Book Formatting Services: The 7 Best Options to Hire

Formatting is the part of publishing that nobody brags about, until it goes wrong.

A book can have a strong idea, clean writing, even a great cover, and still feel “off” the moment someone opens it. Lines look cramped. Paragraphs jump around. Headings feel random. Page numbers disappear. On an eReader, the text spacing turns weird and the whole thing feels tiring to read.

That is why hiring book formatting services is often one of the smartest spends in the entire publishing process. Not because formatting is glamorous, but because it quietly protects your book from looking amateur, no matter where a reader buys it.

This blog walks through the seven best options to hire a formatter, who each option fits best, and what you should expect to receive at the end.

What Book Formatting Services Usually Include

When people hear “formatting,” they often think it means “make it look like a real book.” That’s true, but the details matter.

Most book formatting services cover the interior layout for one or both of these formats:

Print formatting

This is the file used to print physical copies. The end result is usually a print-ready PDF built to the exact trim size (like 5x8 or 6x9) with proper margins and clean typography.

Print formatting typically includes:

1. Page size and margin setup
2. Consistent fonts, spacing, and paragraph styles
3. Chapter openings and section breaks
4. Headers and footers (often with book title and author name)
5. Page numbering
6. Front matter (title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents if needed)
7. Back matter (about the author, acknowledgements, references)

If your book has images, tables, footnotes, or charts, print formatting should also handle placement and readability. That is where many “cheap” jobs fall apart.

eBook formatting

eBooks are usually reflowable, meaning the reader’s device controls the font size and spacing. Your job is to make sure the structure holds up.

eBook formatting typically includes:

1. Clean paragraph styles that translate to eReaders
2. Proper chapter breaks and navigation
3. Clickable table of contents
4. Basic styling for headings and emphasis
5. Image handling that does not break layouts
6. Device testing (at least a quick check on common readers)

One important note: a print PDF is not automatically a good eBook, and an eBook file is not automatically good for print. If a provider offers “one file for everything,” ask more questions.

Before You Hire: Get Clear On What Your Book Needs

This is where authors save money and avoid frustration.

A formatter can work faster and cleaner when you can answer two questions.

1) Are you formatting for print, eBook, or both?

If you plan to sell on multiple platforms, “both” is usually the right answer. But if your book is only for a live event or a small print run, print might be enough.

2) How complex is the interior?

Complexity changes the price and the timeline, and it should. A simple novel is not the same job as a cookbook.

Your book is likely “more complex” if it includes:

1. Lots of images
2. Tables or charts
3. Footnotes or endnotes
4. References with specific styling
5. Poetry with special spacing
6. A workbook with worksheets
7. An index

If you tell a provider your book is “simple” and it’s actually complex, you will either get a price increase later or a rushed job.

The 7 Best Options To Hire For Book Formatting Services

There is no single “best” option for everyone. The best option is the one that matches your budget, timeline, complexity, and how much guidance you want.

Below are the seven options that tend to work best, with a clear picture of what you are really buying.

1) A Dedicated Freelance Book Formatter

This is the straightforward path. You hire a specialist who formats books all day, usually with tools like InDesign, Vellum (Mac), Atticus, Word styling, or a mix depending on the project.

A good freelancer is often the sweet spot for authors who want solid work without paying a full studio rate.

Best for:

1. Novels and nonfiction that are mostly text
2. Authors who already have edited, final manuscript files
3. People who want direct communication with the person doing the work

What to watch for:

1. Some freelancers are great with print but shaky on eBooks (or the other way around)
2. Some use templates without adjusting details for your genre
3. Some do not test on real devices

When it’s worth it:

When you want a clean interior and you have a stable manuscript that will not change every week.

2) A Book Production Studio

A production studio is usually a small team that handles formatting with a more “systems” approach. They may also offer cover design and light project management.

This option costs more than a solo freelancer, but you often get stronger process and more quality control.

Best for:

1. Business books with charts, callouts, or branded layouts
2. Books with images and structured sections
3. Authors who want fewer moving parts and fewer surprises

Why studios can be a strong choice:

They typically have checklists, proofing steps, and consistent methods. That can matter a lot when your book is 250 pages and you can’t afford messy errors.

Potential downside:

Some studios feel rigid. If you want heavy customization but you are not sure what you want, you can end up in revision loops.

3) A Full-Service Publishing Company

This option is best when you want more than “just formatting.” A full-service team can guide you through how the interior should look for your genre, what file specs are needed for your printing route, and how to avoid common problems in production.

It also helps if you are juggling editing, cover, ISBN decisions, and upload requirements. Formatting becomes part of a bigger, managed workflow.

Best for:

1. First-time authors who want someone to guide the whole process
2. Authors with tight deadlines who need coordination
3. Books where small mistakes would be expensive (bulk orders, events, corporate use)

This is also where you can avoid the “handoff gap,” the moment when one freelancer blames another freelancer and you are stuck in the middle.

If you want the formatting handled as part of a clean publishing workflow, contact Fleck Publisher.

4) A Marketplace Of Vetted Publishing Professionals

Some marketplaces curate publishing freelancers and make it easier to hire someone with proven experience. You are still hiring an individual, but the marketplace can help with quality signals, portfolios, and sometimes contracts.

This route can be great if you know how to evaluate vendors and you want more choice without the randomness of general gig sites.

Best for:

1. Authors who want options and strong portfolios
2. People who want to compare style and experience quickly
3. Projects where you want a specialist (like a complex nonfiction formatter)

Downside:

Pricing can be higher because top freelancers know their value. Also, “vetted” does not mean “perfect fit,” so you still need to ask the right questions.

5) A General Freelancing Platform

This is the widest net. You can find every level of skill here, from true professionals to people who have never formatted a book properly.

This option can work, but only if you know how to screen well and you do not pick based on the lowest bid.

Best for:

1. Authors with smaller budgets who can evaluate samples carefully
2. Simple books with minimal formatting needs
3. People comfortable managing a vendor closely

What to do if you choose this route:

Ask for proof, not promises. A portfolio image is not enough. Ask to see:

1. A sample PDF interior page
2. A screenshot of the table of contents working in an eBook
3. A list of deliverables (print PDF, eBook file, source files if included)

If a vendor cannot explain their process in, move on.

6) A Cover Designer Who Also Offers Interior Formatting

Some designers offer both cover and interior services. When the person is skilled, this can be a smooth option because the interior style and cover feel aligned.

Best for:

1. Authors who want a consistent look and one point of contact
2. Books where branding matters (business books, series books)
3. People who prefer fewer vendors

What to watch for:

Not every cover designer is a strong formatter. Cover design and interior formatting are different skill sets. Some people do both well, many do not.

If you take this route, look closely at interior samples. A beautiful cover does not guarantee a clean book interior.

7) A Hybrid Option: Template-Based Formatting Plus Professional QA

This one surprises people, but it can be a smart middle ground.

Sometimes an author uses a structured tool or template-based approach for the first pass, then hires a professional to clean it up, check consistency, and produce final files. This can reduce cost while still protecting quality.

Best for:

1. Simple books where budget is tight
2. Authors who are comfortable doing some prep work
3. Projects where the main risk is small mistakes, not complex layout

What this can look like:

You prepare the manuscript cleanly (consistent headings, proper breaks), then a professional steps in to:

1. Fix spacing and styles
2. Confirm page breaks and chapter openings
3. Ensure print margins and page numbers are correct
4. Create a proper eBook file with a working table of contents
5. Run a quick quality checklist before you publish

It is not the best fit for complex, image-heavy books. But for straightforward titles, it can be a practical way to get “professional enough” without paying top-tier rates.

Quick Comparison Of The 7 Options

Here’s a overview to help you shortlist.

What To Ask Before You Hire Anyone

Most formatting problems come from unclear expectations, not bad intentions. A few questions can save you weeks.

Ask these:

1. Have you formatted books in my genre before?
2. Will I receive a print-ready PDF and an eBook file, or only one?
3. What trim sizes do you support for print?
4. How many revision rounds are included?
5. Do you test the eBook file on real devices or previews?
6. What do you need from me before you start?
7. How do you handle images, tables, footnotes, or special sections?

If you get vague answers, expect vague results.

What You Should Receive At The End

If you are paying for book formatting services, you deserve deliverables you can actually use without guessing.

Most authors should receive:

1. Print-ready PDF (correct trim size, margins, and pagination)
2. eBook file (typically EPUB) with clickable table of contents
3. A proof copy version if you want to review before final
4. Clear instructions on how to upload the files (or the provider does the upload if that’s included)

Sometimes you should also receive:

1. A style sheet or layout notes (helpful for series books)
2. Source files (only if agreed, not always included)
3. Separate files for different print requirements (if you are using multiple printers)

If a provider only gives you one file and calls it done, you might get stuck later.

Choosing the Best Option for You

If you are still unsure, here’s a simple way to decide.

If your book is mostly text and you are comfortable managing a vendor, a dedicated freelancer can be a great fit.

If your book has complexity, a production studio is often worth the premium because you get more process and quality control.

If this is your first time publishing and you want one team to guide the steps and keep everything aligned, a full-service publishing company is usually the calmest route.

If your budget is tight but you still want professionalism, the hybrid approach with a professional QA pass can be surprisingly effective for simple books.

Whatever route you choose, the goal is the same: an interior that reads smoothly, looks consistent, and does not distract from your content.

That is what good book formatting services deliver. And once it’s done right, you stop thinking about it. You just publish with confidence.