Book formatting software: what it does, and which kind your book needs
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.
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.
What book formatting software actually does
Every tool here does some of this list. Check the items your book needs.
How to format a book, whichever software you use
The same five steps apply in a formatter, a word processor or Folio.
Book formatting software compared
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 | About $199.99 (Ebooks) or $249.99 (Press), one-time; free to try | macOS 13 or later only | Ebooks; paperbacks with Press | Polished interiors on a Mac |
| Atticus | About $147 one-time | 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 nine trims; no PDF/X or bleed | 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, has no bleed and no cover spread, and fixed-layout EPUB is not offered. If your printer requires those, export DOCX from Folio and finish the interior in a dedicated formatter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Formatting decisions that come next
Trim size, file format and the publishing steps after formatting.
More Gixo Folio pages
Related book writing, publishing, and alternative pages.