symbols while writing
eBook-Friendly Formats
Once you move from drafting to publishing your book digitally, these are the main formats you’ll come across. If you’re trying to figure out what works best for eBooks, this is where to focus.
EPUB
EPUB is the main format used for eBooks, and in most cases, it’s what you’ll be working with when you publish your book digitally.
There are two kinds of EPUB. There’s reflowable EPUB and fixed layout EPUB.
Reflowable EPUB means the text adjusts automatically depending on the device someone is using. So if a reader is on a phone, tablet, or eReader, your book reshapes itself to fit the screen. They can also change the font size, and your text will adjust accordingly.
That’s why reflowable EPUB is usually the best choice for eBooks. It makes reading easier and more comfortable, no matter the device.
There’s also something called a fixed layout EPUB. This works differently. Instead of adjusting, the layout stays exactly the same, like a PDF. Every page looks exactly how you designed it.
Fixed layout can be used for books where design is really important, like children’s books, heavily illustrated books, or some poetry collections where the spacing and positioning of text are part of the meaning.
But for most writers, especially if you’re publishing standard text-based books, reflowable EPUB is the better and more practical option.
Now, about Amazon Kindle. Even though Kindle now accepts EPUB files, it doesn’t actually use EPUB as-is. When you upload your EPUB, Amazon automatically converts it into its own internal format (KPF/KFX). This is done so your book works properly across different Kindle devices and apps.
You don’t have to worry about doing this yourself. You just upload your EPUB, and Amazon handles the conversion for you.
Because of this, EPUB has become the safest and most widely accepted format if you want to publish across multiple platforms.
Limitations: EPUB keeps things flexible so it can adjust to different screens. But because the text needs to move and resize, the formatting is usually more basic.
So if you want your book to have a very specific layout, specific spacing, or detailed design, EPUB can make that difficult to control. Your layout might adjust depending on the device or reader settings, which can affect how your work appears.
Best for: Publishing eBooks across different platforms with one file.
KPF (Kindle Package Format)
KPF, or Kindle Package Format, is a file type created using Amazon’s free Kindle Create tool. It’s designed specifically for publishing eBooks on Amazon KDP.
When you format your manuscript in Kindle Create, you export it as a KPF file. This file maintains your formatting, like headings, images, drop caps, and stanza spacing, so your book displays more consistently across Kindle devices and apps.
One reason KPF is useful is that it lets you see how your book will actually look before you publish it. Inside Kindle Create, you can preview your book on different screen types, like phones and tablets. And this gives you an idea of how it will turn out.
KPF also gives you more control compared to uploading a DOCX file, especially if your book has a specific kind of formatting.
Limitations: KPF only works within Amazon’s system. You can’t use it on other platforms, so if you’re publishing elsewhere, you’ll still need EPUB.
Best for: Authors publishing on Amazon KDP who want to have control over how their eBook looks before it goes live.
DOCX (Upload Format)
DOCX is accepted by self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP and Draft2Digital, so you can upload your manuscript directly without converting it yourself. But it’s not really an eBook format.
When you upload a DOCX file, the platform takes that file and converts it into its own eBook format behind the scenes. For example, Amazon converts it for Kindle, while other platforms turn it into EPUB.
Uploading a DOCX file works well for simple manuscripts. But once your book includes things like images or complex formatting, the conversion can get unpredictable.
DOCX is convenient, yes, but it’s not the most reliable option for final publishing. Formats like EPUB or KPF help you have much control over how your eBook actually looks to readers.
Print-Friendly Formats
When you’re preparing your book for print, things need to be exact. Your margins, spacing, and page numbers all have to stay in place, otherwise the final book won’t come out right.
Most writers draft their book in DOCX, then export it as a PDF when they’re ready for print. That’s because PDF keeps everything locked in, so what you see on your screen is exactly what gets printed.
Some self-publishing platforms do accept DOCX files for print, but you’ll usually get better and more predictable results if you upload a properly formatted PDF instead.
DOCX → PDF
Some print-on-demand platforms like Amazon KDP do accept DOCX files, but they usually convert them into PDFs before printing. That’s why many writers choose to upload a PDF themselves instead.
A PDF keeps everything exactly how you set it, including your fonts, margins, spacing, line breaks, and images. What you see on your screen is what gets printed.
If you upload a DOCX file, the platform handles the conversion for you, but that process can sometimes shift things slightly. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, it can affect how your book looks in print.
Some writers use DOCX without any issues. But if you want to avoid any surprises, exporting your file to PDF first is the safer option.
PDF is what you’ll use for your final print file. As mentioned earlier, it keeps everything exactly how you designed it.
What you see on your screen is what gets printed, which is why it’s the standard for print publishing.
Tip: Always order a printed proof copy before approving your book for print. Something that looks fine on screen can still shift slightly once it’s on paper.
How to Choose the Right Format for Your Book
So how do you actually decide?
For drafting, DOCX is the easiest place to start. It’s flexible, easy to edit, and works with pretty much every writing tool.
For editing and collaboration, DOCX still works best. You and your editor can open the same document, make changes, leave comments, and even work on it at the same time. It keeps everything in one place and makes revisions easier to manage.
For eBooks, EPUB is usually the way to go if you’re publishing on multiple platforms like Apple Books, Kobo, or Google Play. If you’re only publishing on Amazon, then using KPF can give you a bit more control over how your book looks.
For print, you’ll want to finish with a PDF. That way, your spacing, line breaks, and overall layout stay exactly how you set them.
