"Why was my file rejected by KDP or IngramSpark?"
Common causes: margins too small for the page count, images below 300 DPI, fonts not embedded, or content running into the bleed. They're all avoidable when the file is built to spec from the start.
Interior formatting & typesetting
A manuscript isn't a book until it's typeset
Readers can't always say why a self-published book feels amateur — but they notice. Cramped margins, odd spacing, chapters starting in random places. We turn your Word file into a clean, professional interior for print and eBook, ready to upload.
See before-and-after formatting 4.9/5 from 441+ Google reviewsPrint PDF + EPUB includedChecked before you upload
Sound familiar?
Formatting problems that cost authors time and sales
"Can't I just upload my Word document?"
You can, and it will look like a Word document: inconsistent spacing, no running headers, and odd page breaks. It's the fastest way to make a good book look self-published.
"Which trim size should I choose?"
Most novels and memoirs suit 5.5" × 8.5" or 5" × 8"; non-fiction often suits 6" × 9". Trim affects page count, print cost and how the book feels in hand. Our calculator below shows the trade-offs.
"My book has photos, tables and footnotes. Will it fall apart?"
Not if it's laid out by hand. We place every image and table so nothing breaks awkwardly across pages, and make sure the eBook version still reads well on a phone.
What we do
Formatting for every format you publish
Print interior (PDF)
Fixed-layout typesetting at your exact trim size: fonts, margins, gutters, running headers, page numbers and chapter openers designed for your genre.
- Press-ready PDF per platform
- Correct gutter for page count
- Widows and orphans fixed
eBook (EPUB)
Reflowable files that adapt to any screen and font size, with a clickable table of contents and clean metadata.
- Kindle, Apple, Kobo, Google Play
- Clickable TOC
- Tested on real devices
Complex interiors
Workbooks, cookbooks, photo memoirs and academic titles with images, tables, callouts, footnotes or indexes.
- Image and table placement
- Footnotes and citations
- Custom styles
Formatting portfolio
From Word document to finished book
The same manuscript before and after professional typesetting, for print and for eBook. The numbered markers show what changed and why it matters.
Chapter 1
The Car in the Ditch
The road out of Carrow was straight and white with salt, and Mara had walked it every day for eleven years, so she knew something was wrong the moment she saw the car. It was parked badly across the ditch, its headlights still burning in the middle of the afternoon.
She walked toward it. The driver’s door hung open. Inside, a phone was ringing and ringing, and no one answered.
Mara counted the rings the way her mother had taught her to count the seconds between lightning and thunder. Seven. Eight. On the ninth, it stopped, and the silence that followed was louder than the phone had been.
There was a bag on the passenger seat, and a map folded open to the coast, with a single word written in the margin in careful blue ink: Carrow.
Her town. Her road. Someone had driven a long way to find it, and then, it seemed, had simply walked away.
She looked back along the road. Nothing moved but the heat, shimmering over the salt flats like water that was never there.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded small. The wind took it and gave nothing back.
Mara had lived in Carrow her whole life, and in all that time no stranger had ever come looking for it. Strangers passed through. They did not stop, and they did not leave their doors open.
Chapter OneThe Car in the Ditch✦
The road out of Carrow was straight and white with salt, and Mara had walked it every day for eleven years, so she knew something was wrong the moment she saw the car. It was parked badly across the ditch, its headlights still burning in the middle of the afternoon.
She walked toward it. The driver’s door hung open. Inside, a phone was ringing and ringing, and no one answered.
The Salt Road2
Mara counted the rings the way her mother had taught her to count the seconds between lightning and thunder. Seven. Eight. On the ninth, it stopped, and the silence that followed was louder than the phone had been.
There was a bag on the passenger seat, and a map folded open to the coast, with a single word written in the margin in careful blue ink: Carrow.
Her town. Her road. Someone had driven a long way to find it, and then, it seemed, had simply walked away.
She looked back along the road. Nothing moved but the heat, shimmering over the salt flats like water that was never there.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded small. The wind took it and gave nothing back.
Mara had lived in Carrow her whole life, and in all that time no stranger had ever come looking for it. Strangers passed through. They did not stop, and they did not leave their doors open.
- 1Chapter openerSunk heading, chapter number and a drop cap signal a new chapter at a glance.
- 2Small caps lead-inThe first line eases the reader from display type into body text.
- 3Justified, hyphenated textEven margins without the rivers of white space Word leaves behind.
- 4Running heads & foliosThe title runs across the top of text pages, with page numbers in the outer corners. Chapter openers stay clean.
- 5No widows or orphansNo single lines stranded at the top or bottom of a page.
Chapter One
The road out of Carrow was straight and white with salt, and Mara had walked it every day for eleven years, so she knew something was wrong the moment she saw the car. It was parked badly across the ditch, its headlights still burning in the middle of the afternoon.
She walked toward it. The driver’s door hung open. Inside, a phone was ringing and ringing, and no one answered.
Mara counted the rings the way her mother had taught her to count the seconds between lightning and thunder. Seven. Eight. On the ninth, it stopped, and the silence that followed was louder than the phone had been.
How it works
How formatting works
Formatting starts after editing is finished — changes after typesetting move every page.
Send your final file
Upload your edited manuscript and tell us about images, tables or special elements.
Choose a style
We suggest a trim size, fonts and chapter design for your genre and show you a free 10-page sample.
Full typesetting
Every page formatted and delivered as a proof PDF and EPUB for your review.
Checks & delivery
Final files checked against KDP and IngramSpark specs, with your exact spine width for the cover.
Pricing, honestly
How formatting is priced
Formatting is quoted per book, based mainly on length and complexity. Text-only novels cost the least; image-heavy workbooks and cookbooks the most.
- Word and page count
- Print, eBook, or both
- Number of images, tables and footnotes
- Hardcover or large-print editions
- Number of revision rounds
Included in every project
Every formatting project includes
- Free 10-page sample
- Print PDF and reflowable EPUB
- Front and back matter formatted
- Spine width for your cover designer
- Platform compliance check
Why authors trust us
How we protect your book, your money and your rights
Authors are right to be careful — the industry has plenty of companies that over-promise. Here's exactly how we work.
Your accounts stay in your name
Your KDP, IngramSpark and ACX accounts are created in your name, so royalties are paid straight to you.
Milestone payments
You pay in stages tied to work you have seen and approved, never the whole fee up front for large projects.
You own everything
Copyright, files and ISBNs (when you buy your own) belong to you. You receive editable source files.
No sales guarantees
Anyone who guarantees bestseller status or sales is guessing. We give you honest forecasts and the reasoning behind them.
Written scope before you pay
A plain-English agreement lists deliverables, revision rounds and dates, so nothing is left to memory.
Independent, not "Amazon"
We are an independent author-services team. We never claim to be Amazon, KDP or any retailer.
Author stories
What authors say about working with us
“I formatted my first book myself in Word and it looked exactly like a Word document. This time the difference was staggering — it looks like it came from a real publishing house.”
“My memoir has 40 photographs and I was terrified of the layout falling apart. Every image landed where it needed to, and it passed IngramSpark review on the first upload.”
“Fast, precise and genuinely helpful when I had questions about trim size. My workbook has numbered exercises and callout boxes and it all typeset beautifully.”
FAQ
Book Formatting: your questions, answered
What's the difference between print and eBook formatting?
Print formatting creates fixed pages at a set trim size. eBook formatting creates reflowable text that changes with the reader's screen and font settings. They're separate jobs, and you need both to publish everywhere.
Which files will I get?
A press-ready PDF interior for each print platform and a reflowable EPUB for eBook stores. Kindle accepts EPUB directly, so no separate MOBI file is needed.
How long does formatting take?
Most text-only novels take 5–10 business days. Books with many images, tables or footnotes can take two to three weeks.
Can you format my book if my cover is already done?
Yes. We give your designer the exact spine width from the final page count, so the wraparound fits perfectly.
Can I make changes after formatting?
Small corrections are included. Large text changes after typesetting take extra time because they shift every page after them — which is why editing comes first.
Do you format hardcovers and large print?
Yes. Hardcover and large-print editions need their own files and ISBNs. We can prepare them together so all editions match.
Authors often pair this with
See your book typeset before you pay.
Send your manuscript and we'll format ten pages for free.
Free consultation
Make your interior look professionally published
Tell us about your manuscript. We'll suggest a trim size and style, and send a free 10-page sample with your quote.
- A real consultant reads your answers — not a bot or a sales script.
- A written plan and fixed quote — within one business day, with no obligation.
- Your manuscript stays confidential — NDA available on request from the first call.
Prefer to talk it through?
Get AI Insights
Questions authors ask us before they start
Pick the question closest to your situation. You'll get a straight answer here — and you can take it further with your own AI assistant if you'd like a second opinion.
Still unsure? Ask a real consultant — it's free and there's no obligation.
5.5" × 8.5" and 5" × 8" are the most common for fiction; 6" × 9" suits non-fiction. Larger trims mean fewer pages and a lower print cost per copy, but can feel less like a novel in hand.
For a simple novel, formatting software works well if you have the time. Hire a professional for images, tables, footnotes, complex layouts, or when you want a custom design.
Use the correct margins for your page count, embed fonts, keep images at 300 DPI, and don't let text run into the bleed. We check all of these before delivery.
Usually the interior PDF can be the same, but covers differ, and IngramSpark is stricter about PDF standards. We prepare what each platform needs.