Turning docx files into ePubs

If we want to create an ePub from an MS Word file, all we need to do is to set up our file as a .docx file. If we want all the bells and whistles in our ePub file, then we need to set up a title page, a table of contents, chapter headings, illustrations, and a reference list or appendices in the .docx file before we begin.

I prefer to use Calibre, a piece of 2006 freeware/shareware created by Kovid Goyal, using Linux OS. I have been using it for years to read my ebooks, and I find it is really easy for reading almost any published format. Even better, Calibre will allow me to convert one format into another, which means if I have a format that doesn't read well on my phone, I can convert it on my PC, copy it across and then be able to read the item on my phone's e-reader.

Our first step is to ensure that Calibre is installed, and that we have the latest version. We set up our Calibre preferences, including setting default upload folders for Calibre files.

Once we are ready, we copy our Word file to be converted into our default upload folder. We open Calibre, and click the "Add Files" button and upload our Word file. Once our file has been uploaded, we select our newly included Word file, and click the Convert button on the toolbar. A dialogue box will appear: simply select the EPUB format. In the Page setup tab, we might want to select an output profile to match our particular e-reader; and in the Heuristic processing tab (in the left-hand icon bar) if we tick "Enable heuristic processing" is ticked our table of contents should link automatically. Most of the rest of the settings we can leave alone.

In a few minutes, we will see that our file now has an EPUB format showing alongside the Word format. Click on the EPUB Format and the ePub format will open. It is that easy.

If any of the layout or flow doesn't work as we expect, we can have a play around with the settings to get our ePub to look just as we want it. The EPUB output left-hand icon may help here: we can edit fonts, layout, styling etc. 

I hope that helps!

Sam