The Repeatable Publishing Checklist: From Manuscript Cleanup to Apple Books and Kobo Upload

Publishing an ebook is not a single action; it is a sequence of small, verifiable steps. Miss one and you risk a rejected upload, a broken table of contents, or a book that looks unprofessional on a reader’s device. This guide gives you a repeatable checklist that starts with a raw manuscript and ends with a live listing on Apple Books and Kobo. It is written for self-published authors and small publishers who want a process they can run for every book, not a one-off hack.

The checklist assumes you are producing a reflowable EPUB 3 file, which is the most common format for novels and narrative nonfiction. If you are producing fixed-layout or heavily illustrated books, some steps will differ, but the overall sequence still applies. Always verify current retailer requirements in the official Apple Books and Kobo documentation before you upload, because file specifications and metadata fields can change.

1. Manuscript cleanup: start from a single source of truth

Before you touch any conversion tool, clean your manuscript in your word processor. The goal is to remove formatting that does not belong in an ebook and to apply consistent styles that will map cleanly to HTML.

Accept all tracked changes and turn off track changes. A manuscript with unresolved changes can produce duplicate or missing text in the EPUB.
Remove comments and annotations. These are not part of the reading experience and may leak into conversion.
Use built-in heading styles for chapter titles. Apply Heading 1 to chapter titles and Heading 2 to section titles. Do not fake headings with bold or larger font sizes.
Use paragraph styles for body text and block quotes. Avoid manual line breaks (Shift+Enter) to create spacing; use paragraph spacing instead.
Replace tabs with spaces or proper indents. Tabs can become unpredictable whitespace in EPUB.
Check for smart quotes and special characters. Most EPUB readers handle Unicode fine, but verify that em dashes, ellipses, and non-breaking spaces survived conversion.
Remove manual page numbers, headers, and footers. These are print artifacts and will interrupt reflowable text.
Consolidate footnotes. Decide whether they will be inline, endnotes, or linked pop-ups. Linked footnotes require unique IDs; note that your conversion tool may handle this automatically.

A practical threshold: if your manuscript has more than a handful of direct formatting overrides (bold, italic, font size applied manually), fix them with styles before conversion. As a rule of thumb, every manually formatted element is a potential inconsistency across devices.

2. Structural review: chapters, front matter, and back matter

Your EPUB’s navigation is only as good as your manuscript’s structure. Before conversion, confirm the following:

Every chapter starts with a Heading 1. If a chapter begins with a decorative image and no heading, add a hidden or visible heading so the navigation document can reference it.
Front matter is ordered correctly. Title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, and then the first chapter. Decide whether you want a visible table of contents page in addition to the EPUB navigation document.
Back matter is complete. Acknowledgments, author bio, also-by page, and a link to your newsletter or website. Use full URLs in text if you want readers to be able to copy them.
Part dividers are consistent. If you use part titles, apply Heading 1 to the part and Heading 2 to chapters within the part, or use a separate section break.

At this stage, write down the exact chapter titles as they should appear in the table of contents. You will use this list to verify the generated navigation later.

3. Conversion: DOCX to EPUB with controlled settings

Most authors convert from DOCX to EPUB using a tool such as EpubBit, Calibre, or a word processor’s export feature. The key is to use a conversion profile that preserves your heading structure and does not add unwanted styling.

Save a clean copy of your manuscript as a separate file, for example book-title_clean.docx. Never convert your working master.
Choose EPUB 3 as the output format. EPUB 3 is the current standard and is accepted by Apple Books and Kobo. EPUB 2 is legacy; use it only if a specific retailer requires it, and verify that requirement in official documentation.
Set the language metadata correctly. Use a BCP 47 language tag such as en-US or en-GB. This affects hyphenation, screen reader pronunciation, and dictionary lookup.
Map styles deliberately. If your conversion tool offers a style mapping step, map Heading 1 to h1, Heading 2 to h2, body text to p, and block quotes to blockquote. Avoid mapping to inline styles.
Disable automatic cover generation if you plan to supply a separate cover image. You will add the cover in the next step.
Generate the EPUB and save it with a versioned filename such as book-title_v1.epub. Versioning prevents you from uploading the wrong file later.

If you use EpubBit for conversion, it can handle the DOCX-to-EPUB step while preserving your heading hierarchy. Treat the output as a draft until you have validated it.

4. Cover engineering: dimensions, ratio, and file weight

Your cover is the first thing readers see, and it is also a technical file that must meet retailer specifications. Apple Books and Kobo both publish cover requirements, and these can change. Always check the current official documentation for minimum and maximum dimensions, aspect ratio, and file size.

As a working example, a common recommendation for ebook covers is a height-to-width ratio of 1.5:1 (for example, 1600 pixels wide by 2400 pixels tall). A 1600×2400 cover at 72–150 pixels per inch is usually sufficient for on-screen display. File size limits vary; a JPEG under 2 MB is a safe starting point, but confirm the current limit for each retailer.

Use RGB color, not CMYK. Ebook covers are displayed on screens.
Embed the cover as a JPEG or PNG. JPEG is typically smaller for photographic covers; PNG is better for flat graphics with text.
Check text legibility at thumbnail size. View your cover at 200 pixels wide. If the title is unreadable, simplify it.
Name the file clearly such as book-title_cover.jpg and keep a master copy at higher resolution.

In the EPUB itself, the cover image should be declared in the package document with the cover-image property. Many conversion tools add this automatically, but you should verify it during validation.

5. Metadata: the fields that control discovery and display

Metadata is not busywork; it determines how your book appears in search results and on retailer pages. At minimum, verify the following fields in your EPUB’s package document or in the retailer’s upload form:

Title and subtitle. Use the exact title as it should appear. Avoid all caps unless it is part of the brand.
Creator (author name). Use the name readers will search for. For multiple authors, list them in the correct order.
Language. Use a valid BCP 47 tag.
Identifier. An ISBN is recommended for distribution, but Apple Books and Kobo may allow uploads without one. If you use an ISBN, ensure it is the correct edition. Do not reuse an ISBN from a print edition for a digital file unless it is the same edition.
Publisher. Your imprint or author name.
Publication date. Use ISO 8601 format, for example 2025-04-15.
Subjects (BISAC or retailer categories). Choose the most specific categories that fit. You can usually select up to three.
Series metadata. If the book is part of a series, include the series name and the volume number. Some retailers use this to group books.
Description. A concise blurb, typically 200–500 words. Avoid HTML unless the retailer explicitly supports it.

A useful check: search for your book title and author name on a retailer’s store. If your metadata is correct, the book should be findable by both. If not, revisit the fields above.

6. Validation: catch errors before the retailer does

Validation is the step most authors skip, and it is the step that saves the most time. Use EPUBCheck, the official conformance checker for EPUB, to validate your file. You can run it as a command-line tool or through a graphical interface.

Run EPUBCheck on your EPUB. Aim for zero errors and zero warnings. Warnings often indicate accessibility or metadata issues that can affect retailer acceptance.
Check the navigation document. Open the EPUB in a reader such as Apple Books or Calibre and verify that the table of contents matches your chapter list. Every chapter should be reachable.
Check internal links. Footnotes, cross-references, and the table of contents should jump to the correct location. Broken links are a common cause of rejection.
Check the cover. The cover should display as the first page and as the thumbnail in the library view.
Check reading order. Use a reader’s table of contents or spine view to confirm that pages appear in the intended order.
Check for missing images or fonts. If you embedded fonts, verify they are licensed for embedding and that they render correctly. If you did not embed fonts, confirm that the book uses a generic font family.

If EPUBCheck reports errors, fix them in the source manuscript or in the EPUB’s XHTML and repackage. EpubBit includes validation features that can help you identify and resolve common issues before you upload. Do not proceed to upload until the file passes validation.

7. Device testing: simulate the reader experience

Retailers review files, but readers experience them on devices. Test your EPUB on at least three environments: a phone-sized screen, a tablet, and a desktop reader. If you have access to an e-ink device, test there too.

Change the font size to the largest and smallest settings. Check for clipped text, overlapping elements, or broken line breaks.
Switch between light and dark modes if the reader supports it. Ensure text remains readable and images do not disappear.
Test navigation by using the table of contents to jump to the last chapter and back to the first.
Test links by tapping a footnote and returning to the reference.
Check page breaks around chapter headings. A heading should not be stranded at the bottom of a screen.

Record any issues in a simple list with the device and setting used. Fix them in the source and regenerate the EPUB. This iterative loop is normal; plan for at least two rounds of testing.

8. Upload to Apple Books: step-by-step checks

Apple Books distribution is typically handled through Apple’s publishing portal or a distributor. The exact interface may change, so treat these as checks rather than click-by-click instructions.

Confirm your account and tax information are complete. Incomplete account details can delay or block publication.
Prepare your files: the validated EPUB, the cover image, and a plain-text or DOCX version of your book description.
Enter metadata exactly as it appears in your EPUB. Mismatches between the EPUB metadata and the upload form can cause display issues.
Set the price and territories. Decide whether you want global distribution or specific markets. Check currency conversion and tax settings.
Upload the EPUB and cover. Wait for the system to process the files. If it reports an error, read the message carefully; it often points to a specific validation issue.
Preview the book in the provided viewer. Check the cover, table of contents, and a sample chapter.
Submit for review. After approval, verify the live listing on the store: title, author, cover, description, and sample download.

Apple’s requirements for EPUB files, cover images, and metadata are documented in its official support pages. Verify the current specifications before upload, especially if you are using fixed-layout or multimedia content.

9. Upload to Kobo: step-by-step checks

Kobo Writing Life is the direct publishing platform for Kobo. As with Apple, the interface and requirements can change, so confirm details in Kobo’s official documentation.

Complete your account and payment settings. Kobo requires tax and payment information before books go live.
Create a new ebook record and enter your title, author, series, and description.
Select categories and keywords. Choose the most relevant categories and add a few descriptive keywords that readers might search for.
Upload your EPUB and cover. Kobo may run its own validation. If it flags an issue, fix the source file rather than trying to patch the uploaded file.
Set pricing and territories. Kobo supports multiple currencies and offers pricing tools. Check the converted prices in each market.
Preview the book using Kobo’s previewer. Check the cover, navigation, and sample.
Publish and verify. After the book goes live, search for it on Kobo and download a sample to confirm the reading experience.

Kobo also offers a KEPUB format for its devices, which adds features such as page-turn animations and reading statistics. If you upload a standard EPUB, Kobo may convert it automatically. If you need KEPUB-specific features, check Kobo’s current guidance before converting.

10. Post-upload verification and version control

Publication is not the end of the process. Create a simple release record for each book:

File names and versions of the EPUB, cover, and manuscript.
Validation report showing zero errors.
Upload dates and retailer confirmation numbers.
Live URLs for each retailer.
Notes on any device-specific issues and how they were resolved.

If you need to update the book, increment the version number, re-run validation, and re-upload. Keep the previous version archived in case you need to roll back. This record becomes your repeatable checklist for the next book.

Conclusion

A repeatable publishing checklist turns a stressful launch into a controlled process. Clean the manuscript, verify the structure, convert with deliberate settings, engineer the cover, complete the metadata, validate with EPUBCheck, test on devices, and upload with care. Use EpubBit where it fits naturally in conversion and validation, but keep the checklist as your source of truth. Always confirm current Apple Books and Kobo requirements in their official documentation, and keep a release record for every version. Do this consistently, and you will spend less time fixing uploads and more time writing your next book.