Files only
Standalone formatting
Quoted per book
Print PDF, EPUB and Kindle files for a book you plan to upload yourself.
Preflight report included
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Book formatting
Book Formatting Services for Print and Ebook
We typeset your book into print and ebook files that Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books and Kobo accept, and check every file before you see it.
Tell us how long the book is and which formats you need. A formatting specialist sends a clear price within one business day, and nothing is charged until you approve it.
The short answer
Columbia Publication formats books into a print-ready PDF that Amazon KDP and IngramSpark accept, an EPUB 3 for Apple Books and Kobo, and a native Kindle file, plus fixed-layout EPUB for illustrated books. A person typesets every file and preflights it before delivery. Formatting comes in every package from $1,499; standalone formatting is quoted within one business day.
Prices checked October 20, 2026 · Reviewed by Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Next review November 2026 · How we check
Is this you?
This is for you if
- Your manuscript is edited, and now you need files the platforms will take.
- A KDP proof came back with spacing, margin or page-number problems you cannot find in Word.
- Your paperback and your ebook have to match each other.
- You have a picture book or illustrated title that must keep its layout on every screen.
Why a Word file is not a print-ready book.
Upload a Word file and the hidden styles come with it: random gaps, the wrong gutter for your page count, numbers on blank pages, and any font you did not embed swapped for another on every printed copy. A free template fixes two of those and breaks a third.
So we work the way a typesetter does. One grid for every page. Margins worked out from your final page count. Every font embedded. Ebooks opened on real devices before they reach you. And you approve a proof before anything is uploaded.
The difference
What does a Word upload get wrong?
These four problems come up often in Word files. Here is what each one does to a printed copy, and what we do instead.
| Problem | What happens with a Word upload | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Spacing | Hidden paragraph styles leave random gaps you only see in the printed proof | Every paragraph, heading and break set to one consistent grid |
| Margins | Text runs too close to the spine when the gutter is not adjusted for page count | Gutter calculated from your final page count and the platform tables |
| Page numbers | Numbers on chapter openings, blank pages and the title page | Folios and running heads suppressed where book convention requires |
| Fonts | KDP substitutes fonts that are not embedded, permanently | Every font embedded, so every copy prints as the proof |
A worked example, using KDP’s own published rules: a 6 × 9 paperback of 280 pages needs a gutter of at least 0.5 inch, because 151 to 300 pages calls for 0.5 inch and 301 to 500 calls for 0.625. Add a chapter and push it to 310 pages, and the gutter has to grow. Add bleed and the page size becomes 6.125 × 9.25. This is why we set margins only after your page count is final.
What you receive
Which files does professional formatting produce?
Up to four files, all built from one master so your editions match word for word.
Print interior PDF
Sized to your trim, with a gutter for binding, every font embedded, chapters opening on the right, and a preflight against KDP and IngramSpark specs. Images are checked at 300 DPI, the minimum KDP recommends.
Reflowable EPUB 3
Text, headings and images that reflow to fit any screen, with chapter navigation and metadata, opened and checked on Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo.
Native Kindle file
Built for Amazon, not run through a converter, with a linked table of contents and styling that holds in the app and on devices.
Fixed-layout EPUB
For picture books and illustrated titles. Each page is built on its own so text and pictures stay together on a tablet or a Kindle Fire.
Trim sizes
Which trim size should you choose?
Choose the size readers expect in your genre, then let the word count confirm it. Here is where most books land:
| Trim | Best for | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| 6 × 9 in | Business, self-help, memoir, most non-fiction | 40,000 to 100,000 words |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | Memoir, narrative and literary non-fiction | 50,000 to 90,000 words |
| 5 × 8 in | Novels, novellas and short story collections | 60,000 to 120,000 words |
| 8.5 × 8.5 in | Picture books and illustrated children’s titles | Illustrated |
| 8.5 × 11 in | Workbooks, journals, activity and coffee table books | Varies |
| Custom | Any size KDP or IngramSpark supports | Ask us |
Change the trim and you change everything downstream: line length, page count, margins and the spine width on your cover. That is why we lock it before typesetting starts, not after.
Torn between two sizes? Send the genre and word count and we will recommend one.
Price My FormattingYour quote
What does formatting cost?
Formatting is priced on the work inside the book, not on length alone. A 60,000-word novel with plain chapters can cost less than a 40,000-word cookbook full of tables and photos. Your specialist looks at:
- Length and structure: word count, chapters, and front and back matter such as an index or appendix.
- Special elements: images, tables, footnotes, pull quotes or recipes.
- Formats: paperback, hardcover and ebook each need their own file.
- Trim size, and whether the book needs fixed-layout ebook files.
Formatting is already inside every publishing package from $1,499. If you also need a cover, ISBNs or distribution, the package usually costs less than buying each piece on its own.
From an author we published
“It turned out better than I could have imagined when I first started.”
Jason Patterson, whose City of the Gods we formatted and published in ebook, paperback and hardcover. Read the case study
Options
Formatting on its own or inside a package
Formatting alone, or formatting with everything else a book needs to go on sale. A person typesets each one, and each file is preflighted before you get it.
Most chosen
Global Publish
$1,499
Formatting, a cover, ISBNs and distribution to every major store.
Paperback, hardcover and ebook
Price This for My BookIllustrated
Fixed-layout books
Quoted per book
Picture books and photo-led titles that must keep their page design on every screen.
Fixed-layout EPUB plus print PDF
Price This for My BookApprove the quote and pay in full; that payment holds your place in the typesetter’s schedule.
What you can count on
What every formatting job includes
- Set by a typesetterNo templates and no automated conversion. AI is not used in your book.
- Checked against each platformTrim, bleed, margins, color and fonts tested against current KDP and IngramSpark rules.
- Opened on real devicesEbooks read on Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo before they reach you.
- Your sign-off firstNothing is uploaded until you approve the proof, with two revision rounds.
- Editions that matchPrint and ebook built from one master file.
- Files you keepFinal files and source files delivered to you.
How it runs
From Word file to upload-ready
- Describe the bookLength, formats, trim and anything unusual inside it.Day 1
- Get the priceFormats, price and delivery date.Within 1 business day
- We typesetPrint and ebook set from one master file.Confirmed with your quote
- You check the proofTwo revision rounds to get it right.Before any upload
- Files in your handsPreflighted and ready to upload.Or published for you
Custom Quote
Build your custom quote
We’ve started with Interior formatting. Add anything else your manuscript needs, and a specialist sends an itemized quote within one business day. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Your quote within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it. 100% of your rights stay yours.
Questions
Book formatting: common questions
What does professional book formatting include?
Three files for most books: a print-ready PDF with the right trim, gutter, embedded fonts, headers and chapter openings, preflighted for KDP and IngramSpark; a reflowable EPUB; and a Kindle file. Illustrated books add a fixed-layout EPUB. Every file is tested before you get it.
Why not upload my Word document to KDP?
You can, and KDP will take it. The trouble shows up in the proof: uneven spacing, margins wrong for your trim, page numbers on chapter openings, fonts swapped. A formatted PDF hands KDP a finished page, with nothing left for its converter to guess.
What trim size should I choose?
6 × 9 inches for most non-fiction, 5.5 × 8.5 for memoir, 5 × 8 for fiction and 8.5 × 8.5 for picture books. We confirm the size for your genre and length before typesetting begins.
What is the difference between reflowable and fixed-layout EPUB?
Reflowable text rearranges itself to fit any screen, which suits novels and most non-fiction. Fixed-layout holds every page exactly as designed, which picture books and illustrated titles need.
Do you format print and ebook together?
Yes. Both come from one master file, so the editions match, and you get a preflight report with them.
Is formatting included in your packages?
Yes, in every publishing package from $1,499. If you only need the files, standalone formatting is quoted per book within one business day.
How long does formatting take?
Three things set the schedule: the length, any special elements such as tables or images, and how fast you return your proof. You get the date with your quote, before work starts.
How do I pay for formatting?
In full, once you approve the quote. Payment books your slot with the typesetter and fixes the delivery date.
Get your book formatted for print and ebook.
Send the word count and the formats you need. A formatting specialist writes back within one business day with a price.
Price My Formatting