Book formatting is the much-needed yet less acknowledged step of self-publishing as well as traditional publishing, which depicts the format in which a book will appear when printed or delivered in a digital form.
Although the content of the book is of great importance, the way it is presented—specifically, the visual appearance on the page or screen—can greatly impact its ability to engage readers and make reading an enjoyable process. If one has a keen eye for design, a flair for organizing text, and a love for literature, book formatting could be a very lucrative endeavor.
In this article, we will discuss how you can make money from book formatting and different ways you can get started.
What is Book Formatting?
Book formatting is the careful arrangement of texts, images, and other elements to produce a professional and readable text that can be either printed or in an eBook format. Whether it is novels, the writing of non-fiction guides or books, or the creation of eBooks, the goal is to make sure that the book’s design is very clean and easy to navigate. This includes;
- Establishing appropriate margins and dimensions for the page.
- The fonts should be proper in size.
- Insert page number, header and footer
- Chapter title making, section breaks, and tables of contents
- Maintaining a consistent line space and paragraphs aligned Proper placement of images and graphics-in the case of picture books
As an aspiring book formatter, the first and foremost goal is to make the manuscript look good and professional, be it any paperback, hardcover, or eBook.
These strategies can even produce income from book formatting
There are so many ways that one can be paid for his book formatting skills, either as an add-on to a part-time income or even to make a full-time career out of it. Here are some of the most common ways to earn money using this skill.
1. Freelance book formatting services
One of the most obvious ways to earn money is through freelancing in book formatting. There are various platforms where a person can look for clients who need help in formatting their books for print and digital publishing, such as:
- Upwork is one of the most popular freelance websites that allows individuals to create a profile and offer proposals for book formatting projects.
- Fiverr is the one who will let people offer definite services in an exact price, such as eBook formatting and print book formatting.
- Freelancer.com: Another platform where clients post freelance book formatting gigs.
- Networking on LinkedIn can attract book formatting contracts, especially when one creates an image of himself as an expert in the same field.
One can charge according to his experience and skills while freelancing. Beginners may charge between $15 and $25 an hour, while the skilled formatters can charge from $50 to $100 per hour.
2. Develop and publicize templates for book formatting.
Should you have an appreciation for the design elements of formatting, you may consider creating pre-designed book formatting templates for sale on the internet. This endeavor would assist authors and publishers in formatting their books efficiently, thereby eliminating the necessity of employing professionals. You have the opportunity to develop templates compatible with commonly utilized software such as Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, or even Scrivener.
Amongst others are platforms which allow you sell off your templates.
- Etsy functions as a marketplace that offers digital products, including book templates.
- Creative Market: Creative Market is that marketplace which helps people sell off their design assets which also contains book templates.
- Gumroad: A simple platform to sell digital downloads straight to your audience.
A template that provides a wide variety of fiction books, non-fiction works, and children’s literature can fulfill a large spectrum of customers. Once developed and in the list, these templates will bring in passive income as they are sold.
3. Create an e-book or an online course on book formatting
If you understand the book formatting process, then it would make perfect sense to create an online course or e-book on how to format a book by yourself. There are many aspiring authors and self-publishers as well as graphic designers interested in learning book formatting skills but just need direction to do so. And this is a way in which you can monetize what you know.
This list of platforms that will publish your course or e-book includes:
- Udemy: An online course website through which one can create video lessons on book formatting.
- Teachable: This is a course creation and selling site.
- It’s known as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), an eBook self-publishing platform on book formatting that may be sold directly through Amazon’s website.
One can take advantage of the continually expanding market of self-publishers who would prefer to retain control over their formatting but still need the proper skills to achieve that task by making a course or tutorial.
4. Alternative Genres of Unique Style
Authors specializing in a particular genre or niche usually like people with knowledge of that genres, for example, cook books must be formatted differently from other novels, and children books require specific formatting, like the positioning of images; therefore, focusing on that niche will give one room to develop a niche or area of expertise and create a niche as the authoritative professional in that niche regarding book formatting.
Some niche genres to consider:
- Cookbooks
- Self-help and motivational literature
- Business or academic books
- Illustrated children’s books
- Graphic novels and comic books.
- Poetry
Niche specializing could enable an individual to earn premium rates and to attract customers who are in pursuit of expertise in such specific niche areas. Such individuals could consider offering packages or special packages designed for those niches.
5. Book formatting for Publishers
Large publishing houses require the help of book formatters to deal with large volumes of work. Such opportunities, though demanding experience, pay better and offer more job security. Publishers have the freedom to either outsource the formatting tasks to freelancers or employ full-time formatters to create different books.
To achieve such opportunities, the following must be done:
- Build a strong portfolio of your work
- Connect to industry professionals
- Keep up to date with the latest software development and trends.
6. Deliver All-Inclusive Publication Packages
Some authors will need more than just formatting; they will require a full self-publishing package that includes editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing. If you have skills other than just formatting, such as proofreading or design, you can now offer the whole package in book production.
- Editing includes all the services concerning proofreading, copy-editing, and content editing.
- Beautiful designs for book covers.
- Marketing and Distribution: Supporting an author in formulating approaches of how to properly publicize his books.
Giving that packaged service would actually leave the person a ready candidate to charge high sums to attract more customers.
Tips on book formatting
- Staying current on software: Being informed about industry-standard tools like Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, and many other layout programs, will not be able to provide good book formatting without that knowledge. Continuing work on your skills will enable you to stay abreast of the latest trends and challenges related to formatting.
- Build a Portfolio: There’s also an added benefit in that more abundant quantities of formatting jobs boost your possibilities of actually getting clients. Freelance writers or smaller publishing groups make for excellent prospects.
- Self-publishing platforms: They include Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Smashwords. The more one is aware of the terms required by each platform the more attractive one will appear to the clients.
- Offer Excellent Service: Book formatting can be done together. Be patient, professional, and clear with your customers so that you can expect repeat business and positive reviews.
Conclusion
The other career or side hustle is in itself, book formatting especially to a passionate person of books and loves design. The freelancing services offered could include pre-made templates to sell and also the designing of online courses. Even working with niche genres is a great opportunity for working in this situation. In addition, as you either starting your business or attempting to go to the next level, that skill opens to various aspects of growth and profitability
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