Interiors that read like a real book
Proper typesetting is invisible when it is right and impossible to ignore when it is wrong. We set your interior by hand and test the eBook on actual devices.
Do I need professional typesetting for a self-published book?
Yes, if the book should read as professionally produced. Automatic Word-to-Kindle conversion breaks images, tables and navigation, and print interiors betray their origin instantly. Arkedia typesets print interiors by hand and builds EPUB files tested on real devices, from £399.
- From£399
- FormatsPrint PDF + EPUB3
- Tested onKindle, Apple, Kobo
- Source filesIncluded
An automatic Word-to-Kindle conversion gets you a file that technically opens. It also gets you orphaned headings, broken tables, images that vanish on some devices and a table of contents that goes nowhere.
We typeset print interiors properly — considered typeface pairing, correct leading and measure, running heads, chapter openers, and no widows or orphans — and we hand-build the EPUB, then open it on a Kindle, an iPhone, an iPad and a Kobo before it goes near a retailer.
Fixed price, quoted in GBP before you commit. Milestone payments.
- Free 1,500-word sample first
- Mutual NDA signed before we start
- Two revision rounds included
- Full rights and royalties stay yours
Everything in the Formatting service
Print interior typesetting
Professional typography, chapter openers, running heads, front and back matter, print-ready PDF/X.
Reflowable EPUB3
Hand-built and validated, with working navigation, correct metadata and embedded fonts where licensed.
Device testing
Opened and checked on Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play Books before delivery.
Images, tables and footnotes
Handled properly in both formats — the parts automatic conversion reliably breaks.
Front and back matter
Title page, copyright page, dedication, contents, acknowledgements, about the author, also-by page.
Source files included
Editable working files so future editions do not mean starting again.
How formatting works, step by step
You approve before we proceed. Every time. No stage begins until you have signed off the one before it.
Manuscript review
We check the file for structural issues before typesetting begins.
Design sample
A sample chapter typeset in two type treatments for you to choose between.
Full typeset
The complete interior set, with front and back matter built.
eBook build
Hand-coded EPUB, validated and tested on physical devices.
Proof pass
A proofread of the typeset file for bad breaks, widows and orphans.
Delivery
Print PDF, EPUB, MOBI-compatible file and all source files.
What authors say afterwards
I came with eleven years of workshop notes and no idea how to make a book out of them. The outline stage alone was worth the fee — it was the first time I could see the shape of what I actually knew. The finished book reads like me on a good day.
I had three self-published titles that were not selling. They showed me my covers side by side with the top forty in my category at thumbnail size and I understood the problem in about four seconds. New covers, re-optimised listings, and the back catalogue started moving.
Writing about my mother's illness was not something I could do alone. The interviews were handled with real care, and they were clear from the start about what would be in the book and what would not. My family have all read it. That matters more than sales.
Formatting — your questions answered
Can I not just upload my Word document?
You can, and Amazon will accept it. It will also look like a Word document on the page, which readers register as amateur even when they cannot articulate why. Typesetting is one of the cheapest credibility upgrades available.
Do you handle books with many images or tables?
Yes, and this is exactly where automatic conversion falls apart. Illustrated non-fiction, cookbooks and academic titles need images anchored and tables rebuilt for reflowable text — we do both by hand.
Will the eBook work on every device?
We build to EPUB3 and validate it, then test on Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play Books. If a device does something unexpected, we fix it before delivery rather than after a reader complains.
Services that pair with this one
Cover Design
Covers designed to work at thumbnail size in your category — three original concepts, unlimited refinement on your chosen route.
Learn moreBook Publishing
Print, eBook and global distribution set up properly — in your name, with your ISBN, and 100% of royalties paid to you.
Learn moreBook Editing
Developmental, line and copy editing from editors who work on commercially published books, with a clear report you can act on.
Learn moreTell us about your book
A 45-minute call, no charge and no pressure. You will leave with a realistic timeline, a fixed price and an honest view of whether the book is worth writing.