Articles on: Errors & Troubleshooting

What should I do if my book preview or formatting looks wrong?

What should I do if my book preview or formatting looks wrong?

If your book preview or formatting does not look right, the issue may be related to spacing, chapter structure, page breaks, text formatting, images, or book settings. Before submitting your book for review, check the preview or finished file carefully and correct any issues you notice.


When can I use the preview?

The preview option is available for manuscripts that are editable inside Creator Studio. This includes:

  • Books started from scratch in Creator Studio
  • Word documents imported into Creator Studio
  • PDFs imported into Creator Studio

You can use the preview to check how your book may appear before submitting it for publication. The design you see in the preview is the design that ends up in your downloaded file, across EPUB, paperback PDF, and hardcover. The preview can help you identify issues such as:

  • Incorrect spacing
  • Misaligned text
  • Missing page breaks
  • Chapters starting in the wrong place
  • Drop caps, ornamental breaks, or chapter title styles appearing incorrectly
  • Images or decorative elements displaying incorrectly
  • Text that looks too large or too small
  • Inconsistent formatting
  • Unexpected blank pages or sections


What should I check first?

If the preview looks wrong, return to Creator Studio and review the affected section. Check that:

  • Chapters are in the correct order
  • Chapter titles are formatted consistently, using the style and alignment you intended
  • Paragraph spacing looks clean
  • Page breaks are placed where needed
  • Text alignment is correct
  • Images are inserted and positioned correctly
  • Drop caps and ornamental breaks appear as expected — ornamental breaks are always centred
  • The manuscript does not contain accidental blank spaces or empty sections

After making changes, open the preview again to check the result.


Check your formatting settings

Some display issues may be caused by the book's formatting settings. Review options such as:

  • Font style — you can use any Google Font, which is embedded in your downloaded file
  • Drop caps
  • Ornamental breaks
  • Chapter title style — plain, numbered ("1."), Roman numerals, or "Chapter 1: …"
  • Chapter title alignment — left, centre, or right
  • Parts and continuous chapter numbering, if your book uses parts
  • Page numbers
  • Page number alignment

After updating the settings, generate or reopen the preview to see how the changes affect the book.


If you imported a Word document

A Word document imported as a .docx file becomes an editable manuscript inside Creator Studio. During the import, PubliWrite attempts to preserve your headings and paragraphs and detect chapters from the document structure. However, complex Word formatting may not transfer exactly as it appeared in the original file. After importing a Word document, check:

  • Whether chapters were detected correctly
  • Heading styles
  • Paragraph spacing
  • Lists
  • Page breaks
  • Images
  • Tables
  • Decorative formatting
  • Other complex layout elements

You can edit the manuscript, rename or reorganize chapters, adjust the formatting, and preview the book again before submitting it.


If you imported a PDF

A PDF imported as a .pdf file also becomes an editable manuscript inside Creator Studio, using the same chapter detection as the Word import. Headings and inline images are brought across and should render in the editor, but some complex PDF layouts may not transfer exactly as they appeared in the original file. After importing a PDF, check:

  • Whether chapters were detected correctly
  • Heading styles
  • Images
  • Paragraph spacing
  • Page breaks
  • Other complex layout elements

You can edit the manuscript, rename or reorganize chapters, adjust the formatting, and preview the book again before submitting it.
If your PDF was scanned or password-protected, it would not have imported in the first place — you would have seen a message explaining what to do instead.


If you uploaded a finished PDF or EPUB

A PDF or EPUB uploaded through I already have a finished file does not open as an editable manuscript in Creator Studio. These files should already be complete and publication-ready before upload. If a finished PDF or EPUB looks wrong:

  1. Open and review the original file on your device.
  2. Make the required changes outside PubliWrite.
  3. Export a new final version.
  4. Upload the corrected file before submitting the book.

For print publication, make sure the PDF also matches the page size, margins, and other print settings selected during publishing.


If images or special elements look wrong

If your book includes images, illustrations, tables, or decorative elements, check that they appear correctly before submitting. Make sure they are:

  • Clear and high quality
  • Placed in the correct section
  • Not cut off or stretched
  • Not too close to the page edge
  • Displayed in the correct order
  • Suitable for the selected digital or print format

For editable Creator Studio manuscripts, adjust the affected elements and preview the book again. For finished PDF or EPUB files, make the corrections in the original document and upload a new version.


What should I do before submitting?

Before submitting your book, make sure that:

  • The preview looks clean and readable if the manuscript is editable in Creator Studio
  • An imported Word document or PDF has been checked after chapter detection
  • The manuscript is complete
  • Chapters and sections are in the correct order
  • Formatting is consistent, including font, drop caps, ornamental breaks, and chapter title style
  • Page breaks appear where needed
  • Images and special elements display correctly
  • A finished PDF or EPUB has been checked outside PubliWrite
  • A print PDF matches the selected print settings
  • You are submitting the correct final version


When should I contact support?

Contact PubliWrite support at info@publiwrite.com if:

  • The preview does not load
  • The preview looks different from Creator Studio and you cannot identify why
  • A formatting issue remains after you try to fix it
  • A Word document or PDF does not import correctly
  • Chapters are missing after import
  • Images or page elements do not display correctly
  • Your downloaded file does not reflect the design you set in the editor
  • You see an error message
  • You are unsure whether the issue will affect publication

In your message, include:

  • Your book title
  • Whether the book was started from scratch, imported from Word or PDF, or uploaded as a finished file
  • A short explanation of the issue
  • Where the issue appears
  • Screenshots of the preview and Creator Studio, where applicable
  • The browser and device you are using


Important note

Do not submit your book if the preview or finished file clearly shows formatting problems. Books with visible formatting issues may be returned with feedback during the review process.


Updated on: 29/07/2026

Was this article helpful?

Share your feedback

Cancel

Thank you!