Book Interior Formatter

About the Role • Per-Project Pay
We are a publishing services company helping authors bring their books to life. We are looking for a talented, detail-oriented, and creatively driven Book Interior Formatter to join our freelance team on a per-project basis. In this role, you will be responsible for transforming author manuscripts into beautifully formatted, professionally designed, publication-ready books — both in print and digital formats.

This is not just a technical formatting role. We expect our formatter to bring a strong design sensibility to every project, creating interior layouts that feel intentional, polished, and cohesive with the book's cover design. Every book that leaves our team should look like it belongs on a professional bookstore shelf.
You will work directly with our team, receiving the manuscript, cover files, and project brief for each author assigned to you. From there you are responsible for taking the project from raw manuscript all the way through to fully completed, Amazon KDP upload-ready deliverables — handling everything in between including layout design, typography, image placement, ePub creation, and revisions.

This is a fully remote, freelance position. You will be paid per project, giving you the flexibility to manage your own schedule while taking on work as projects are assigned to you.

Compensation:
Pay is per project based on the length and complexity of the book:
Under 200 pages — $125 USD
200 to 350 pages — $175 USD
350+ pages or heavy interior design — $200 USD
ePub / Reflowable eBook (when required) — $40 USD

The ePub is a separate deliverable and will only be assigned when the author requires a digital edition. Not all projects will include this. The rate for each project will be confirmed with you at the time of assignment. Invoices are to be submitted on the 1st and 15th of each month for all projects fully completed within that period. Any project not yet completed by the invoice date simply rolls over to the next invoice date. Payment will be processed within 5–7 business days of receiving your invoice.

What You'll Be Doing:
Receiving author manuscripts and transforming them into complete, professionally formatted book interiors from start to finish
Designing interior layouts that are visually compelling, easy to read, and consistent with the overall aesthetic and tone of the book's cover design
Making intentional typography choices including font selection, sizing, spacing, kerning, leading, drop caps, and hierarchy to elevate the reading experience
Setting up and managing master pages, paragraph styles, character styles, and object styles in Adobe InDesign for clean, consistent, and efficient formatting
Handling front matter and back matter including title pages, copyright pages, dedication pages, table of contents, author bios, and acknowledgments
Placing and optimizing images, infographics, and design elements within the interior layout with proper resolution and color settings for print
Preparing and exporting print-ready PDF files to Amazon KDP specifications including correct trim sizes, bleed, margins, and embedded fonts
Creating reflowable ePub files for Amazon KDP digital publishing, ensuring proper structure, metadata, and compatibility with Kindle devices
Uploading and verifying files through Amazon KDP’s previewer to confirm everything renders correctly before final submission
Communicating clearly with our team throughout the project and making revisions based on author and team feedback until full approval is given
Managing your project pipeline and meeting deadlines reliably across multiple active projects

Required Skills & Experience:
Proficiency in Adobe InDesign — this is a must
Working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for handling image assets and design elements
Strong understanding of Amazon KDP print requirements including trim sizes, bleed settings, margin guidelines, and file specifications
Experience creating reflowable ePub files for Amazon KDP — knowledge of ePub structure, metadata, and KDP digital upload requirements
Solid understanding of typography — font pairing, spacing, kerning, leading, and hierarchy
Experience formatting a variety of book genres including non-fiction, self-help, business, memoir, and fiction
Ability to work with supplied cover designs and match the interior style and aesthetic accordingly
Strong attention to detail with a keen eye for alignment, consistency, and overall visual polish
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
Reliable internet connection and ability to communicate clearly in English

Nice to Have:
Familiarity with ISBN placement, copyright page formatting, and front/back matter layout conventions
Experience with color management and print production for books with full color interiors
Background in working with non-fiction, business, self-help, or memoir genres
Experience working with heavily designed or image-rich layouts such as workbooks or journals

What We Provide:
Adobe Creative Cloud subscription — we cover your software costs
Book cover files and design assets for each project
Clear project briefs and author details at the time of assignment
A collaborative, supportive team environment
Consistent project flow as our author roster grows

Confidentiality & NDA:
All tea ---------- mbers are required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before beginning any work with us. By joining our team you agree to keep all author information, project details, and company materials strictly confidential.
Additionally, please note that any work completed for our authors — including interior layouts, formatted files, and all related deliverables — is the exclusive property of our company and our authors. You will not be permitted to use, display, or reference any work completed for us in your portfolio, on social media, or in any other public or professional capacity. We take the privacy and confidentiality of our authors very seriously and appreciate your understanding and respect of this policy.

How to Apply:
If this sounds like the right fit for you, we would love to hear from you!

A brief introduction about yourself and your formatting experience
Portfolio or samples of previous interior layout work (print and/or ePub)
Your Adobe software proficiency level
A personalized video directed to Branding by Books introducing yourself, walking us through your experience and workflow, and sharing why you would like to work with our team. Feel free to submit your video however is most convenient for you — a Google Drive link, YouTube unlisted link, or any other method that works for you
Any questions you may have about the role

We look forward to working with you and creating beautiful books together.