A short guide to opening your books on whichever device you prefer. Every purchase from DaveArmstrongBooks.store comes with two-files — PDF, EPUB, — so you have a clean copy for any reader you use. This page walks through each one.
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The two-files in your purchase
When you buy a book here, you receive download links for two formats. They contain the same content; they’re just packaged for different reading apps and devices.
PDF — looks exactly the same on every screen, every device. Good when layout matters (charts, footnotes, indented quotations). Works in any web browser, the Adobe Reader app, Apple’s Preview, and every modern phone and tablet. Not the best reading experience on a small phone screen because the page is fixed-size — you’ll be zooming and panning.
EPUB — the standard “reflowable” e-book format. The text resizes to your screen and your font preferences. This is what Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo, Nook, Kindle, and most other e-readers want. If you read on an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, this is usually the best file.
EPUB — Amazon’s Kindle format. Works on Kindle devices and in the Kindle app on phones and computers. We deliver EPUB (the modern Kindle format) rather than the older .azw because EPUB supports better typography. If you read on a Kindle, this is the file you want.
You don’t have to choose one and stick with it. Save all three. Use the one that fits whatever you’re reading on at the moment.
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Which file should I use?
A quick decision shortcut:
- I have a Kindle (any model) or use the Kindle app → EPUB
- I have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac → EPUB (Apple Books)
- I have an Android phone or tablet → EPUB (Google Play Books)
- I have a Kobo, Nook, or other e-reader → EPUB
- I want to read on my laptop or desktop computer in a regular app → PDF (any browser, Adobe Reader) or EPUB (Calibre, Apple Books on Mac)
- I want to print parts of the book or work with footnotes / page numbers → PDF
- I just want the simplest, “it works everywhere” option → PDF
The PDF is the universal fallback. If a reader app refuses an EPUB or EPUB for any reason, the PDF will always open.
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Reading on a Kindle device (Paperwhite, Oasis, Scribe, Basic Kindle)
You’ll use the EPUB file.
Easiest method — email to your Kindle:
1. Find your Kindle’s “Send to Kindle” email address. It’s in Amazon → Account → Manage Your Content and Devices → Preferences → Personal Document Settings, and it looks like yourname_12345@kindle.com. 2. From the email account on file with Amazon, send an email to that address with the EPUB file attached. The subject and body can be anything (or empty). 3. Within a few minutes the book appears in your Kindle’s library, under “Books.” It may show up under “Documents” instead — both work.
Alternative method — USB cable:
1. Plug your Kindle into your computer with a USB cable. It mounts like a USB drive. 2. Open the Kindle drive. You’ll see folders including documents and books. 3. Drag the EPUB file into the documents folder. 4. Eject the Kindle and unplug. 5. The book appears in your library.
If you have any trouble with EPUB, you can email the EPUB to your kindle.com address instead — Amazon will auto-convert it. The EPUB is usually cleaner.
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Reading on the Kindle app (iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows)
You’ll use the EPUB file.
Easiest method — Send to Kindle:
1. Go to www.amazon.com/sendtokindle in your browser 2. Sign in with the same Amazon account your Kindle app uses 3. Drag the EPUB file onto the upload area, or click “Choose files” and pick it 4. Pick which device(s) to deliver to — the app or your Kindle, your choice 5. The book appears in the Kindle app’s library within a few minutes
On iPhone or iPad specifically:
You can also just open the EPUB file from your email or Files app and choose “Open in Kindle.” iOS will hand the file directly to the Kindle app.
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Reading on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac (Apple Books)
You’ll use the EPUB file.
On iPhone or iPad:
1. Open your email and tap the EPUB attachment, or open the file from Files 2. Tap the Share icon (the box with an arrow pointing up) 3. Tap “Copy to Books” — the book opens in the Apple Books app and stays in your library 4. You can also drag the EPUB into the Files app under “On My iPhone → Books” and it appears in Apple Books
On Mac:
1. Double-click the EPUB file in Finder 2. It opens directly in Apple Books and is added to your library 3. iCloud sync will then push it to your iPhone/iPad automatically if you have Apple Books sync turned on
The PDF version also opens cleanly in Apple Books if you prefer fixed pagination.
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Reading on Android (Google Play Books)
You’ll use the EPUB file.
1. Open the Google Play Books app on your Android device (install it from the Play Store if needed — it’s free) 2. Tap the Library tab at the bottom 3. Tap the three-dot menu → “Upload files” 4. Select the EPUB file from your downloads or files 5. The book uploads to your Google Play Books library and appears in “My books” 6. Once uploaded, it syncs across every device where you’re signed into the same Google account
You can also email yourself the EPUB and open it from the Gmail app — Android will offer “Open with Play Books” as a choice.
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Reading on Kobo, Nook, or other e-readers
You’ll use the EPUB file.
Each device’s exact method varies, but the pattern is the same:
1. Plug the e-reader into your computer with a USB cable 2. Open the reader’s mounted drive 3. Drag the EPUB into the device’s main book folder (often called books or My Books) 4. Safely eject and unplug 5. The book appears in your library
Most modern e-readers also offer an email-based “send to my reader” option similar to Kindle’s — check your device’s settings if you’d rather not use a cable.
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Reading on a Windows PC or Mac (the universal app: Calibre)
If you want one app on your computer that handles every format and lets you organize a growing library, install Calibre. It’s free and trusted.
1. Download and install Calibre from calibre-ebook.com 2. Open Calibre and click “Add books” — point at the EPUB (or any of the two-files) 3. The book appears in your Calibre library 4. Double-click to read in Calibre’s built-in viewer 5. You can also use Calibre to convert any of your files into other formats, or send them directly to a connected e-reader
Calibre is also the easiest way to convert an EPUB to EPUB (or vice versa) if you ever need to, and it handles thousands of books without slowing down.
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Reading on any device (the PDF option)
PDF is the universal escape hatch. If anything else fails, the PDF will open.
- iPhone/iPad: opens directly in Files, Mail, or any browser. Tap, read.
- Android: opens in Drive, Chrome, or any PDF app
- Mac: double-click → opens in Preview
- Windows: opens in Edge, Chrome, or Adobe Reader
- Kindle: you can sideload PDFs the same way as EPUB (email or USB) — the reading experience is rougher than EPUB (no reflow) but it works
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Troubleshooting
“My Kindle won’t accept the EPUB file.” Email it to your kindle.com address instead of sideloading. Amazon’s servers will accept and re-deliver it. If you’re not sure of your kindle.com address, find it under Account → Content & Devices → Preferences.
“Apple Books shows the book but the cover is blank.” The cover is embedded in the file but Apple sometimes needs a restart of the app to render it. Close Apple Books fully and reopen — the cover will appear.
“I downloaded all two-files but they all look the same — I can’t tell which is which.” File extensions tell you: .pdf is the PDF, .epub is the EPUB. On a phone you may not see extensions by default — check the file’s “Get Info” / “Properties” / “Details” to see the type.
“I lost my download links.” Sign in to your account on DaveArmstrongBooks.store and visit My Account → Downloads. Every book you’ve purchased is there with fresh links any time you need them.
“The download link says ‘expired.'” Download links expire 30 days after purchase for security. Sign in to your account and re-download from My Account → Downloads — it’ll generate a fresh link.
“It won’t open at all.” Try opening it on a different device first, to isolate whether the file is the problem or the app is. If the file is corrupted, email service@davearmstrongbooks.store (or whatever support address gets configured) with your order number and we’ll re-send.
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A note on sharing
We deliver these files DRM-free as a sign of trust in our readers. They belong to you — keep them, back them up, read them on any device you own, for as long as you want. We ask that you don’t redistribute the files publicly or post them online. Sharing a book file with a friend is one thing; uploading it to a forum is another. Dave’s livelihood depends on the small per-sale margin, so the honor system is what makes this possible.
If you’ve genuinely enjoyed a book and want to support the work, the simplest thing is to send a friend our way — they’ll thank you, and so will Dave.
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Need more help?
If anything in this guide didn’t work for you, write to service@davearmstrongbooks.store with your order number and the device or app you’re trying to use. We answer every email — usually within a business day.
Thanks for reading, The DaveArmstrongBooks.store team