Print and Ebook Formatting and Design

Matthew Selznick

Starting at

500

About this service

Summary

From your final manuscript and provided cover art, I'll create your e-book and print (paperback, laminate hardcover, or both) editions. All files will be industry standards compliant and guaranteed to pass technical review at Amazon KDP or IngramSpark. I've done the same for myself and scores of client books, in all genres, fiction and non-fiction, for two decades. And as a bonus, you get all that independent publishing expertise and knowledge to call upon during the process!

Process

1) Receive the finalized, complete manuscript, along with any cover assets and other images or assets intended for the book, from the client. 2) Create the front cover design from provided artwork or, if the complete front cover is provided, adjust appropriately for full compliance with Amazon KDP specifications. 3) Get final approval from the client for the front cover design.

4) Create the e-book in the industry standard EPUB format. This EPUB file is guaranteed to be accepted by KDP technical review and, as it will be fully compliant with the EPUB standard, will also be accepted by other e-book marketplaces. 5) Client review of the EPUB file for technical (not editorial) errors or corrections. 6) Final approval of the EPUB file. At this point, the client can upload the file to KDP or other online e-book marketplaces. 7) From the fully corrected and approved EPUB file, create the interior layout of the print edition(s) according to the client's wishes regarding trim size (width x height), paper type (white or cream) and cover type (matte or glossy). The print interior file will be designed with readability in mind and according to accepted standards of print book design, with appropriate margins, line spacing and type size, and other details. 8) Client review of the print interior PDF for technical (not editorial) errors or corrections.

9) Final approval of the interior PDF file. At this point, based on page count, we can calculate the final dimensions of the print cover PDF.

10) Creation of the cover PDF, front, spine, and back, including bar code if desired by the client. Will utilize the client's copy (description, etc.) for the back cover. 11) Client review of the print cover for technical (not editorial) errors or corrections. 12) Final approval of the print cover PDF. At this point, the print cover can be uploaded to KDP or IngramSpark and the final review / approval process can begin. 13) If KDP or IngramSpark rejects the interior or cover files due to technical issues, I will correct those issues until the files are accepted. Once accepted, the project is ended. OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED: Client orders a "proof" copy of the print book(s) to review in "real life" before making the print book(s) available for distribution and sale.

FAQs

What Do You Need to Get Started?
1) Your finalized manuscript. The finished one. The one you're absolutely done making changes to. The "locked" draft. The manuscript should include everything you want in the book, including introduction, foreword, afterword, appendices, and so on. It should be in .docx or OpenDocument format. 2) Any pictures or other image assets meant to go in the book, along with an indication of where they're to appear. (Note: the project quote assumes very few or no images. An image-heavy project may require an additional charge.) 3) The art to be used in the cover design (in other words, the images, but not the text). This should be in a layered Photoshop or Illustrator file with each layer labeled clearly. Alternately, an Affinity Photo or Affinity Designer layered file is acceptable. If you by chance have a completed cover (including all text), I can use that, but, again, it must be in the original format. A JPG, PNG, or PDF file won't work for our purposes.
What's the Difference Between Amazon KDP and IngramSpark?
Both services allow the distribution and sale of e-books and print books. However, Amazon KDP is for the distribution of e-books and print books within the Amazon marketplace only, whereas IngramSpark will distribute print books everywhere. IngramSpark is not recommended for e-book production and distribution. You can do everything through Amazon KDP, but if you want to sell print books to libraries or bookstores, you should use IngramSpark for that. Likewise, the EPUB file I'll provide you will not only work in Amazon KDP, it will be compatible with all e-book distributors and marketplaces. If you have no intention of selling your print books outside of Amazon, I recommend using KDP for everything. If you'd like more flexibility with your print book sales, use IngramSpark for print (Amazon will sell books provided by IngramSpark, so that base will be covered, too).
What is a Laminate Hardcover?
A hardcover book with the cover design printed directly on the cover, just like a paperback book... but with a hard cover. IngramSpark also offers a dust jacket cover for hardcovers, however that's outside of the scope of this project and would require an additional charge.
Will the E-Book Look Just Like the Print Book?
Most e-books are intentionally designed to leave a lot of the reading experience in the hands of the reader: font size, margin size, typography, and so on. Also, e-books are designed to be read on any number of devices and applications with different screen sizes and resolutions, and even color or black and white. So, most e-books are created with a flowing layout that adjusts and changes according to the reader's preference. Because of this, the layout of your e-book will not necessarily be an exact match to the printed page. In special cases (children's picture books, for example), a special kind of e-book, "fixed layout," can be created. These do emulate the printed page, and are for books where the combination of image and text is integral to the work. Fixed layout e-books are outside of the scope of this project package, although I can create them for you.
Why is the Print Edition Book Cover Left Until Last?
Print book covers are submitted to Amazon KDP or IngramSpark as a single PDF file that has the entire cover, meant to wrap around the interior pages: back cover, spine, and front cover, left to right. Because we can't know the size of the spine until we know the exact page count, we have to wait until the interior design (with its page count finalized) is completed .

What's included

An Industry Compatible and Kindle-Compliant E-Book
An EPUB file (the industry standard) suitable for upload to Amazon KDP, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Google Play Books, and any other e-book distribution marketplace. One round of revisions for technical (not editorial) corrections. Guaranteed to pass technical review at KDP and elsewhere.
Print Interior PDF for Amazon KDP or IngramSpark
PDF of your book's interior (pages) compatible with either Amazon KDP or IngramSpark. Paperback and laminate-cover hardcover, assuming the trim size (length and width) is the same for both. One round of revisions for technical (not editorial) corrections. Guaranteed to pass technical review at KDP or IngramSpark, as applicable.
E-Book and Print Book Cover Assets
From your provided artwork, I will deliver both e-book (front cover) and print (front cover, spine, and back cover) PDF files designed to KDP and IngramSpark specifications. One round of revisions for technical (not editorial) corrections. Guaranteed to pass technical review at KDP or IngramSpark, as applicable.

Example projects