Book Formatting Services
Book formatting at Harmony Publishing turns your manuscript into a print interior and an eBook: interior layout, typesetting, trim size and margins. Book interior design is included in every package from Essentials ($699), and Complete ($1,299) and above add eBook formatting; formatting is not sold as a separate service.
A book needs two layouts: a print interior (trim size, margins, bleed, running heads) and a reflowable eBook. Text-driven books can start from a template; illustrated books, children's books and workbooks need a designer. Book interior design is in every package; from Complete we format the eBook too.
Included in our packages from $699
We do not sell formatting as a separate line item. Tell us about your manuscript and we will recommend the package that fits, or compare the packages and prices.
Get a quoteBook formatting and interior design: what each package includes
| Package | Price (USD) | Formatting included |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $699 |
|
| Complete | $1,299 |
|
| Premium | $2,499 |
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| Rockstar | $4,999 |
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| Legend | $9,999 |
|
Print interior and eBook: what changes
| What | Print interior | eBook |
|---|---|---|
| Page size | Fixed trim size, for example 152 × 229 mm (6 × 9 in) | None: the reader chooses the size |
| Margins | Set per trim, with a wider inner (gutter) margin | Set by the reading app |
| Images and bleed | Bleed of 0.125 in (3.2 mm) where art runs to the edge | Images scale to the screen |
| Final file | Print-ready PDF | EPUB |
See the common sizes in our trim sizes guide, and read how eBook conversion works.
Book interior design, layout and typesetting
People search for all three, and they describe one service. Here is what each word covers:
Book formatting
The everyday name for the whole job: turning your edited manuscript into files a printer and the eBook stores accept.
Book interior design
How each page is designed: trim size, margins and gutter, fonts and spacing, chapter openers, running heads and page numbers, and where images sit.
Book typesetting services
Setting the text itself on those pages: line breaks, hyphenation, widows and orphans, and even spacing, so the page reads cleanly.
Book layout for illustrated and children's books
Picture books, workbooks and cookbooks are laid out page by page around the images, often in full colour and with bleed on every spread. Plan the trim size before the illustrations are drawn, so the art fits the page. See children's book publishing and children's book printing.
How we format your book
Send your manuscript
Word .docx, any genre, any length. Tell us the trim size you want, or ask us to recommend one.
We format it
We typeset your manuscript into a professional interior for the trim size you choose (and edit it first, from Premium).
Cover and ISBN
We design your cover to fit the final page count, and assign the ISBN and barcode.
You approve
You approve the final files: a print-ready PDF for any trim size, plus the eBook file from Complete.
A full package takes 4–6 weeks standard; occasionally up to 8 weeks. Formatting follows editing, and the cover is built from your final page count. Publishing on Amazon? See KDP formatting. Related services: editing, proofreading and cover design. All of it is in the publishing packages.
FAQs
What is the difference between book formatting and interior layout?
They describe the same job. Interior layout (or typesetting) turns your edited manuscript into the pages of the book: trim size, margins, fonts, running heads and page numbers. We use "formatting" for the print file and the eBook file together.
Do I need a different file for print and for eBook?
Yes. A print book is a fixed layout set to one trim size. An eBook is reflowable, so the text adapts to each reader's screen. Packages from Complete include both the printed book and the eBook interior formatting.
Which trim size should I choose?
It depends on genre and length. Our trim sizes guide lists the common sizes with their dimensions, and we confirm the size with you before layout starts.
Is book formatting included in your packages?
Yes. Book interior design is in every publishing package, from Essentials ($699). Complete ($1,299) and above add eBook formatting alongside the print interior. We do not sell formatting as a separate line item.
How long does it take?
A full publishing package, including layout, takes 4–6 weeks standard; occasionally up to 8 weeks.
Do I keep the rights to my formatted book?
Yes. You keep 100% of your rights and royalties.
What file format does KDP accept for eBooks, and is MOBI still allowed?
Amazon KDP accepts eBook manuscripts as Word files (DOC or DOCX), Kindle Package Format (KPF, made with Kindle Create) and EPUB, according to its help page on supported formats. KDP stopped accepting MOBI files on 18 March 2025. If your package includes the eBook file, we prepare the EPUB for you.
What margins does a KDP paperback need?
KDP's paperback guidelines set a minimum outside margin of 0.25 inch (0.375 inch if the pages bleed) and an inside margin, the gutter, that grows with the page count: 0.375 inch for 24 to 150 pages, 0.5 inch for 151 to 300, 0.625 inch for 301 to 500, 0.75 inch for 501 to 700 and 0.875 inch for 701 to 828 pages. We set the margins for your book's trim size and page count.
What is the minimum page count for a paperback?
On KDP the minimum is 24 pages, and its cover guidelines allow spine text only on books of at least 79 pages. Those are KDP's limits; other printers set their own, so check the printer before you design the book.
Does KDP format my book for me?
KDP gives you free tools to do it yourself: Kindle Create typesets an eBook and saves it as a KPF file, and Kindle Previewer shows how it will look. KDP's help pages also say that if you hire a professional formatter, you should ask for an EPUB that meets Kindle's publishing guidelines. If you would rather not do it yourself, formatting is part of our publishing packages.
What is the correct format for a book?
A print interior is set to one trim size, with margins that leave room for the binding, consistent fonts and spacing, page numbers, running heads and chapter openings, and it is delivered as a print-ready PDF. An eBook is a reflowable file, usually EPUB, that adapts to the reader's screen. The sections above explain what changes between the two.
Ready to publish your book?
Compare what each package includes, or send us your questions on WhatsApp.