Best Book Formatting Software will be discussed in this article. Atticus is the industry leader in book formatting software at the moment. It is highly adaptable, loaded with cutting-edge capabilities, and more than $100 less expensive than the top competitor: Vellum.
Both Scrivener and Microsoft Word, if you currently use them, contain useful formatting tools. Consider using Kindle Create if you’re concerned about how your eBook will appear on Kindle devices.
Best Book Formatting Software In 2023
In this article, you can know about Best Book Formatting Software In 2023 here are the details below;
The importance of formatting your manuscript for editors and agencies as well as for printing or eBook publication cannot be overstated. A book or eBook with poor formatting presents unprofessionally, risks rejection from literary agents, and receives negative reader reviews.
Although it may sound exaggerated, formatting mistakes draw readers away from the story and the book you worked so hard to write.
Don’t let formatting obstruct sharing your amazing story.
Effective book marketing depends on effective book formatting.
I might receive a small commission if you use the links in this post to make purchases. You won’t pay anything extra, and it helps me keep producing useful posts like this one.
What is book formatting?
Line breaks, paragraph breaks, typefaces, spaces, indentations, & punctuation are all examples of book formatting.
Publishing a best-selling book requires beautiful and professional formatting. Formatting that is inconsistent or amateurish can harm a book’s reputation and turn off potential customers.
When publishing a book, you might choose to employ book formatting software or a professional formatting service. On your own, you could overlook minor issues that are nonetheless obvious, such as page numbers on blank pages, headers on chapter starting pages, or insufficient margins.
Book Formatting vs. Manuscript Formatting
As opposed to formatting your manuscript for an editor or literary agent, formatting your book for publication is extremely different. Traditionally, a professional designer or a self-published author handles book formatting. A book should be formatted for final publication such that it appears expert, tidy, and unobtrusive. You will receive poor evaluations solely for the fact that it doesn’t look professional.
Traditionally, the following formats work well for drafting books that will be published:
- 12-point font in black
- Alignment to the left
- A new chapter begins after a page break.
- There should only be one space after periods.
- Margins of 0.75″
- Dialogue that is punctuated properly
Pages that are numbered, starting with the title page rather than the first page where the story actually begins.
Presenting your work to literary agents, editors, illustrators, and beta readers is the goal of manuscript formatting. Agents and editors won’t want to work with you if your font, line spacing, margins, and indentations don’t appear professional, and beta readers won’t be able to remark on your tale because they’ll be preoccupied by the formatting.
Formatting a manuscript:
- Black 12-point type
- Just Times New Roman
- Margins of 1″
- Alignment to the left
- A new chapter begins after a page break.
- There should only be one space after periods.
- Duplicate spacing
- Don’t press Tab or Space to indent by 0.5″ instead.
- Dialogue that is punctuated properly
- Pages that are numbered, starting with the title page rather than the first page where the story actually begins.
Always adhere to the submission requirements specified by the specific editors, agents, publishers, etc.
Take a look at these 30 Publishing Companies that Accept Unagented Submissions, which are excellent for independent authors.
Best Softwares for formatting books and eBook
Software for formatting books and eBooks is widely available. However, they aren’t all the same. I just want to discuss with you the top formatting software. Which program is ideal for book layout? You can format books using any of these 5 tools:
1. Atticus
The top formatting tool available is Atticus. This program can format stunning ebooks and print books and was created as a blend of the best features of Vellum, Google Docs, and Scrivener. You can read my complete review on Atticus here to find out more information about him.
Because of the pricing difference and the planned capabilities that will make Atticus the best all-in-one tool for authors, I wholeheartedly suggest it above Vellum for book formatting.
There are essentially no drawbacks to Atticus, other than the fact that it is a more recent piece of software and not all functionality were available right once at launch. It does all of Vellum’s functions and even more. It also has a powerful word processor that is intended to replace all other word processors in the future. It has writing objectives and many writing modes built in.
2. Vellum
Pros
Cons
- Simple to use.The price is expensive at first.
- No monthly or annual costs.Only Mac users may use it.
- May produce both printed books and ebooks.
- PREPARED templates.
- Easily able to produce boxed sets.
- Looks professional in appearance.
For many years, Vellum was the top book formatting program available. It is an excellent tool that makes producing books with a professional appearance very simple. But it was not without issues. First of all, a PC user was out of luck because it only supported Macs. It was also always very pricey in comparison to other software.
However, authors would still find a way to use it and would still pay the asking fee.
Atticus then appeared. Authors can now get Vellum through Atticus for over $102 less and have it work on all computers while maintaining the same level of quality. Vellum is ranked second on the list as a result.
You may read my complete Vellum review here if you want to learn more.
It was so excellent that before
This program excels at formatting both print books and ebooks, making it a wonderful tool for both fiction and nonfiction writing. whole Vellum review here.
Vellum has two key drawbacks:
There are no mobile devices or Windows PCs supported by it; only Mac computers can use it.
The cost of publishing it is high ($199.99 for eBooks or $249.99 for eBooks and print books).
During its limitless, no-obligation free trial, its word processor is fully functional. The complete edition of this program is only necessary if you intend to format your book or eBook for publication.
3. Kindle Create
Pros
Cons
Simple to use, however only specific sorts of books are appropriate. Can produce printed books and ebooks, however the final output looks less polished. Like other book formatting programs, Kindle Create allows you to write your work before it needs to be formatted and published. However, Kindle Create is a requirement if you want to publish to Amazon’s eBook store. Also check Solo Funds Alternatives
Here is a link to Kindle Create. Kindle Create is not recommended for books featuring photos, tables, footnotes, endnotes, or customized fonts, according to Amazon. Kindle Create can be a great choice for you if you want to publish through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). To guarantee that your readers—especially Kindle owners—have the finest reading experience possible, you can modify and preview your ebook.
4. MS Word
Pros
Cons
- Most folks have it already.(If you don’t already have it) Expensive.
- Compared to free programs, it has more design possibilities.just for e-books
- Most likely, you are already aware with the formatting options and tools.little variety in design
A Docx file must be uploaded in order to use several of the other tools on this list.It’s not designed for use with books. You’ll produce a finished work that appears less expert. The industry standard for word processors is Microsoft Word. MS Word is widely used in enterprises, and for good reason. A “what you see is what you get” application, it’s excellent for formatting.
Word is incredibly user-friendly for formatting, exporting, and publishing even if I personally wouldn’t suggest it for writing a book. Word makes formatting your novel uncomplicated, which can’t be stated for the majority of these formatting programs.
To get everything of Microsoft 365, MS Word costs $139.99, or $6.99 per month. Make careful to double-space your lines when formatting your manuscript. Use Arial or Times New Roman fonts only. Does Microsoft Word include a template for a book? Yes, Microsoft Word comes with a number of built-in book templates.
5. Scrivener
Pros
Cons
Excellent for organizing and drafting your book.When exported, formatting can be erratic and lead to problems.
Inexpensive. Instead of being a formatting program, it is a writing program.
No monthly or annual costs.few formatting choices
May produce both printed books and ebooks.The learning curve is greater than with other programs. The best book writing program is Scrivener; I’ve used it exclusively for years. Its pre-made templates, distraction-free Composition Mode, emphasis on organization, and ability to view all of your research files in one window are all features I adore. See my whole evaluation of Scrivener 3. In order to demonstrate why Scrivener is superior to MS Word, I also prepared a movie.
Even I have to admit that understanding how to format your book or finished output into an EPUB, MOBI, PDF, or DOCX using Scrivener’s Compile feature takes some practice. However, there are extensive mastery courses and free video tutorials available.
Only because Scrivener is so customizable can it be scary. You can add your lovely book cover, name your chapter titles, divide scenes and portions, and more in the sidebar (Binder). When you select your own DIY manuscript or a polished eBook from the Binder in the Compile box, you’ll feel like a true book designer.
Here are Scrivener’s 7 formatting advantages:
- When you begin a project, use these helpful templates to assist with formatting later.
- Default formatting is a useful setting
- Options for sections and titles that can be customized
- Flexible options for the header and footer
- Control over page breaks and separators
- Personalization of the front matter, back matter, and metadata
- Ability to compile (export) to HTML, DOCX, RTF, MOBI, PDF, and other formats
What is the price of Scrivener? Scrivener costs $49 for Mac or Windows after the 30-day free trial or $19.99 for iOS. Discounts are available for “students and academics.”
Download Scrivener right away by using my coupon code (KINDLEPRENEUR) for 20% off! (Use my 50% discount code, SCRIV3MAC, if you’re upgrading to Scrivener 3).
6. Reedsy
Pros
Cons
- Free Only a few design choices
- Simple to use Only applicable to certain genres of books (novels, memoirs, etc.)
- It combines a word processor with design applications.
- Existing templates.
- Exports files suitable for dissemination.
- May produce physical books and ebooks.
In order to “meet the high standards of the industry,” Reedsy Book Editor was developed with input from specialists in book design, according to their website. It is simple to learn, free, and browser-based.
Similar to issues with Google Docs, Reedsy’s book formatter is only compatible with web browsers, which means it is constrained by both your internet connection and the slow processing speed of your browser.
The advantages of using Reedsy Book Editor to format your book or manuscript are as follows:
Native connectivity with various online book stores, including Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks, IngramSpark, KDP Print, Lulu, and others.
- Exports to PDF, EPUB, and MOBI
- It is absolutely FREE.
- No prior design experience necessary
- Secure cloud storage for countless devices
Depending on the template you’ve chosen, Reedsy will automatically determine your font, size, and spacing. Of course, if necessary, you can highlight a passage and modify these attributes.
Various Formatting Devices
The finest book formatting software is comprised of the five tools mentioned above. But there are additional formatting applications you might want to take into account.
The industry standard for expert formatters is Adobe InDesign. However, due to its high price ($31.49/month, or $239.88/year) and extensive feature set, only people with experience in design or formatting should buy and use it.
Calibre is a fantastic program for formatting, editing, and conversion of your book or manuscript. It is fantastic for exporting and is open-source and free. Similar to Vellum, Calibre has a learning curve, but there are a ton of YouTube videos available to guide you through using this useful program.
A book formatting program called Jutoh is available for $45 for the Standard Edition. The most helpful aspect of it is that it flags potential formatting issues you might have overlooked. It enables you to format an unlimited number of books in TXT, HTML, MOBI, and EPUB.
However, Jutoh has an extremely out-of-date website and does not export to PDF.
Which format is best for exporting eBooks?
The majority of the time, EPUB is the ideal format for exporting eBooks. For graphically complex eBooks with distinctive formatting that don’t transition well to an EPUB’s responsiveness, PDF is preferred.
In the past, if you wanted to publish on Amazon’s ebook marketplace, you had to export or convert from EPUB to MOBI. That’s not the situation anymore. In reality, Amazon suggests using a Kindle Create file, DOC/DOCX, or EPUB format. Although supported, MOBI files are not advised.
The following are the most popular eBook file types:
- EPUB
- MOBI
EPUB
A file in the common EPUB format used for eBook publishing. EPUB is an open-source file format created with CSS and HTML that stands for “electronic publication.”
Every book publishing company supports the EPUB file format, which is a universal eBook file format. EPUBs can have optional digital rights management (DRM) functions and are reflowable and resizable. They allow readers to adjust the background color, highlight text, and bookmark pages. Before they were converted to MOBIs, Amazon used to refuse EPUBs. Amazon now accepts and even suggests EPUB files. (When a book is transferred to a Kindle, their built-in software essentially converts EPUBs to MOBIs.) Also check Vellum Alternatives
You should nearly always export your eBook in EPUB format.
28 years ago, in 1993, the Portable Document File (PDF) made its debut. It is however still extensively acknowledged and applied. A PDF offers documents with a set format that are printer-friendly. There are a few unique circumstances where formatting your eBook as a PDF is appropriate. You might wish to think about exporting your eBook as a PDF file if it has special formatting or is graphically detailed. In all other cases, continue with EPUB. Instead of standard eBooks, PDFs are useful for printing.
MOBI
Mobi has lost its usefulness. Amazon recently changed Kindle Direct Publishing such that only Epub files can now be uploaded. The last genuine use of a mobi file, sending it to a Kindle device, will soon be discontinued, according to a recent announcement. The MOBI file format (Mobipocket eBook format) was created specifically for Amazon Kindle devices and is used for eBooks. The MOBI, however, has been phased out.
75% of eBooks are sold on Amazon’s eBook marketplace, where it used to be possible to post your book only in that format. Amazon no longer accepts MOBI files and now advises using EPUB, DOC/DOCX, or Kindle Create files instead. The AZW3, KFX, and KPF file formats carry on the MOBI legacy format. There are almost no circumstances in which you should export your eBook to a MOBI file type as of 2021.
What is the best Paid Book Formatting Software?
By far the best book formatting program is Atticus. In addition to giving you everything you need to format lovely books, it also serves as a complete writing tool. Atticus’ compatibility with almost any operating system, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebooks, is also advantageous. Additionally, your purchase includes lifetime upgrades, eliminating the need for a subscription and guaranteeing that you never have to pay for it again.
What is the best free Book Formatting Software?
Kindle Create is the best free book formatting program. It will do the job, despite not being quite as versatile as Atticus, Vellum, or other premium tools. The fact that Kindle Create is an Amazon product means there won’t ever be a compatibility problem.
Which formatting software will you use?
Use Atticus’ formatting tools, please. Period, and you can check that out here to see how it compares if you’d like. I strongly advise everyone who already uses Scrivener to take the time to become familiar with the Compile feature’s extensive formatting options. Click here to get Scrivener, and use the code KINDLEPRENEUR to save 20%.
Microsoft Word’s straightforward “what you see is what you get” formatting is easy, intuitive, and superior than the word processor if you already use it (you shouldn’t). Kindle Create is a free, user-friendly book formatting tool and browser-based word processor if you’re seeking for a low-cost choice.
Of course, you might want to think about Kindle Create if you’re concentrating on Amazon’s eBook marketplace. You can see a preview of how it will emerge on a Kindle device. Although the software is still clumsy, it will get better.
