Book formatting software turns a finished manuscript into two files: a reflowable EPUB for ebook stores and a print PDF sized to your trim, with chapter openings, running headers, page numbers and front matter. Dedicated formatters such as Vellum and Atticus do only that job very well; free options include Reedsy Studio and Amazon's Kindle Create; and a book workspace like Gixo Folio formats as the last step of writing. The right choice depends on whether the manuscript is finished and on what your printer requires.
Folio · inspect the actual output
Book formatting software should let you inspect the actual artifact intended for each reading surface. These retained Folio outputs come from a fictional three-chapter manuscript: a full-book 6 × 9 inch Novel Classic PDF, a 7 × 10 inch chapters-only workbook treatment, editable Word and reflowable EPUB. The two PDF treatments have different scopes as well as different layouts.
Compare the retained chapter before and after the saved edit, then inspect the exported document. Keep the source revision and export settings together so a changed heading or paragraph can be traced to the edition being reviewed.
The Novel Classic file uses a 6 × 9 inch trim. The workbook uses 7 × 10 inches and excludes frontmatter. Confirm page order, chapter openings, table breaks and running text on the actual pages rather than inferring them from the template name.
The actual EPUB is reflowable text. Its reading order and headings need their own check; a PDF screenshot does not prove ebook behavior. The editable Word file is another handoff, with its own pagination and styles.
Separate Arabic RTL, Hindi and Japanese PDF proofs show representative existing script rendering. They were supplied directly in those languages. They do not demonstrate a completed translation order or human native-language approval.
Book formatting software should let you inspect the actual artifact intended for each reading surface. These retained Folio outputs come from a fictional three-chapter manuscript: a full-book 6 × 9 inch Novel Classic PDF, a 7 × 10 inch chapters-only workbook treatment, editable Word and reflowable EPUB. The two PDF treatments have different scopes as well as different layouts. These are interior and manuscript handoffs, not a completed cover wrap, retailer upload or printer certification. The full-frontmatter workbook attempt retained a section-page validation finding; the successful workbook is chapters-only. Story Bible and full publication-package proof remain separate open work.
These are interior and manuscript handoffs, not a completed cover wrap, retailer upload or printer certification. The full-frontmatter workbook attempt retained a section-page validation finding; the successful workbook is chapters-only. Story Bible and full publication-package proof remain separate open work.
A format list is the starting point. Inspect print and ebook controls, freeze the manuscript and settings, then review the actual artifact that will leave the workspace.
Set standard or custom trim, mirrored margins, bleed and page headers. Inspect measured figure warnings; the paperback wrap uses the rendered interior's page count.
PDF is RGB, not PDF/X. EPUB 3 is reflowable; fixed-layout spreads and automatic index/bibliography generation are not provided.
Save a frozen edition, inspect its PDF or ebook artifact, add proof notes and corrections, and reproof changed files. Editorial clearance stays with that edition.
Approval is your recorded decision for one artifact. Later manuscript or layout changes need a new proof.
Choose the reviewed file, confirm provenance and destination requirements, then download the author handoff package and upload it yourself.
Folio does not issue ISBNs, publish to retailers or certify acceptance. Translation and audio are separate workflows.
Start blank, import and manually edit your own book. Its downloads and proofs do not need an active Folio subscription. New AI planning, drafting and editorial assistance need eligible access; translation and narration use separate edition conditions. Existing book view, comment and edit permissions apply.
Review the book workflow · Compare current Folio plans · Check supplied publishing details
Use the persistent book workspace when the outcome is a real guide, authority book, training manual, client asset, or exportable edition.
If your manuscript is already finished and you only need specialist formatting or a dedicated fiction system, a focused tool may be the simpler choice.
Every tool here does some of this list. Check the items your book needs.
The same five steps apply in a formatter, a word processor or Folio.
Non-Gixo figures read from each vendor's own pages on 25 September 2026 — treat them as approximate.
| Tool | Price | Runs on | Output | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vellum | Check the current Ebooks or Press license | macOS 13 or later only | Ebooks; paperbacks with Press | Polished interiors on a Mac |
| Atticus | Check the current Atticus license | Cross-platform, works offline | EPUB, PDF, DOCX | Writing and formatting in one app |
| Reedsy Studio | Free core editor | Browser | EPUB 3 and PDF/X-1a print PDF | Free print-on-demand files |
| Kindle Create | From Amazon | Windows and macOS | KPF, KDP's preferred format | Books sold only through KDP |
| Word or Google Docs | What you already have | Desktop or browser | DOCX and PDF; Google Docs can download EPUB | Simple books, with manual layout work |
| Gixo Folio | $19/mo Author, monthly | Browser | EPUB 3, DOCX and RGB print PDF at standard/custom trims with optional bleed; no PDF/X | Books still being written |
Prices and formats were checked on 25 September 2026 against vellum.pub, atticus.io, reedsy.com/studio, Amazon's Kindle Create help page and Google's Workspace announcement of EPUB download; treat non-Gixo figures as approximate. This page compares documented capabilities; it does not score output quality.
An ebook is reflowable: the reader's device decides line length and page breaks, so the file carries structure, not layout. A print book is fixed: every line and page break is decided once, at one trim size, which is why print formatting takes most of the effort.
That is also why a word processor copes with ebooks better than with print. Headings styled properly produce a decent EPUB; a good print interior needs running headers, page numbering and chapter openings that word processors make laborious.
Folio formats from the manuscript structure it already holds. The print PDF carries a cover page, front matter, a table of contents, running headers and page numbers at 5 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 7 × 10, 8 × 10, A4, US Letter, A5 or B5; the EPUB is EPUB 3, reflowable.
Its limits are specific: the PDF is RGB rather than PDF/X or CMYK. Optional bleed and a separate paperback wrap cover are supported; fixed-layout EPUB is not. Inspect the rendered interior, cover and measured warnings, and use specialist prepress if the printer requires it.
Trim size, file format and the publishing steps after formatting.
Related book writing, publishing, and alternative pages.
Updated
