Back in the day, Amazon seemed completely against the EPUB format. You couldn’t upload an EPUB book to Amazon KDP, and you couldn’t side-load an EPUB either. Instead, you had to convert the EPUB to MOBI, then use that file to upload to Kindle.
But after a series of changes and announcements, the MOBI file is essentially dead, and Amazon has embraced the EPUB file like every other ebook retailer out there. Kindle devices did not support EPUB files until recently, making the term ‘kindle epub' relevant for those looking to transfer EPUB eBooks to their Kindle.
Now that the EPUB is readily available to Kindle readers, how can you add the EPUB to your specific Kindle device? Because this is something you might need to do if you have received a free ebook from an author, or an advanced reader copy (ARC).
BEWARE: In order for your ePub to be accepted and work on a Kindle, you need to ensure your ebook was properly formatted with the correct front loading capability and new Amazon specifications. Using a book formatting tool like Atticus.io your book should be fine. However, using one of the online converters, or other formatting programs that doesn't comply with Amazon's new requirements will cause problems.
Let us dive into each of these individually.
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The first method to upload your EPUB file to your Kindle, is to email it to your Kindle device. Since Kindle devices do not support EPUB files directly, you need to convert EPUB to Kindle-compatible formats like MOBI.
This method may seem a little complicated at first, but don’t worry, it gets easier every time you do it.
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Every Kindle device that you have is automatically assigned an email. So before you can send an EPUB to that email address, you need to find it and authorize your main email address (the one you use for day-to-day interactions) to send it books. The ‘Send to Kindle' service makes it convenient to transfer files and ebooks from various sources to your Kindle device.
To do this, follow these steps:
Next, we need to make sure your main email, the one you normally use, is authorized to send emails to this @kindle.com address. To do this, follow these steps:
If you own a PC or a Mac, you can download the “Send to Kindle” desktop application for your computer.
This application makes it extremely simple to upload ebooks to your Kindle.
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After you have installed the application, it will ask you to link it with your account. Simply follow the prompts that they give you, and within seconds you can link your account.
Once your account is linked, you simply drag and drop the ebook file to the send to Kindle app. And voilà, your ebook will soon be available on your Kindle.
This is by far the easiest method to upload an ebook to your Kindle. Other compatible file types include:
One last way to add an ebook file to your Kindle device is through a mobile device. The Kindle app is compatible with various Kindle devices, making it easy to access your files. For example, if an ebook is emailed to you, or you use a service like BookFunnel or StoryOrigin to deliver these files to your phone, you might want to use this method.
Start with these steps:
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This system is overly complicated, can vary from one device to the next, and is overall a pain to do. That is why we recommend one of the above two methods instead. Even when using a mobile device, it is easier to use Method #1 and send the EPUB via your phone’s email app.
If you are sending an EPUB file to your Kindle device, right now we recommend using “Send to Kindle”. The desktop app makes things super simple. There are also free services available for converting and sending EPUB files to Kindle devices.
If that doesn’t work for whatever reason, or you’re using a phone, we would recommend emailing the ebook file to your Kindle email in order to side-load your EPUB file to your Kindle device.
Easy to use, and and full of amazing features, you can quickly turn your book into a professional book.
When I am not fighting dragons or chasing the bogey man out of my kids' closet, I like using my previous Online Optimization skills to help other authors with the 'technical' stuff and get the right authors to the top of Amazon and any other eBook service out there.
Posted in Book Formatting Tagged Formatting
Hi, I'm Dave Chesson
When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.
