Repair, reformat or convert your manuscript?

1. Identify the source and the intended result

Start with the best editable source you actually have, not simply the file that is easiest to find. List the DOCX, EPUB, PDF or project files available, the application that created them and the format your reader or publishing destination needs. A PDF intended for print and a reflowable ebook are different deliverables even when they contain the same words.

Separate defects from design preferences. A contents link that jumps to a missing anchor is a defect. Wanting different chapter ornaments, typography or trim size is a design task. Wanting an EPUB from a DOCX is a format change. Naming the intended result helps you avoid paying for or repeating work that does not address the actual problem.

On small screens, scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

2. Repair when the existing structure is the asset

For an existing DOCX or EPUB, a focused repair can address the supported heading, navigation, internal-link and paragraph-format issues without intentionally redesigning the whole book. Review the issue list and the proposed changes, and preserve intentional structures such as poetry, quotations and scene breaks. A structurally unusual passage is not automatically wrong.

ChapterTidy supports original-format repair for DOCX and EPUB. This is not a promise of pixel-identical layout or a guarantee that every complex object is editable. Its report distinguishes failed checks, passed checks and items that still need review. Open the generated copy in the target application and compare it with the source before replacing a working file.

• DOCX heading, contents and spacing checks
• EPUB contents and navigation repair checks

3. Reformat when you want a new design

Reformatting is appropriate when you want to choose a visual style, build print interiors, change page dimensions or reorganize front matter. Tools such as Atticus and Reedsy Studio organize work around writing or importing content, choosing formatting and exporting new editions. Draft2Digital also provides conversion and distribution workflows. These are broader tasks than correcting an internal link in a file you plan to keep maintaining.

Read the destination tool’s import instructions before preparing the source. For example, Atticus asks for chapter headings to be marked with Heading 1 and rebuilds the contents as part of its workflow. A repaired DOCX contents block is not a guarantee that another tool will preserve that block or its exact formatting on import. Keep the editable source and compare what the new tool produces.

4. Convert when the delivery format must change

Conversion creates a new representation of the book. A DOCX-to-EPUB output must work as a reflowable ebook; it does not need to preserve each printed page, and it should not be judged only by matching page numbers. Conversely, a print PDF needs page-layout review that an EPUB navigation check cannot supply.

After conversion, check chapter order, navigation, paragraph boundaries, emphasis, notes, images and the opening and final text. Test the actual downloaded file rather than a workspace approximation. An output can pass a format validator and still contain a wrong chapter destination or a poor reading layout. If a platform is the destination, follow its current file guidance and preview there too.

• If the destination is KDP, compare the file and previewer results

5. If only a PDF remains, plan for reconstruction

First check whether you still have the editable source or can obtain it from the person who prepared the book. PDF is designed to preserve page appearance, not necessarily to store a clean reading order, paragraph model or editable chapter structure. Microsoft and Calibre both document limits when converting PDFs, especially with complex layouts. A scanned PDF may also require OCR, which introduces another opportunity for text errors.

ChapterTidy can import supported PDFs and produce outputs that require review. Do not treat this as an original-format repair guarantee or a publication-ready conversion service. Compare the reconstructed draft against the PDF chapter by chapter. Give special attention to names, numbers, punctuation, hyphenated line endings, headers and footers, reading order, tables, captions and footnotes. A visually plausible first page does not establish the quality of the rest of the book.

• For selectable text, check that line endings and columns became the intended paragraphs.
• For scanned pages, compare recognized words and numbers with the page image.
• Check that recurring headers or page numbers did not become part of the prose.
• Confirm every chapter, image and note is accounted for, including the final pages.
• Keep review items visible instead of calling an unchecked draft finished.

6. Define what will count as a finished result

Write a short acceptance checklist before exporting: the intended format, the source version, the changes you requested and the checks you will run. For a repair, confirm the targeted defects are fixed and inspect unaffected material. For reformatting, inspect the design throughout the book. For conversion, inspect both content preservation and the behaviour required by the new format.

Keep the original source and the reviewed output as clearly named versions while you work. A successful operation, an available download and a publishing approval are different milestones. ChapterTidy’s own EPUB sample is useful for exploring a navigation-repair workflow, but it is not evidence that an unrelated PDF, DOCX or complex book will pass every check.

Before choosing a tool or uploading a file

Use the workflow that matches the problem rather than the largest feature list. A manual EPUB editor may be appropriate for a specific XHTML or package change; a design tool may be appropriate for a new edition; a focused repair workflow may be appropriate for keeping an existing manuscript usable. None removes the need to inspect the final file.

ChapterTidy uploads manuscripts to its server for processing, retains files for 24 hours by default and offers deletion in the workspace. Start with its included sample if you want to try the interface without sharing a manuscript. Use only material you are authorized to upload, and review the relevant report and target reader before publishing.