Book Layout And Design
Book Layout and Design Services
Readers rarely notice good typesetting, but they notice bad typesetting on the first page. We lay out your book's interior so it reads comfortably in print and on screen, and we deliver files that pass the printer's and the retailer's checks.
- Laid out by an in-house team, never subcontracted
- Print-ready PDF and ebook files from one source
- Proof pages to review before files are final
- Revisions included until the brief is met
The problem
A Word file is not a book interior
Most manuscripts arrive as a Word document set at letter size with default margins. Printed at a 6 x 9 inch trim size, that file produces lines that are too long, text that runs into the spine, headers on chapter-opening pages, and single lines stranded at the top of a page. None of these stop a book being printed. All of them tell a reader the book was self-published in a hurry.
An ebook has different problems. Text in most ebooks reflows to fit the reader's screen and chosen font size, so anything set with spaces and manual line breaks falls apart. A layout that looks right in Word can be unreadable on a phone.
Book layout is the job of making both versions work: a fixed, typeset print interior and a properly structured ebook, built from the same edited text.
What we do
What goes into a professional book interior
Trim size and page setup
We set the page to your chosen trim size with margins that allow for the gutter, the inner margin that disappears into the binding, which needs more room as the page count grows.
Typography
A body font and size chosen for long reading, comfortable line spacing and line length, and heading styles that suit the genre. A thriller and a textbook should not look the same.
Front and back matter
Title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, acknowledgements, about the author and any appendix or index pages, in the order readers and retailers expect.
Chapter openers and details
Chapter headings, drop caps or small caps, scene-break ornaments, running headers and page numbers, with headers removed from pages where they do not belong.
Images, tables and illustrations
Photos, charts, recipes, sidebars and illustrations placed where they support the text, at a resolution suited to print, with captions that stay with their images.
Ebook formatting
A reflowable EPUB with a linked table of contents for text-led books, or a fixed layout for picture books and highly designed pages where the position of every element matters.
Not sure which option fits?
Send us the brief. You will get a scope, a timeline and a fixed price within 24 hours — no obligation.
- Print-ready interior PDF at your trim size, set up for your printer or print-on-demand platform
- Bleed added where images run to the edge of the page
- Typographic clean-up: no stranded single lines, no rivers of space, consistent hyphenation
- EPUB file for ebook retailers, checked on more than one reading app
- A final page count, which your cover designer needs to size the spine
- Proof PDFs for your review before the files are signed off
- Corrections after your proofread, made in the layout file rather than in a fresh copy
How it works
The layout process
1. Brief and sample pages
You send the final edited manuscript, the trim size and where you are publishing. We design two or three sample spreads, including a chapter opening, for you to approve.
2. Full layout
Once the style is agreed, we lay out the full book, place images and build the front and back matter.
3. Proof and corrections
You read the proof pages and mark corrections. This is the right time for a professional proofread, because some errors only appear once text is typeset.
4. Final files
Print PDF and ebook file delivered, with the page count for your cover. Each book is quoted with its own timeline, set by length and complexity.
Before you start
Get the text final before layout begins
Layout should be one of the last steps before publishing. Every paragraph added or cut after typesetting can push text onto new pages, change the page count, move images and shift the spine width on the cover. Small corrections are part of the job; rewriting chapters in the layout stage costs time and money.
Decide your trim size early too, ideally before the cover is designed. Common sizes differ by genre: many novels use a smaller trim than business or how-to books, and picture books are often square or landscape. Check that the size you choose is offered by the printer or platform you plan to use.
If your manuscript has not been edited yet, book the edit first. We can schedule editing, layout and cover together so each step hands over cleanly to the next.
Pricing
What book layout costs
Layout is quoted per project. A text-only novel costs less than a cookbook, a workbook or an illustrated non-fiction book, because the work grows with the number of images, tables, sidebars and special pages, not just the word count. A fixed-layout ebook is quoted separately from a reflowable one.
Send the manuscript and your trim size, and you get a fixed price and delivery date before anything starts.
Free proposal
Tell us the goal. We’ll send the plan.
Share your requirements and a strategist gets back to you within 24 hours with scope, timeline and a fixed price. No obligation, no sales pressure.
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Response within 24 hours
Usually much sooner during business hours.
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Talk to a strategist
Not a call centre — the person who scopes your work.
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Fixed pricing upfront
You approve the number before anything starts.
Prefer to talk?
[email protected]Questions
Questions about book layout and design
Still unsure about something? Talk to a specialist — no script, no sales pitch.
People use the words loosely. Formatting often means making a file meet a platform's technical rules. Layout, or typesetting, goes further: choosing fonts, spacing, margins and chapter design so the book is comfortable to read and looks professionally published. We do both, so the files are correct and the pages look right.
Yes. A print book is a fixed set of pages at one trim size, delivered as a PDF. An ebook usually reflows to suit the reader's screen and font settings, delivered as EPUB. We build both from the same final text so they match, but they are different files with different rules.
It depends on the genre, the page count and what your printer offers. Novels are often set smaller than non-fiction, and picture books are frequently square or landscape. Look at books like yours on the shelf, then confirm the size is supported by your print-on-demand platform. We can recommend options at the brief stage.
Yes. Illustrated books need image placement planned spread by spread, bleed where art runs off the page, and usually a fixed-layout ebook rather than a reflowable one, so the text stays where it was designed to sit over the pictures.
Send them marked on the proof PDF. We make corrections in the layout file and send updated proofs. Revisions are included until the brief is met. Large rewrites after typesetting may be quoted separately, because they can change the page count and the cover spine.
It is quoted per book. The main factors are length, the number of images and tables, special elements such as recipes or worksheets, and whether you need a reflowable or fixed-layout ebook as well as print. You receive a fixed price before work starts.
Works well with
Pair it with the rest of the stack
Book Editing
Get the text final before it is typeset.
Learn moreBook Cover Design
A full-wrap cover sized to your final page count.
Learn moreSize and Finish Options
Trim sizes, paper and binding choices explained.
Learn moreBook Illustrations
Interior artwork for picture and illustrated books.
Learn moreReady when you are
Ready to work with the pros?
Get a free proposal in 24 hours — scope, timeline and fixed price. No obligation, no lock-in contract.
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