Interior Design & Formatting


The interior formatting of your book is one of the last steps necessary in the development process before you send it off for print. Presses will print your files strictly as you send them. In which case, if you have not considered the intricate details, your book may not look as expected. For example,  the font could be too big or small, line and word spacing may be off, or words themselves could fall off the pages. Each publishing service has specific guidelines and specs to follow as well.

With Quillkeepers, we take the time to gather details about your book to formulate your desired outcome. Knowing that most publishers operate identically regarding the print processes, we are also aware and sensitive to slight variations. We begin our process by asking you who you plan to print through. If you have not decided, that is okay too, and we can help guide you if you so desire. We take pride in helping you choose aesthetically pleasing fonts, margins, gutter values, letter spacing, word spacing, line spacing, and paragraph spacing. We also look for word stacks, orphans, and windows to prevent any unattractive paragraphs or pages. 

While interior formatting is one of the last steps of the publication process, please remember that perfection does not happen overnight. It is a tedious task, as we examine every aspect page-by-page. The bigger the book, the more time is poured into its formatting. If you have a goal date for print, please be sure to allow enough time for this vital step of the overall procedure.   

What is the Difference Between Interior Formatting and Interior Design?


Interior formatting refers to formatting the interior text (usually only text) of your book manuscript document to prepare it for uploading to a self-publishing print-on-demand (POD) service, including a simple title page, headers, footers, page numbers, table of contents (TOC), and margin formatting. This process gives the interior pages a uniform look acceptable within its trim size specifications. This type of service is usually completed in programs like Microsoft Word, Scrivener, or other similar typesetting products.  


Interior formatting is generally less labor-intensive than interior design. Thus less expensive. 


Interior design is a much more complex project and time-consuming than interior formatting. This service is typically used for books that include both images and text. It is much more labor-intensive and requires more complex design programs, such as InDesign and other Adobe products. As the diversity of styling increases, so do the prices that book layout designers charge.


Which Option Is Best for Your Book?

Interior formatting:


Interior Design:


Are you ready for interior formatting? Contact us for a free quote