Distributing illustrated books can be tricky. Actually, distributing any fixed layout book can be tricky, especially on Kindles and in the Kindle app.
PDFs: The Perfect Format for Illustrated Books
Your illustrated (or fixed layout) book is guaranteed to look its Sunday-best to readers if you distribute it in PDF. PDFs are designed for fixed layouts, so the format is perfect for illustrated books.
If you want to also distribute an EPUB and MOBI file alongside your PDF, there are a few things you need to know so that your readers never download a broken book.
Illustrated EPUBs
Fixed layout EPUB files aren’t usually a problem for readers. Most EPUB devices and reading apps will display your book’s formatting correctly.
Always upload a MOBI and EPUB file. Don’t upload one format and then wait for our automatic compiler to create the other file for you. Our compiler can’t convert a fixed layout file.
If you can’t upload both a MOBI and EPUB, it is better to upload only a PDF. Readers will always see your beautiful book as you designed it when you distribute a PDF.
Illustrated MOBI Files
Since 2022, Amazon accepts EPUB for Send to Kindle. EPUB should always be distributed with fixed-layout ebooks.
If you have a fixed-layout MOBI file, you can upload it to BookFunnel and readers on legacy Kindles can download it. In almost all cases, Kindle readers need an EPUB file.
Broken Formatting in Illustrated Books
The Kindle For iOS app doesn’t support enhanced formatting unless the book was bought in the Kindle store. This means that your illustrated book might look a little off when opened in the iOS Kindle app (using BookFunnel or any other distribution means other than buying in the Kindle store).
This is a limitation in the Kindle for iOS app and there isn’t a way to make your formatting perfect if it doesn’t render perfectly. There are a lot of iOS Kindle readers, so we strongly recommend distributing your book in PDF, as the iOS Kindle app will open a PDF perfectly.
How to Add a PDF
To upload a PDF to a book that you have created on BookFunnel:
- Click Books on your BookFunnel dashboard.
- Click the book title.
- Click the Upload Book Files button to manually locate the PDF on your computer, or simply drag-and-drop your PDF.