Fixing EPUB Formatting Issues

Common EPUB problems and solutions.

Common EPUB Problems

1. Broken Table of Contents

Symptoms: TOC doesn't appear or links don't work.

• Regenerate TOC in Calibre or your EPUB editor
• Ensure chapter headings use proper HTML heading tags (h1, h2)
• Check that nav.xhtml or toc.ncx file is properly formatted

2. Images Not Displaying

Symptoms: Blank spaces where images should be.

• Verify image files are included in EPUB package
• Check image paths in HTML (should be relative)
• Ensure images are web-compatible formats (JPG, PNG)
• Compress large images (under 5MB each)

3. Font Issues

Symptoms: Text appears in wrong font or missing characters.

• Embed fonts properly in EPUB structure
• Use web-safe fonts as fallbacks
• Check font licensing (must allow embedding)

4. Spacing and Indentation

Symptoms: Inconsistent paragraph spacing, missing indents.

• Use CSS for consistent styling
• Remove hard tabs, use CSS text-indent
• Clear any Word document formatting artifacts

5. Page Breaks in Wrong Places

Symptoms: Chapters break mid-page or don't break.

• Use CSS page-break-before/after properties
• Start each chapter in a new HTML file
• Remove manual page breaks from source document

Validation Tools

• EPUBCheck — Industry standard validator (free, open-source). Must-use before uploading.
• Calibre's Edit Book — Built-in editor with visual preview and "Check Book" function

Testing Your EPUB

Test on multiple devices/apps before uploading:

• Apple Books: Mac or iOS device
• Google Play Books: Android app or web
• Calibre: Desktop e-reader app
• Adobe Digital Editions: Industry standard reader

Getting Professional Help

If you can't fix formatting issues, hire a professional formatter (Reedsy, Fiverr, Upwork) or use formatting software (Vellum, Atticus). Contact support for file review.