Last reviewed by Robert Prime, 9 November 2026. Amazon KDP’s, Reedsy’s and IngramSpark’s wording was read on their own pages that day. We sell typesetting, so bear that in mind.
Quick Answer: Typesetting is arranging a book’s text on the page so that it’s easy to read and ready to print. A typesetter chooses the font, size, line spacing and margins, and fixes awkward breaks. Most self-publishers now call it formatting. A plain novel can be done with free software. Paid help runs from £69 with us to about £600 on average through Reedsy’s marketplace.
Would you rather someone else did it? Our book formatting services UK start at £69, VAT included, with files back in 24 hours.
What typesetting means
Reedsy defines it as “the process of arranging text on book pages to provide a great reading experience”. The word comes from printing: type was once set by hand, letter by letter, from movable metal pieces. Today the work is done on a computer, but the name has stuck.
IngramSpark points out that the common word for it now is “formatting”, which it says makes the job sound easier than it is.
Typesetting, formatting and book design
| Term | What people usually mean |
|---|---|
| Typesetting | Setting the text on the page for print |
| Formatting | The same job, and also preparing the ebook file |
| Interior design | Choosing the look: fonts, chapter openings, ornaments |
| Copyediting and proofreading | Correcting the words, which is a separate job. See hiring an editor |
What a typesetter actually decides
- Page size. Set this first. KDP tells you to choose your trim size before your margins.
- Margins. Thicker books need a wider inside margin so the text doesn’t vanish into the spine (see below).
- Font and size. A readable book face at a comfortable size.
- Leading. The space between lines.
- Justification and hyphenation. Straight right-hand edges without big gaps between words.
- Widows and orphans. Single lines stranded at the top or bottom of a page.
- Chapter openings, running heads and page numbers.
- Images, tables and footnotes, which is where a plain template stops being enough.
The rules Amazon KDP sets
KDP doesn’t care how elegant your pages are, but it does have minimum margins. For the inside (gutter) margin:
| Page count | Minimum inside margin |
|---|---|
| 24 to 150 | 0.375 in (9.6 mm) |
| 151 to 300 | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) |
| 301 to 500 | 0.625 in (15.9 mm) |
| 501 to 700 | 0.75 in (19.1 mm) |
| 701 to 828 | 0.875 in (22.3 mm) |
The other three margins must be at least 0.25 in without bleed, or 0.375 in with bleed. Bleed means images run to the edge of the page, and KDP trims 0.125 in from the top, bottom and outside edges. KDP also asks you to embed your fonts.
These are minimums. We would set margins wider than this, because text that sits right at the limit can still be rejected, and it looks cramped. Our guide to how to format a book for KDP goes through the options.
Do ebooks need typesetting?
Not in the same way. Most ebooks reflow: the text rearranges itself to suit the reader’s screen and chosen font size, so fixed line breaks don’t apply. An ebook still needs clean structure, such as chapter headings and a working contents page. Picture books are different, because they use a fixed layout.
How much typesetting costs
| Option | Cost, read 9 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Free software | £0, plus your time |
| Our Book Studio (you do it) | £29.99 per book, VAT included |
| Our done-for-you service | £69 paperback, £119 with Kindle, £179 with other ebook shops, £219 picture books, VAT included |
| Reedsy marketplace | $800 average, about £600. Around half of projects cost $475 to $1,275 |
For more providers, see book formatting costs in the UK.
Should you pay for it?
Reedsy says a book that is mainly words “can usually be done for free”. We agree that a plain novel is a reasonable thing to do yourself, if you’re happy to learn the tool and check every page. Pay when your book has images, tables, footnotes or poetry, when you’ve already had a file rejected, or when your time is worth more than the fee.
If you’d rather hand it over, we typeset books for UK authors, with two revision rounds included.
Sources, read 9 November 2026: KDP trim, bleed and margins, KDP paperback submission guidelines, Reedsy on typesetting, Reedsy on costs and IngramSpark.
Frequently asked questions
What does a typesetter do?
Arranges a book’s text on the page, sets the fonts, spacing and margins, and prepares a file ready for printing.
Is typesetting the same as formatting?
For most self-publishers, yes. Some professionals use typesetting only for the print layout.
Can I typeset a book in Word?
You can, and many authors do. It takes care to control margins, line breaks and page numbers, and you should check the finished PDF page by page.
