Markdown → FB2
Converting a novel from Markdown (.md) 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 Markdown and FictionBook are structurally close, so there is not much to lose. Below we explain in detail how Markdown 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 Markdown?
Markdown is plain text plus markers (# headings, ** bold, | tables) — effectively a superset of .txt. Any text editor opens it, and it versions cleanly in Git. Its expressiveness is deliberately limited: no pagination, no headers or footers, no precise control over type size or position, and no complex layouts. Those trade-offs make Markdown an excellent authoring and conversion source, but as a final reading format its experience depends entirely on which app opens it. Read the Markdown format guide
| Extensions | .md |
|---|---|
| Typical use | Authoring, notes and technical docs; a clean intermediate format before converting to EPUB or TXT. |
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 Markdown to FB2
Markdown is plain text carrying almost no structure beyond heading levels: no pagination, no headers or footers, no way to express precise type size or position, and limited tables and nested lists. Before converting to a layout-sensitive format, check the source does not rely on those.
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.
The source carries no metadata at all — plain-text formats such as TXT and Markdown are the classic case — while the target expects a title and author. Converters fall back to the filename, so libraries fill up with "Untitled" or titles still carrying the .txt or .md suffix — fill them in during conversion.
Chapter headings in the source are ordinary lines while the target demands a real table of contents. Converters try to match patterns such as "Chapter N"; when the match is poor the TOC is garbled or the book has a single chapter. Check that TOC entries match the actual chapter count.
Convert Markdown to FB2
MARKDOWN → 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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