Download Your Book: PDF, Word, and ePub Explained (and Which One You Need)
Three formats, three purposes. Which gets you onto Amazon, which gets you to a print shop, and which keeps you future-proof.
Download your book
Finished book, three formats, three different jobs. Here's the map.
PDF — print and share
The PDF is the print-ready file: your chosen page size, real margins, chapter design, cover if you included one. This is what a print shop wants, what Amazon's paperback publishing flow accepts, and what you send when someone asks to see 'the book'. If you'll ever hold your book in your hands, the PDF is the format that gets you there.
Word (DOCX) — the editable copy
The Word export keeps the full text in an editable document with the structure preserved — headings, chapter breaks, front matter. This is for humans who want to keep working: your editor, a collaborator, or future you making hand-changes outside Manuskripta. Also useful for platforms that want to ingest a Word manuscript instead of a PDF.
ePub — digital stores and e-readers
The ePub is the digital-native version: the text reflows to whatever screen it's on, so it reads well on a Kindle, an iPhone, in an ereader app, or whatever the future brings. If you're publishing to digital stores, this is the format they want for ebooks.
Which format for which store
| Goal | Use this format |
|---|---|
| Print a paperback at home or with a print shop | |
| Amazon Paperback (KDP) | PDF (their paperback flow takes PDF-ready covers + interior) |
| Amazon Kindle / other ebook stores | ePub |
| Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books | ePub |
| Send to an editor or collaborator | Word (DOCX) |
| Building a book around your courses or coaching | PDF for the printed workbook, ePub for readers on their phone |
You don't have to choose just one
Export all three if you like. The formats are generated from the same book, so they'll always match: if you fix a chapter in the Editor, every future export — in every format — reflects the fix.
For English and the print-ready languages
PDF comes out print-formatted directly (see Which Languages Can Print?). For the other languages, Word and ePub come out native, and those two carry your book to any print pipeline you like.
Questions? Email us at support@manuskripta.xyz — Not sure which file your store needs? Ask.