How to Hire a Book Formatter You Can Trust

Hire a formatter who shows you a sample page of your own book, quotes a fixed price, names a delivery date and tells you how many revision rounds are included. Never share your KDP login. Below is where authors find formatters, the red flags that tell you to walk away, what to ask before you pay, and which files you should get back. For warning signs in publishing offers more widely, read predatory publishing practices to watch out for.

Where do authors find a book formatter?

There are three places, and each has trade-offs.

• Marketplaces. Fiverr and similar sites list hundreds of sellers. Prices and quality vary a lot, so read the reviews and look at the portfolio.
• Professional networks. Reedsy points authors to its marketplace for expert help. You ask freelancers there for quotes and work with them directly.
• Studios and one-person services. These are often a smaller team with a fixed price list. Ask which tool they use and who checks the files.

For what each route usually costs, see how much book formatting costs.

What are the red flags when hiring a formatter?

These are my own rules from years of working with freelancers, plus the patterns Writer Beware keeps warning about.

• No sample page. If they will not show you one page of your own book, you are buying blind.
• No stated revision round. “Unlimited” or silence both lead to arguments later.
• They ask for your KDP login. You never need to share it. If you worry about this, read what to do about your KDP sign-in.
• No delivery date. A real formatter can tell you how many days it takes.
• Pressure and big upfront payments. Writer Beware describes aggressive solicitation and large upfront fees as classic warning signs.
• Vague promises. Be wary of anyone who only promises delivery without saying what the files will be.

What should I ask before I pay?

This checklist is my advice, not an industry rule:

1. Can I see a sample page from my own manuscript first?
2. Does the price cover both the EPUB and the print PDF?
3. What trim size will you use? KDP says the most common trim size in the U.S. is 6” x 9”, and you can also choose a custom size.
4. How many revision rounds are included, and what does an extra one cost?
5. How many days will it take after you get my complete manuscript?
6. Do I get the source file, and in which tool is it made?
7. Is my text left alone? A formatter should change the layout, not your words.

Which files should I get back?

• An EPUB for Kindle and other ebook stores.
• A print PDF at the trim size you chose, ready to upload. KDP says to set up your interior with bleed if images reach the page edge.
• The source file, if you want it. Ask first. Some tools keep the project on your own computer, others in the cloud, and a few formatters keep it. Without it, a later change may cost you a new job.

Then check the files yourself. Upload them to KDP and go through the previewer page by page before you approve the work.

When is doing it yourself the better choice?

If you have a day or two and want to learn a tool, do it yourself. Reedsy Studio is free and exports an EPUB and a print-ready PDF. The steps are in how to format a book for KDP and IngramSpark. If you would rather hand it over, it is a fair trade for your time, as long as you ask the questions above first.

Want the formatting done for you?

My team formats your book and I check every file before it goes back. It is $67 to $207 by word count, delivered within 3 business days of your complete manuscript, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. See book formatting.