You’ve poured your heart into your manuscript. But when you preview the ePub, the formatting is a mess: images overflow, headings vanish from the navigation, and text becomes unreadable on a phone. For self-publishers, ensuring a perfect reading experience across every device is the final, frustrating hurdle.
The core principle for success is device-agnostic styling. Your eBook is not a printed PDF; it’s a reflowable document that must adapt gracefully to screens from a 6-inch e-reader to a 27-inch monitor. AI automation excels at applying and validating the CSS rules that make this possible, but you must guide it with the right framework.
Consider this mini-scenario: You ask an AI, "Format my chapter headings." Without context, it might use fixed px units. But with the principle of device-agnostic styling, you guide it to use relative rem units and semantic HTML tags, ensuring consistency everywhere.
Here is how to implement this with AI assistance:
Command with Semantic Intent. Instead of vague requests, structure your instructions around adaptability. Direct the AI to convert your manuscript using semantic HTML (H1, H2, etc.) and a mobile-first CSS approach that uses relative units like
remandem. Explicitly state that all images must havemax-width: 100%and be wrapped in semantic<figure>tags.Automate Rigorous Validation. Use AI to audit the generated code against key reflow criteria. This includes checking that the navigation document perfectly mirrors your heading structure, that no styling relies on fixed units or backgrounds for critical info, and that all internal links function. A tool like Reedsy Studio is excellent for instant visual reflow testing, but AI can perform the initial structural validation at scale.
Simulate Multi-Device Testing. AI can help script checks for common reflow pitfalls. Prompt it to identify potential issues like floated images disrupting following chapter headings or drop-cap styling causing indentation problems. Ultimately, you must still perform physical tests by sending the file to actual devices like a Kindle or opening it in Apple Books, as this is the only way to confirm the real-world experience.
In summary, leverage AI not as a magic formatter, but as a precision tool for applying device-agnostic CSS rules and validating structural integrity. You provide the strategic principle—creating a single, flexible layout—and AI executes the repetitive code generation and checks. The result is an ePub that maintains excellence, no matter where it’s opened.
