How Much Should I Pay for Someone to Format My Book?

The process of “formatting” a book involves designing its interior. Interior formatting includes font, indentations, scene breaks, chapter headings, images such as the maps you will see at the opening of fantasy novels, and other inner elements.

If you’re an indie author, formatting is your job because you don’t have a publisher to handle those services.

As a self-published author, you have two options: format it yourself or hire someone to format it for you. Which path you select depends on your objectives, time frame, budget, and technical abilities.

Can I Hire Someone to Format My Book?

Yes, you can hire someone to format your book.

Numerous top book editing companies and freelancers provide book formatting services. You can typically combine an interior format with a cover design so that you require fewer personnel to hire. This is generally a less expensive choice than engaging a cover designer and an interior formatter separately.

If you’re going through the traditional book publishing steps, interior formatting is the phase between the professional line edit and the final copyedit.

Handling the interior formatting yourself is reasonable and relatively simple compared to many other top book editing companies’ book production processes that you may choose to outsource. So, if you want to save money, you may do your formatting. We’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option, so read on!

How Much Do Book Formatting Services Cost?

Let’s talk about one of the most important questions you have right now: pricing. How much do book formatters charge? What is the reasonable price? How do you determine if you’re being charged too much?

Apparently, the solution may not be that easy. This is due to the lack of a universally established pricing structure that all designers use. Pricing will vary depending on each individual’s expertise level, work quality, and workload. The length and complexity of the book also affect the price.

The following factors influence the price of book formatting services offered by top book editing companies:

• Complications of the design. Is this a simple, basic one or a text-based book? It will be on the cheaper end of the price scale, whereas more complex designs, such as educational books with many graphs and pictures, can easily cost more than $1,000 to have professionally designed.
• Type of book. Ebooks are usually quicker and easier to format than physical books; thus, purchasing an ebook will save you money. Most authors attempt to publish in as many forms as possible, resulting in a bill for ebook, paperback, and hardcover interior design.
• Designer’s experience level.
• Number of requested revisions. Most designers will allow a few rounds of feedback and edits, but the price will likely increase if you request too many changes to their design.

The cost of formatting a book might vary substantially from $30 to hundreds of dollars. A proficient designer often charges a few hundred dollars for an ordinary novel.

Use the table below to estimate the cost of hiring a book formatter. Keep in mind that these charges are only for formatting. Cover design, illustration, editing, and marketing are all independent fees.

Type of Book Cost (ebook/print)

• Basic books: mostly text, no pictures ($30-300)
• Mostly text with some photos ($50-500)
• Image-rich books – textbooks, children’s books, and cookery ($100-500)
• Complex books ($1,000+)

Ebooks are typically easier to format than print books; thus, they will fall on the lower end of these categories. Print books demand more work, which is reflected in their price.

If possible, try to format your ebook and print the book simultaneously. Most formatters offer bundle discounts, which you may take advantage of to save time and money.

Now that you know how much it will cost to hire a book formatter, you can begin your search.

How Can I Get My Book Formatted?

When deciding whether to hire someone or do it yourself, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What amount of money do you wish to invest?
• How much time do you want to invest?
• Do you wish to learn a new skill?
• Can I achieve the desired interior formatting for my book with my current skill level?

Answering these questions will give you a good starting point for which route is ideal for you and your publishing goals.

If you’re ready to format your book, here’s the fundamental order of operations:

If you do it yourself:

1. Decide whether to do it yourself or hire someone.
2. Select a program. There are numerous programs to utilize, the most popular of which are Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, and Vellum.
3. Learn the program. YouTube, Skillshare, and the software’s website should provide access to multiple tutorials that will help you accomplish your vision.
4. Format it.
5. Seek feedback from a writing partner or editor. A second (or third or fourth) set of eyes can help you detect errors.
6. Even if your book has already been professionally edited, it is easy to make mistakes during interior formatting. Hiring a final copy editor after formatting the inside to catch typos and errors is always good. Also, hiring an editor who previously worked for a print magazine is a strategic move, so they are trained to detect formatting issues (such as orphans and widows) and grammatical blunders.

If you hire out:

1. Know what you’re seeking. It would be best if you had an idea of how you want your book to look and some definite information (such as the genre and manuscript).
2. Find a good designer. You want someone knowledgeable about several formats. For example, KDP and IngramSpark have distinct requirements and dimensions for different formats. You don’t need to know the details as a writer, but your designer does.
3. Research the designer. Read their reviews, speak with former clients, and look over their portfolios to determine if they can do the job you’re looking for.
4. Conduct honest reviews of their work when they’re done. If you are dissatisfied with something in your design, they will only know if you tell them.
5. Always do a final proofread.

Hire A Book Formatter?

Hiring a book formatter for the first time can be overwhelming. It is critical to conduct comprehensive research on anyone you are considering hiring. After all, you’re entrusting a significant portion of your career to this individual, whether they’re editors, cover designers, interior formatters, or marketers. This connection should be a partnership; selecting the proper person and maintaining open communication will save you time and frustration in the long term.

Here are some considerations to bear in mind when hiring a book formatter:

• Conduct research on the designer, including reading testimonials and reviewing previous work.
• Communicate openly about your desired outcomes.
• If you disagree, listen to your designer’s point of view. After all, you hired a professional who knows more than you! That does not imply giving in to anything they think is best, but rather keeping an open mind and appreciating the expertise you’ve paid for.
• Ensure accuracy by carefully reviewing each page.
• If you’re satisfied with their design work, consider hiring them again! It might be tough to find people you enjoy working within any field, so keep in touch with those you do. Finding a new customer takes significant time, and returning customers are frequently eligible for discounts. That means it’s a sensible business decision to try to find an excellent designer the first time.
• If you are dissatisfied with their work or interaction, consider hiring someone else for your next project.

Hopefully, there is enough information to give you confidence in your decision to hire a book formatter or do it yourself! Self-publishing is a game of trial and error, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find a system that works for you, then document what you did so you’re not reinventing the wheel with every publication.

So, Is Hiring a Designer a Worthwhile Investment?

There are multiple book services for which you’re almost always better off hiring a professional if your budget allows. Writers and editors, for example, have distinct skill sets and cannot always do each other’s duties. Even if a writer is also a competent editor, it can be challenging to identify errors in our work. That is why hiring an editor, if fair, is preferable rather than trying to edit our books.

Another scenario in which you might want to employ someone else is for the cover design of your book. Design is a skill that takes years to hone, so unless you’re willing to invest the time to learn, hiring an expert will yield the most outstanding results. Furthermore, cover trends change frequently, so hiring an industry professional to design a cover that best sells your book in your genre makes more sense than doing it yourself.

Interior formatting, on the other hand, is something you can master on your own without sacrificing quality. If you want a straightforward, simple interior design, you can do it yourself. It’s simply a matter of understanding the dimensions required for various book formats and platforms, then tinkering about and testing until you get it perfect.

FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions