If you're a self-publishing author hiring a book designer to format your book interior pages, make sure you find out what software they will use. Generally speaking, if you will have a print version of your book, there is only ONE correct answer: Adobe InDesign. If they say Canva, run away! Canva is not made for designing books and it can cause major issues down the line. If they say Microsoft Word, proceed with extreme caution. Formatting a book *can* be done in Word, but it will not look professional. Professional designers don't use Microsoft Word. It's for typing your manuscript, not formatting it. If they say Vellum, again, proceed with caution. Professional book designers don't use Vellum. I haven't personally used it, but my impression is that it's a better option than Microsoft Word. I don't think Vellum is up to the task of any complex layout. It was created more for a DIY author wanting to do their own simple book formatting. In that instance, I have heard mostly positive things about it. But if you are hiring a professional, I would double check on their expertise if they are using Vellum, and be weary. Make sure they have designed books for print before and that you have seen examples of their work and like the way it looks. Ideally, make sure you can confirm with a past client of theirs that they were good to work with. But be aware, Vellum files can only be opened in Vellum. If you have your source files and need to work with a pro designer in the future, they likely won't have Vellum, will refuse to use Vellum, and won't be able to work with the files. They'll want to start over in InDesign. Nothing against Vellum, I'm sure it serves a great purpose and is a good option in some cases. But it is not industry-standard software for professional book design. Have questions? Let me know in the comments or DM me. Happy publishing and Happy Friday! 💫 ====== About me: I've been a book designer for 15 years and I'm on a mission to help self-publishing authors publish high-quality books. #bookdesign #selfpublishing #nonfictionauthor #bookformatting
I can personally vouch for the "starting over" conversation! It's never joyful to have to deliver news like that to an author. Yet another reason to invest in the right way from the start. It really does save time, money, and headaches in the long run.
I connect authors to designers as I manage their book projects. I only look for designers who use Adobe InDesign!
Thanks for the insights! I’d like to add a little love for Microsoft Word. 😊 While it’s true that InDesign is the industry standard for complex layouts, Microsoft Word—when used by someone experienced—can be a powerful tool for professional book formatting, especially for standard novels, memoirs, or nonfiction titles. Many self-publishing authors on a budget prefer Word because it’s accessible and familiar. With proper use of paragraph styles, section breaks, headers/footers, and careful layout control, you can achieve a polished, clean design that meets KDP and other POD requirements. It’s also a great option for authors who want easy access to make future edits themselves. I’ve personally formatted books in Word that look just as professional in print, and they’ve passed the review process on Amazon, IngramSpark, and Google Books without issues. The key is knowing the limitations—and working skillfully within them. So while InDesign is amazing for more advanced needs, Word can absolutely hold its own in the right hands. 👏📘