The Book Formatting Formula

Format your book so beautifully, no one believes you did it yourself.

You’ve written the book. Now make it look like it belongs on the shelf next to the traditionally published ones — the fonts, the layout, the little design details readers notice without knowing why.

The Book Formatting Formula guides teach you what professional formatters know: the principles, the genre conventions, the image prep, the polish. Use them alongside formatting software such as Atticus, Vellum, or Deckle, or follow the included step-by-step guides and format the whole thing yourself in Word and Kindle Create.

Over $115 of guides. Instant download. Yours forever.

I've written and edited my book... now what?

The manuscript is done. You open your formatting tool to “just get it looking nice”… and suddenly you’re second-guessing every font, every margin, every chapter heading. Software can assemble a book, but it can’t tell you what makes one look right.

Professional formatting services charge $150–$500+ per book — every single book. And even the best formatting software still leaves the design decisions to you.

There’s a better way: learn it once, use it forever, with whatever tool you choose.

What is The Book Formatting Formula?

The Book Formatting Formula is a set of comprehensive PDF guides that cover everything you need to successfully and beautifully format your book.

Formatting Foundations — The “why” behind beautiful books: fonts, layout, images, front and back matter, and the industry standards readers subconsciously expect. Works with any formatting tool. ($30 value)
The Pretty Pages Look Book — Genre-specific design inspiration: font pairings, image ideas, and mockups, so you can stop staring blankly at your chapter headings and just choose something gorgeous. ($22 value)
The Book Image Prep Guide — How to prepare images correctly for print and ebook, so nothing comes out blurry, stretched, or rejected by the printer. ($12 value)
Format Your Print Book with Microsoft Word — Don’t want to buy software? You can create a professional, print-ready paperback in Word. Yes, really. Step by step. ($30 value)
Format Your Ebook with Kindle Create — Beginner-friendly, beautiful ebooks using free software — even if you’re not selling on Amazon. ($22 value)
PLUS free bonuses: the Beautiful Body Font Guide and the Copyright Page Builder.

Choose your path...

The Complete Author Suite — $52

Everything. All five guides plus bonuses — the design knowledge and the full step-by-step formatting routes. The complete toolkit, whichever way you format, for every book you ever publish.

$116 individually — save 55%.

The Book Design Essentials — $39

For Atticus, Vellum, and Deckle (and other software) users. Formatting Foundations + The Pretty Pages Look Book + The Book Image Prep Guide. Your software does the assembly — these make sure what it assembles looks genuinely professional.

$64 individually — save almost 40%.

Not sure? The Suite is only $13 more and includes everything in the Essentials. Most authors end up wanting the full picture.

REVIEWS OF THE BOOK FORMATTING FORMULA

“A necessity for any indie author”

I recently purchased and completed The Complete Author Suite and found it to be an incredibly valuable resource. What stands out most is how offers clear, practical guidance that’s easy to follow and apply. It breaks down what can feel overwhelming into something genuinely achievable. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach to formatting, this is a resource you’ll keep coming back to. Highly recommend for any author serious about building their career.

“Comprehensive & Beautiful”

These guides are an absolute must-have for indie authors! I purchased the full bundle with all five guides and I’m so glad I did. Book formatting can feel like an overwhelming task causing self-publishers to often skip optimizing the inner aesthetics. But the guides break everything down in a way that is clear, thorough, and actually enjoyable to work through. Reading through them, I truly felt like I was being guided by a professional with real experience and passion for what she does. That authenticity shines through.

“An essential addition to every self-publisher’s armoury”

The Book Formatting Formula guides present an deep dive into the often-overlooked art and craft of formatting, as well as explaining the creative intent behind the process. They are informative, well-written and easy to follow. Whether you want to learn or enhance your formatting skills or give your work a unique vibe, look no further than The Book Formatting Formula guides. You will not be disappointed.

“Really helpful”

Formatting has been a bit of a mystery to me up to now, and I’m glad I’ve found these comprehensive and easy-to-follow guides. As well as covering the nitty-gritty of Word, they also offer helpful tips on how to insert images into your book and which fonts to choose for different genres. I’d definitely recommend them.

Hi, I'm Julia Scott

I’ve spent years formatting books professionally for indie authors, including my own, and I’ve also been a book formatter for an author services company. Being an indie author myself means that I’ve seen it all: what the industry expects, and what it feels like to do all of this on your own.

My guides have been featured and reviewed by Kindlepreneur, praised as “very helpful, well put together, and not overly complicated.”

The Book Formatting Formula is everything I know, written down the way I wish someone had explained it to me — clearly, warmly, and without assuming you have a design degree.

Your words are magic. Let’s make sure your book looks it!

WHO IT'S FOR:

This is for you if:

You’re self-publishing and want your book to look genuinely professional
You format with Atticus, Vellum, Deckle, Word, Kindle Create — or haven’t chosen a tool yet
You’d rather learn a lifetime skill than pay a formatter for every book
You like clear, step-by-step instructions with the “why” explained

This probably isn’t for you if:

You want someone to format the book for you (that’s a done-for-you service, not a guide)
You’re traditionally published and your publisher handles formatting

Ready to prettify your pages?

Instant digital download. Return to it with every book you ever publish.

Not ready yet?

Start with the free Formatting Quickstart Guide — the essential first steps, straight to your inbox.

FAQ:

I use software like Atticus or Vellum. Is this still for me?

Absolutely. That’s exactly what the Design Essentials bundle is for. Your software handles the assembly. Formatting Foundations, the Pretty Pages Look Book, and Book Image Prep make sure the result looks professionally designed. (The Complete Suite includes them too.)

Do I need expensive software?

No. The Complete Author Suite includes complete step-by-step guides using Microsoft Word and Kindle Create (free), so you can format everything without buying any software at all.

How do I receive the guides?

Instantly, as digital downloads via Payhip — a secure checkout platform trusted by thousands of independent creators. You’ll get a download link the moment you purchase.

Is this for ebooks or print books?

Both. The guides cover ebook formatting, print formatting, and the design principles behind each.

I'm a total beginner. Will I cope?

That’s exactly who these were written for. Everything is step by step, with the “why” explained as you go. And for the Word and Kindle Create guides, you’re not stuck watching one long overwhelming video. Each step has its own short video, so you can go at your own pace and easily find your place again if you need to.

Is this suitable for nonfiction books?

The core formatting principles — typography, layout, front matter — apply to nonfiction too, and you’ll still get real value from Formatting Foundations and the Kindle Create guide. That said, these guides are primarily built with fiction in mind, so nonfiction-specific elements like subheadings, graphs, and captioned images aren’t covered in detail. If your book is text-heavy nonfiction without complex layout needs, you’ll likely find it useful. But if you need extensive support with charts, tables, or academic-style formatting, this may not be the right fit.

What if it's not right for me?

Because these are instant digital downloads, I’m not able to offer refunds once you’ve purchased. As soon as it’s yours, there’s no way to “return” it. That’s exactly why I’ve shared genuine reviews and a Kindlepreneur feature throughout this page, so you can feel confident before you buy.

If you’re still unsure, start with the free Quickstart Guide — it’ll give you a real feel for how I explain things before you commit to anything.