Reflowable vs Fixed Layout ePub

The format of your eBook will be depend on its content. There are two types of ePub:

ePub 2 (reflowable)

eBooks are digital objects built to be read on different devices, with different sizes and uses. This is why most of them are set to be "reflowable", so that the text moves to adapt to the screen's size and settings.

All novels and fiction books, in general, are created with this approach. They are distributed in the .ePub 2.1 format.

   tip: ePub2 and mobi (for kindle) are equivalent formats created by different companies

ePub 3 (Fixed Layout)

However, some books with may need the text and images to keep to a specific layout, regardless of the screen size. That is the job of the Fixed Layout format - ePub 3.

With this format, the various elements (images, text, quotes, etc..) have a fixed position within each page. They remain in the same position no matter which device is used.

   tip: ePub3FXL, KF8 and iBooks are equivalent formats created by different companies

The evolution of the publishing market and technological advances have helped increase the growth of of the ebook FXL. It is particularly suitable children's books, technical manuals, cookbooks, picture books, guide books, comic books and school books.

N.B. For now, Amazon only accepts eBooks in Fixed Layout formats ( FXL) for the following categories:

1. Children's book
2. Comics
3. School/university books with complex layouts.

If you don't think your book falls into any of these categories, please contact publish@support.com so we can assist you.

What next?

Whichever of the two formats you need, you can create and prepare your eBook using StreetLib Write, our totally free, online tool. Check out our other Help Center articles for more information about the tool and formats.

If you want to a a professional to take care of preparing your book, you can hire our services via StreetLib Edit.