June 18, 2025
The content is the most important part of any book, but interior book formatting is a close second. If the formatting and layout are clumsy, even the most beautifully written book will be a chore to read. A poorly designed book looks unprofessional. A great cover and compelling story may attract a book buyer, but the sloppy interior book formatting will turn them off.
How can you avoid that fate? By paying attention to your interior book formatting. To get the best results, hire a design professional who can make your words look their best on the page.
The best book designers combine technical formatting with creative artistry to transform your book into an art object.
Interior book formatting is much more than choosing a typeface and setting the margins. It matters because the design supports the reader’s enjoyment of the book. It makes complex information easier to absorb, transforms the story into visual clues, and reflects the author’s key themes.
If you’re authoring a book just for you or your family and don’t intend to sell it to the outside world, you don’t need to spend too much time and money on interior book formatting. You should still try to make it look as good as possible within the limits of your budget.
Sometimes, writers want to get a book out quickly to respond to news events or meet a certain deadline. In this situation, you may have to rush a book to print. Again, try to make it look as good as you can.
You can certainly do your own layout and interior book formatting using publishing software like Adobe InDesign, Reedsy Book Editor, QuarkXpress, and Affinity Publisher. If you want your book to stand out for its beauty and readability, however, hire a professional. They will take over the work and use their talents to polish and perfect your book’s design. You can find freelancers who specialize in this work. Some titles you may see are:
Like editing, book design is often best when left to the experts. Consider it an investment in your book.
What should you look for in good book design? Your professional will work on these parts of your book.
Typography is the foundation of a book’s design. It refers to the choice of font, font size, spacing, and kerning, which is the spacing between words. Choosing a type is just part of the job. The rest involves ensuring that the font stays consistent throughout every page, header, footer, and chapter title.
The use of white space makes the page uncluttered and easy to read. When reading long blocks of text, your eye needs to rest occasionally. White space provides that rest.
That’s one reason why serif type is more readable than sans serif type. The tiny hooks on each letter guide the reader’s eye to the next letter to make reading flow seamlessly.
The placement of paragraph endings can greatly affect a book’s readability. They affect how the words wrap around to the next paragraph or the following page. Is the transition smooth or clunky? In the best book design, it guides readers easily through the page and onto the next.
In print terms, a “widow” is the last word of a sentence that sits alone at the top of a page. An “orphan” is a word or line that sits alone at the bottom of a page. Leaving them in is a typesetting mistake because they make the reading clumsy. When you’ve formatted your book correctly, these won’t appear on your pages.
Superior design is consistent. The same typeface and font size should be used throughout the book. Repeating elements, such as colors or graphic elements, should be the same. The goal is to build a cohesive look.
A book designer considers the book’s content and themes. They decide what layout, font choices, and other book design elements convey those same ideas.
A book designer will figure out the best placement of text, white space, and margins. You may have seen books that have huge margins with vast amounts of white space. They force the reader to focus on the words. This style is often used for fantasy stories or poetry collections. A book designer also ensures that the paper, typeface, graphic elements, and special characters all work together to create a cohesive look.
If you choose to work with a design professional, you’ll discover that it typically involves letting the designer read your book to get a sense of your voice and your ideal reader.
The designer may start by using a design software package to set up the interior book formatting. As visual artists, however, they often work with printed pages to show you how the book looks and feels in the reader’s hands. As the book comes together, you’ll begin to see how the interior design takes shape and enhances your book.
Your designer will regularly ask:
A book designer can also:
If your budget doesn’t include book design, or if you’re writing a book that isn’t aimed at the public, you can still get good, readable book design. Focus on the elements of superior design that we’ve covered in this article. Spend time learning the features of the design software you’re using.
If you need more help, you can take courses that guide you through the most popular design packages. Classes and training workshops take you from beginner to advanced. Here’s where to get started.
Quark
Affinity Publisher
Reedsy Book Editor
BookBolt Studio
Writing a book is a huge achievement. Don’t let sloppy, unprofessional formatting ruin the impact your book can make. With help, you can produce a book that’s professional-looking and readable. When your book is ready to print, you’re ready to talk to Publishing Xpress.
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