EPUB → FB2
Converting a novel from EPUB (.epub) to FictionBook (.fb2) is a routine step in practice — FB2 is a single XML file holding text, metadata and illustrations together, so nothing goes missing in transit. Fortunately EPUB and FictionBook are structurally close, so there is not much to lose. Below we explain in detail how EPUB becomes FictionBook and what to watch out for, and the page ends with a converter that does the job right in your browser — nothing is uploaded, the file never leaves your machine.
What is EPUB?
EPUB is the most portable e-book format outside the Kindle ecosystem. It is really a ZIP archive holding XHTML content, CSS, images and a manifest that fixes the reading order. Because content and presentation are stored separately, the same file re-lays-out itself for a phone, a tablet or a desktop, and the reader can change the font size at any time. The table of contents, cover, title and author all have standard places, so library software recognises and sorts the book correctly. For text-heavy fiction, EPUB is usually the safest format to distribute and to keep long term. Read the EPUB format guide
| Extensions | .epub |
|---|---|
| Typical use | Mainstream e-book distribution and long-form reading, especially text-heavy books such as novels. |
What is FB2?
FB2 (FictionBook) is an open e-book format based on XML. Text, metadata and illustrations all live in a single file, with images embedded as Base64, so one file distributes completely and you never end up with the text present but the images missing. Its structure is simpler than EPUB and therefore easier for readers to implement, and it is most popular in Russian-speaking regions. The drawback is that it supports almost no complex CSS, so it suits text-plus-illustration books rather than titles that depend on fine layout. Read the FB2 format guide
| Extensions | .fb2 |
|---|---|
| Typical use | Russian-language e-books; single-file distribution where embedded illustrations and full metadata matter. |
How to convert EPUB to FB2
EPUB content is XHTML fragments plus separate CSS. Extraction must follow the OPF manifest's spine for reading order and its toc for navigation. Concatenating files in ZIP name order — the most common mistake when flattening an EPUB to a single TXT — scrambles the chapters.
FB2 requires structured XML body text, Base64-embedded images and metadata inside <description>. It supports almost no CSS, so it suits text-plus-illustration books rather than layout-heavy titles.
Flattening a structured archive into one text file requires ordering chapters by the manifest (spine), not by ZIP entry name. This is the easiest mistake to make and the hardest to notice: the file opens fine, but the chapters are shuffled.
Convert EPUB to FB2
EPUB → FB2
The conversion runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded.
A novel reader that syncs your progress across every platform
Tide Reader opens TXT and EPUB, detects chapters on import, lays the text out the way you like it, and syncs your reading position across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Drop the converted file in and start reading.
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