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EPUB to Text Converter
Open a DRM-free EPUB and get its plain text in seconds. Pick the chapters you want, check word counts and reading time, choose how headings and paragraphs look, then copy the text or download it as a .txt file or a ZIP with one file per chapter.
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Drop an EPUB book hereDRM-free .epub (EPUB 2 or 3) · converted in your browser
Chapters
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How to use the EPUB to Text Converter
- Open your EPUB: drop it on the box or press Choose EPUB file. A short sample book loads first so you can see how it works.
- Pick chapters in the list on the left; untick the cover, copyright page or anything else you don’t need.
- Set the text options: how chapter titles look, blank lines between paragraphs, line width and line endings.
- Check the numbers: words, characters and estimated reading time update for your selection.
- Copy or download the text as a single .txt file, or as a ZIP with one text file per chapter.
What is inside an EPUB file?
An EPUB is a ZIP archive with a fixed structure. Knowing it explains how the text is found and why some books cannot be converted:
| Part | Path (typical) | What the converter does with it |
|---|---|---|
| mimetype | mimetype | Identifies the ZIP as an EPUB (application/epub+zip). |
| Container | META-INF/container.xml | Points to the package file, wherever the publisher put it. |
| Package (OPF) | OEBPS/content.opf | Reads the title and author, the manifest of files and the spine, the reading order of chapters. |
| Navigation | nav.xhtml (EPUB 3) or toc.ncx (EPUB 2) | Supplies the chapter names shown in the chapter list. |
| Content documents | chapter1.xhtml, … | XHTML pages whose paragraphs, headings, lists and tables become plain text. |
| Encryption info | META-INF/encryption.xml | If content files are encrypted (DRM), extraction is impossible and the tool says so. Obfuscated fonts alone are fine. |
Typical book lengths
Use the word count to compare your book with common publishing categories (rough industry conventions, not strict rules):
| Type | Approximate words | Reading time at 238 wpm |
|---|---|---|
| Short story | 1,000 – 7,500 | 5 – 30 minutes |
| Novelette | 7,500 – 17,500 | 30 – 75 minutes |
| Novella | 17,500 – 40,000 | 1.2 – 2.8 hours |
| Novel | 40,000 – 120,000 | 2.8 – 8.4 hours |
| Epic novel | 120,000+ | 8.4 hours or more |
The 7,500 / 17,500 / 40,000 boundaries follow the categories used by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association for its Nebula Awards.
Tips for clean text
- Listening to a book? Choose “Leave out” for chapter titles if your text-to-speech app reads them twice, and tick “Straighten curly quotes” for older apps.
- Analysing or quoting text? Keep “One per line” paragraphs: each line is then exactly one paragraph, which is easy to process in spreadsheets or scripts.
- Need chapters separately? The ZIP download numbers the files in reading order (01, 02, …) so they sort correctly.
- Respect copyright. Converting a book you own for personal reading or accessibility is common; sharing the text of a copyrighted book is not allowed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an EPUB to a TXT file?
Open the EPUB with this tool, keep the chapters you want ticked and press Download .txt. The file is saved as UTF-8 text named after the book’s title, ready for any text editor, e-reader or text-to-speech app.
Does it work with Kindle or other DRM-protected books?
No. Books with DRM are encrypted, and the tool detects this and tells you. It works with DRM-free EPUBs, such as public-domain books, many independent and publisher DRM-free titles, and books you made yourself. Kindle AZW/KFX files are a different format.
Why are chapter names missing or shown as “Section 3”?
Chapter names come from the book’s table of contents, or from the first heading in each file. If a file has neither, it is labelled by its position. The text itself is still extracted completely.
How is the word count calculated?
Words are runs of letters or digits (apostrophes and hyphens inside words are kept together), and each Chinese, Japanese or Korean character counts as one word. Reading time assumes 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adult non-fiction reported in a 2019 review of 190 studies by Brysbaert.
Are images, footnotes and tables kept?
Images cannot be turned into text and are skipped. Footnotes and endnotes are kept where they appear in the book. Table cells are separated by tabs, list items start with a bullet, and horizontal rules become “* * *”.
Is my book uploaded anywhere?
No. The EPUB is unzipped and read by JavaScript inside your browser; the only download is the open-source JSZip library from a CDN. Your book never leaves your device.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.
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