The four ways to format a book in 2026: software, templates, freelancers, or done-for-you
- Operate a tool or template if you are prolific, hands-on, and enjoy running your own design software.
- Let us do it instead if you have a book or two and would rather it were simply done, cover and all. You do not have to weigh it in the abstract: start your book with a 100% money-back guarantee for 30 days.
The four paths at a glance
| Path | Typical cost | Your time | Design control | Skill needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software (Vellum, Atticus) | About $147 to $249.99 one-time | Real; you learn and operate it | High within the app's styles | Moderate |
| DIY template | Small one-time cost per template | Moderate; you place your text | High, within the template | Comfort in Word |
| Freelance designer | Commonly quoted several hundred to several thousand dollars | Low; briefing and revisions | Highest; bespoke | Low, but you manage the project |
| Done-for-you (BookDesigner.ai) | $99.99 per book (bundles from $149.99) | Minimal; upload and receive | Pick a design; the service executes | None |
Software and freelance figures reflect publicly reported and commonly quoted information as of July 2026 and can change; confirm current details before you buy. BookDesigner.ai prices are our own current published prices. A free option also exists: Draft2Digital's formatter and formatting in Word both cost nothing, covered below.
Path 1: Formatting software
You buy an app once and format your own books forever. The two names authors weigh most are Vellum and Atticus. Vellum produces beautiful, stable interiors and is a one-time purchase of about $249.99, but it is Mac-only and does not design covers. Atticus is cross-platform and about $147, doubles as a writing app, and trades a little stability for the lower price and Windows support. Both share the defining property of this whole category: the work, the learning, and the responsibility for hitting printer specs stay with you. Software is the smart economics for a prolific author who enjoys the craft, because the per-book cost keeps falling.
Go deeper: our Vellum review, our Atticus review, and the head-to-head Vellum vs Atticus vs hiring it done.
Path 2: The DIY template (the middle path)
A professional template is the honest middle ground between free tools and paying someone. You buy a designer-built template, drop your manuscript into it in Word, and keep full control while standing on someone else's typography and layout decisions. It costs a small one-time fee per template, needs only ordinary comfort with Word, and produces a genuinely professional look when you follow the setup. It is the right call for authors who want to keep their hands on the work without learning a whole new app or paying per book. Our own library lives at BookDesignTemplates.com, and if you would rather format from scratch, our guide to formatting a book in Word covers the free route end to end.
Path 3: A freelance designer
Hiring a human designer buys bespoke work and the lowest time commitment on your end, and it is the right answer for genuinely complex or illustrated interiors that tools and templates cannot do well. The honest trade is cost and scheduling. Custom interior and cover work is commonly quoted from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on complexity, professional covers alone average around $880 per industry data, and the best designers are often booked weeks or months out. For a standard novel or non-fiction interior, a freelancer is usually more than the book requires; for a cookbook, a children's picture book, or a heavily illustrated title, it is frequently the only route that does the job justice. Our guide to what a book cover really costs breaks down the freelance and premade numbers in detail.
Path 4: Done-for-you
You pay per book and receive finished files without operating anything. This is where BookDesigner.ai sits. You upload your manuscript in the browser, pick from 20 professional designs across 9 trim sizes, and Cantos, our book-design AI, returns a press-ready print PDF, a reflowable ePub, and an editable DOCX master you fully own. Pricing is per book: each component is $99.99, the interior-plus-cover bundle is $149.99, and the complete Full Package with cover and marketing kit is $249.99. There is nothing to install, so platform is a non-issue, and because we are responsible for the specs, a printer rejection is our problem to fix. It is the right fit for an author with one or two books who wants the interior, and often the cover and marketing, handled without becoming a formatter. Honest caveat: it is built for novels, memoirs, and most non-fiction, not for cookbooks or children's picture books, where a specialist is the better path.
Compare it directly: BookDesigner.ai vs Vellum and BookDesigner.ai vs Atticus. And if a simple free ebook is all you need, read our honest Draft2Digital formatting review first, because sometimes the free tool is the correct answer.
How to choose, in four questions
- How many books will you publish? Many and you enjoy it, lean software or a template. One or two, lean done-for-you or a freelancer.
- What is your platform? On Windows, Vellum is off the table; Atticus, a template, or a browser-based service fit.
- How complex is your interior? Standard text, any path works. Illustrated or specialty, favor a freelancer.
- Cash or hours? If your time is scarce, paying per book to skip the learning curve is often the lower true cost, not the higher one.
The one-line verdict
Software for the prolific do-it-yourselfer, a template for the hands-on author who wants a professional look, a freelancer for complex or illustrated books, and done-for-you for the author who just wants a finished book without operating an app. So the fork underneath it all is simple: if you enjoy operating design software, buy the tool or template that fits you, and it is a good buy. If you would rather the book were just done by a designer, that is what we do, and it is the more relaxed path by design. Match the path to your answers above, not to a sticker price alone.
The fastest way to decide is to see your own manuscript typeset. BookDesignerAI is done-for-you interior formatting at $99.99 per book, nothing to install and no platform to worry about. You get a press-ready print PDF, a reflowable ePub, and an editable DOCX you fully own, in one of 20 professional designs by Cantos, our book-design AI, plus optional cover and marketing kit. Choose what your book needs, check out, and Cantos builds it in the design you pick. Every purchase carries a 100% money-back guarantee for 30 days, you keep your copyright, and the editable master files are included. Nothing is ever trained on your work.
Start Your BookFrequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to format a book?
By upfront cash, a free tool like Draft2Digital's formatter or formatting in Word is the cheapest, at zero dollars. A DIY template is a small one-time cost. Formatting software is a larger one-time cost, about 147 dollars for Atticus or 249.99 dollars for Vellum, that gets cheaper per book the more you publish. A done-for-you service such as BookDesigner.ai is 99.99 dollars per book. The truly cheapest option depends on whether you value cash or hours more, and how many books you will make.
Should I hire a freelance formatter or use software?
If you publish many books and enjoy the craft, software amortizes and gives you instant control. A freelance designer makes sense for illustrated or specialty interiors that templates and tools cannot handle, though quotes commonly run several hundred to several thousand dollars and the best designers book weeks or months out. For one or two standard books, a per-book done-for-you service often lands between the two on cost and removes the learning curve entirely.
Which formatting method is right for me?
Match the method to your volume, platform, budget, and skill. Software fits prolific do-it-yourselfers. A DIY template fits authors who want a professional look and are comfortable in Word. A freelancer fits complex or illustrated books. A done-for-you service fits authors with one or two books who want the interior, and often the cover and marketing too, handled without operating an app. This page lays out the trade-offs and links to a full review of each route.
Prices and quoted figures reflect publicly reported and commonly quoted information as of July 2026 and can change; confirm current details with each vendor. Reviews in this series: Vellum review · Atticus review · Vellum vs Atticus vs hiring it done · BookDesigner.ai vs Vellum · BookDesigner.ai vs Atticus · Draft2Digital formatting review · All author guides