Professional formatting and layout designers know the quickest way to make sure your book looks the best it can. We know the layout rules, as well as tricks for getting different paragraph styles to render correctly on ebook e-readers. When hiring a formatter/designer you are not just paying for a finished product; you are paying for our knowledge, experience, expertise, and our time in researching a solution for any problems which may be encountered.

Text files: Provide your text in an editable format, ideally as a Microsoft Word file. If you have used an alternative word processing package to write your text such as OpenOffice or Pages, please make your file is Word compatible.

Images: To ensure your images appear vivid and crisp in print, please provide them at the highest quality possible. Images for print should have a minimum resolution of 300 ppi (pixels per inch). If your images are embedded in the Word file, please also send them separately because Word automatically downsizes them.

Charts, graphs, tables: Whenever possible, please provide these in source format such as Excel or Illustrator files. If we have to rebuild the chart/graph/table, there will be an additional charge.

Cover (ask cover designer for the names of fonts used)

Front & Back matter: This may be additional links for social media or websites. If not included in the text file, please send the author photo and any logos you want included.

NO. EBookBuilders does the layout design and formatting on a “work-for-hire” basis. Your copyright and publishing rights are not affected.

As publishing has ebbs and flows, some months are busier than most. If you have a set publication date, it is best to book your formatting as soon as possible, preferably one month in advance.

As a service provider with clients and authors around the globe, our work hours are fluid. One day we can be working at 4 a.m. to make sure a project is delivered to the author and another day we could be unavailable as early as 3 p.m. We are always available by email—usually with a 24- 48-hour response time.

Unless there is work scheduled for a deadline, we do not work on Saturdays & Sundays.

Once the contract is signed and the deposit is paid, work will begin. Currently, expect a draft of one file format within 24-48 hours after a design has been approved. In most cases, the finalized print version is available within five days and the ebook files in two.

Unless there is work scheduled for a deadline, we do not work on Saturdays & Sundays.

The copyright page should have the copyright statement as well as the copyright holder’s name. We also recommend mentioning the cover designer, editor, proofer, cover model, and book designer/formatter to give credit to the team members who worked closely with you.

EBookBuilders does offer expedited services for an additional fee to help you meet pre-order or publication deadlines.

fter your book has been edited, polished, and sent to EBookBuilders, the files will be cleaned up for consistency in smart quotes, apostrophes, italics, headings, ellipses, em dashes, and other characters. Then, depending on which service—print or e-book—the manuscript will either be imported into InDesign or an HTML editor for coding. A mockup of a design idea will be sent for approval or changes, then the actual work will be started.

Draft versions are then sent for approval by the author. After making any changes, the files are finalized and sent to the author to be uploaded to either the POD provider or online retailer.

Yes. We use the cover to design our chapter headings, as well as the fonts we use within the book. Also, the cover must be embedded in the e-book or it will not pass validation.

For ebook service packages, you will receive one generic epub file to upload at Draft2Digital or any other online retailer other than Amazon/KDP, one epub to upload to Amazon/KDP, and one mobi file to use as an ARC or giveaway. A TOTAL OF 3 EBOOK FILES ARE INCLUDED AT THE SPECIFIED PRICE; THE ONLY TIME YOU ARE CHARGED FOR EACH FILE TYPE IS IF YOU REQUIRE EPUBS SPECIFIC TO AN ONLINE RETAILER WITH THEIR SPECIFIC LINKS WITHIN THE EBOOK. All files will be checked to ensure they pass IDPF validation.

For print service packages, you will receive one industry-specific, print-ready PDF for uploading to Createspace or any other POD printer. (Please let us know where you plan on uploading so we can run it through our test accounts to make sure it passes their specs.)

NO. Sometimes a word or phrase will jump out during the process and in those instances, a message will be sent to the author for clarification, but proofing is not part of the normal service. We can recommend a proofreader if you require it.

Errors with formatting and design will be fixed immediately. Each project is entitled to ten wording/grammatical/spelling fixes. More than ten corrections could be charged an hourly fee of $25 with a one-hour minimum, which is why it is important to only send your files after they have been properly edited.

Front matter refers to the front non-manuscript body portion of a book and e-book. This usually includes the copyright, Table of Contents, dedication, acknowledgments, epigraph, forward, introduction, etc. A list of other books by the author can also be included as front matter.

Back matter refers to the pages in the back of the book such as a review reminder, about the author, contact the author, excerpt of another book, etc.

Each chapter or section should start on a right-hand (recto) page; usually, this occurs on an odd page number. If your blank page is an even-numbered page, before a chapter or section start, that is probably the reason..

After you contact EBookBuilders with a request for a quote or to be placed on the schedule, a contract will be sent that explains the services and workflow. After signing, an invoice will be sent to you via email for payment. You do not have to have a PayPal account in order to make your payment. You may still pay using debit/credit card or ACH transfer; however, work will not begin until the funds have cleared.

Invoices are sent via email for payment when the project is contracted and booked.  For bookings more than two weeks out, a deposit of 25% is required. At least 50% must be paid before work will be started, with the remainder due before finalized files are sent.

If for any reason you should need to cancel a project, a refund for the deposit will be made if notice is given at least two weeks prior to your booking date. If you cancel less than two weeks before your booking date, deposits are no longer refundable. A refund – if any – is determined based on amount of work done to date. Once final designs have been sent and shared, a refund will NOT be given.