Convert FB2 to TEX

Why Convert FB2 to LaTeX TEX?

Converting FB2 ebooks to LaTeX TEX format is ideal when you want to repurpose fiction content for academic publishing, create professionally typeset books, or prepare manuscripts for scientific journals. LaTeX provides superior typesetting quality and precise control over document layout, making it the gold standard for technical and academic publications.

FB2 (FictionBook 2) is an XML-based ebook format extremely popular in Russia and Eastern Europe. It excels at storing fiction with rich metadata including author information, cover images, annotations, and structured chapters. However, FB2 is designed primarily for digital reading rather than professional print production or academic publishing.

LaTeX offers unparalleled typographic quality and is the de facto standard in scientific publishing. By converting FB2 to LaTeX, you gain access to professional book production tools, mathematical typesetting capabilities, automatic cross-referencing, bibliography management, and the ability to produce camera-ready PDFs for print publication or journal submission.

Key Benefits of Converting FB2 to LaTeX TEX:

• Professional Typesetting: Industry-standard quality for print and PDF
• Mathematical Notation: Best-in-class support for equations and formulas
• Academic Publishing: Required format for many journals and conferences
• Bibliography Management: Integrated BibTeX for citations
• Automated Formatting: Consistent styling throughout the document
• Cross-References: Automatic numbering of chapters, figures, and tables
• Book Production: Professional tools for front matter, indices, and appendices

Practical Examples

Example 1: Book Chapter Conversion

Input FB2 file (book.fb2):

<section>
  <title>Chapter 1: The Beginning</title>
  <p>It was a dark and stormy night.</p>
  <p>The wind howled through the trees.</p>
  <emphasis>Important text</emphasis>
</section>

Output LaTeX file (book.tex):

\chapter{The Beginning}

It was a dark and stormy night.

The wind howled through the trees.

\textit{Important text}

Example 2: Metadata Preservation

Input FB2 metadata:

<title-info>
  <book-title>The Great Adventure</book-title>
  <author>
    <first-name>John</first-name>
    <last-name>Smith</last-name>
  </author>
  <date>2024</date>
</title-info>

Output LaTeX preamble:

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[english]{babel}

\title{The Great Adventure}
\author{John Smith}
\date{2024}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\tableofcontents

Example 3: Structured Content

Input FB2 with annotations:

<annotation>
  <p>This book tells the story of...</p>
</annotation>
<epigraph>
  <p>"To be or not to be"</p>
  <text-author>Shakespeare</text-author>
</epigraph>

Output LaTeX:

\begin{abstract}
This book tells the story of...
\end{abstract}

\begin{quote}
``To be or not to be''
\begin{flushright}
--- Shakespeare
\end{flushright}
\end{quote}

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is FB2 format?

A: FB2 (FictionBook 2) is an XML-based ebook format created in Russia in 2004. It's designed for storing fiction with rich metadata including author info, genres, cover images, and structured content. FB2 is extremely popular in Eastern Europe and CIS countries, supported by readers like FBReader, Cool Reader, and Calibre.

Q: What is LaTeX TEX?

A: LaTeX is a typesetting system based on TeX, created by Donald Knuth. It's the industry standard for academic publishing, scientific papers, and technical books. LaTeX uses plain text markup with commands to produce professional-quality PDFs with precise control over layout, mathematics, and typography.

Q: Will chapter structure be preserved?

A: Yes! FB2's section and title elements are converted to LaTeX commands like \chapter{} and \section{}. The hierarchical structure of your book is maintained using LaTeX's document structure commands, making it easy to generate table of contents and cross-references.

Q: What happens to images in FB2?

A: FB2 stores images as Base64-encoded data within the XML. During conversion, images are extracted and saved as separate files (PNG or JPEG), with LaTeX \includegraphics commands inserted to reference them. You may need to adjust image placement using figure environments.

Q: How do I compile the TEX file?

A: You need a LaTeX distribution installed (TeX Live, MiKTeX, or MacTeX). Compile using: `pdflatex document.tex` or use an editor like TeXShop, TeXworks, or the online Overleaf platform. You may need to run pdflatex multiple times for cross-references to resolve.

Q: Can I convert TEX back to FB2?

A: Not directly. LaTeX is designed for typesetting, not ebook distribution. You can convert LaTeX to PDF (pdflatex) or to HTML (tex4ht, LaTeXML), then use tools like Calibre to convert HTML to FB2. However, LaTeX's advanced formatting may not translate perfectly to ebook formats.

Q: What LaTeX packages will I need?

A: Basic conversions use standard packages (inputenc, babel, graphicx). For advanced features, you might need: hyperref (links), biblatex (bibliography), amsmath (equations), listings (code), or geometry (page layout). Most are included in standard LaTeX distributions.

Q: Is formatting preserved during conversion?

A: Yes! Bold, italic, and other text formatting from FB2 is converted to LaTeX equivalents (\textbf{}, \textit{}, \texttt{}). Paragraphs, lists, and basic tables are also preserved. Complex FB2 elements are mapped to appropriate LaTeX environments.