How to Fix Google Docs Formatting Before Converting to EPUB

Google Docs is great for writing. It's free, cloud-based, auto-saves, and works anywhere.

But when it's time to convert to EPUB, Google Docs becomes a nightmare. Why? Invisible formatting that breaks during conversion.

Your italics disappear. Scene breaks vanish. Smart quotes turn into gibberish. Spacing goes haywire.

Let's fix that.

The Problem with Google Docs → EPUB

What Goes Wrong:

• Italics disappear or turn into underlines
• Scene breaks vanish (*** becomes plain text)
• Extra spaces appear between paragraphs
• Fonts change randomly mid-chapter
• Smart quotes turn into “ gibberish
• Indentation disappears or applies inconsistently

Why This Happens:

Google Docs uses messy HTML designed for web browsers—not e-readers. When you export, conversion tools try to clean it up. Sometimes it works. Often it doesn't.

Step 1: Clean Up Before Export

Fix 1: Remove Direct Formatting

Google Docs lets you format three ways:

• Styles (Heading 1, Normal Text) — Good for EPUB
• Toolbar buttons (Bold, Italic, Font Size) — Can cause problems
• Copy-pasted formatting — Almost always breaks

How to Clean:

1. Select all text (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A)
2. Go to Format → Clear formatting
3. Re-apply formatting using only styles:
   • Chapter titles: Heading 1
   • Scene breaks: Normal text with center alignment
   • Body paragraphs: Normal text

Pro Tip: Re-apply italics manually after clearing formatting to remove hidden artifacts.

Fix 2: Use Styles for Chapter Titles

The Wrong Way: Typing "Chapter 1" and making it bold, 18pt manually

The Right Way: Typing "Chapter 1" and applying Heading 1 style

Why It Matters: EPUB converters recognize styles. They don't reliably recognize manually applied fonts. Using Heading 1 creates a proper clickable Table of Contents.

Fix 3: Fix Scene Breaks

The Problem: You typed * * * for scene breaks. When you convert, they either:

• Disappear entirely
• Show as plain text (not centered)
• Get squeezed onto surrounding text

The Fix:

1. Select your scene break
2. Go to Format → Align & indent → Center
3. (Optional) Replace with decorative symbol: ☙ ❦ ⁂

Pro Tip: Use the same ornament throughout for consistency.

Fix 4: Remove Extra Spaces

Google Docs users often add extra line breaks for visual spacing. This breaks in EPUB.

Common Mistakes:

• Double spaces between sentences
• Multiple line breaks between paragraphs
• Spaces before/after scene breaks

How to Fix:

1. Use Find & Replace (Ctrl+H or Cmd+Shift+H)
2. Find: (two spaces) → Replace: (one space)
3. Find: \n\n\n (three line breaks) → Replace: \n\n (two)

Pro Tip: Repeat until "Find" returns zero results.

Fix 5: Check Smart Quotes

The Problem: Google Docs auto-converts straight quotes (") into smart quotes (""). When you export, these sometimes turn into “ on Kindle.

The Fix:

1. Go to Tools → Preferences
2. Uncheck "Use smart quotes"
3. Use Find & Replace to convert existing smart quotes (if needed)

Alternative: Keep smart quotes if your EPUB converter handles UTF-8 correctly. Most professional formatters do this automatically.

Step 2: Export the Right Way

Option 1: Export as .DOCX (Recommended)

Why: Most EPUB converters (Calibre, Vellum, Atticus) work better with .docx than direct Google Docs export.

How:

1. Go to File → Download → Microsoft Word (.docx)
2. Save to your computer

Then Convert:

• Use Calibre (free) or professional software
• Or hire a formatter to convert it

Option 2: Export as EPUB Directly

Why: Google Docs can export directly to EPUB.

The Problem: Google's EPUB export is... not great. It often:

• Ignores styles
• Breaks scene breaks
• Adds weird spacing

When to Use It:

• For very simple manuscripts (no scene breaks, minimal formatting)
• As a quick preview (not for final publication)

How:

1. Go to File → Download → EPUB Publication (.epub)
2. Test in Calibre or Kindle Previewer
3. Expect to manually fix issues

Step 3: Common Conversion Errors

Error 1: Chapter Titles Not in Table of Contents

Cause: You used manual formatting (bold, large font) instead of Heading 1.

Fix:

1. Go back to Google Docs
2. Apply Heading 1 to all chapter titles
3. Re-export and convert

Error 2: Italics Disappear

Cause: Converter didn't recognize Google Docs' italic formatting.

Fix:

1. Open EPUB in Calibre
2. Go to Edit book → Search & Replace
3. Find italicized text and manually re-apply <em> tags

Pro Tip: This is tedious. If you have lots of italics, hire a formatter.

Error 3: Scene Breaks Vanish

Cause: Converter didn't recognize scene break as formatting element.

Fix:

1. Open EPUB in Calibre
2. Manually add: <p style="text-align: center;">☙</p>

Better Fix: Use a professional formatter who handles scene breaks automatically.

Error 4: Random Font Changes

Cause: You copy-pasted from another source (website, email, PDF) bringing hidden formatting.

Fix:

1. In Google Docs, select all (Ctrl+A)
2. Go to Format → Clear formatting
3. Re-apply styles
4. Re-export

Why Google Docs → EPUB Is So Hard

The Root Problem: Google Docs wasn't designed for book publishing. It was designed for documents—reports, essays, letters.

It doesn't have:

• Proper paragraph indentation controls
• Scene break formatting
• Chapter break controls
• Table of Contents automation

The Result: Every converter tries to guess what you meant. Sometimes it works. Often it doesn't.

The Easiest Fix: Skip Google Docs Entirely

If you're starting a new book: Consider writing in software designed for authors:

• Scrivener (full-featured with EPUB export)
• Atticus (writing + formatting in one)
• Vellum (formatting-only, excellent output)

If you've already written in Google Docs:

• Export as .docx
• Hire a professional formatter
• Focus on writing your next book

The Bottom Line

Google Docs is great for writing. It's terrible for EPUB conversion.

To maximize chances of clean conversion:

1. Use styles (Heading 1, Normal Text) instead of manual formatting
2. Remove extra spaces and line breaks
3. Fix scene breaks (center-aligned ornaments)
4. Export as .docx (not direct EPUB)
5. Use proper conversion software

If you're stuck: Stop wasting time. Hire a professional.

Cost: $99-219 for most novels

Time saved: 10-20 hours of troubleshooting

If you're ready to outsource this, review my ebook formatting pricing and FAQ answers before sending your manuscript.