Book formatting software: which one fits how you write
Book formatting software turns a finished manuscript into an ebook file and a print-ready PDF. The right one depends on what you write in, which computer you use and where you publish. Here are the main options, with what each costs and what it makes.
Pick by how you work
You write in Word or Google Docs and publish on KDP
Kindle Create is Amazon's free tool for PC and Mac. It imports a .docx file and prepares the ebook and the paperback from the same manuscript: a KPF file for the ebook and a print PDF for the paperback. KDP says it works best for text-heavy books such as novels, essays and memoirs, and it does not support tables, footnotes, endnotes or images that run to the page edge.
You want a free tool that runs in the browser
Reedsy Studio works in any browser. Its core writing and formatting features are free, and it exports a print-ready PDF and an EPUB. You need a Reedsy account.
You want files you can upload anywhere
Draft2Digital converts a Word file into a paperback PDF or an EPUB, and its FAQ says you can download them without publishing through Draft2Digital. The same FAQ lists a one-time $20 activation fee for new publishing accounts.
You're on a Mac and want polished results quickly
Vellum runs only on a Mac, with macOS 13 or newer. It is free to download, and you can build, style and preview your book before you buy: $199.99 for Vellum Ebooks, or $249.99 for Vellum Press, which adds paperbacks and hardcovers. It exports EPUB files for Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books, and a PDF/X-1a file for print.
You're on Windows, Chromebook or Linux and want to pay once
Atticus costs $147 as a one-time purchase, with future updates included. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and in any browser. It exports EPUB, PDF and DOCX, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
You'd rather format it yourself in Word
KDP offers free Word templates for paperbacks: blank ones with the page size and margins already set, and ones with sample front matter and chapters to replace with your own. Remove all the sample text before you upload.
You write in Obsidian or plain Markdown
AuthorKit is a free, open-source pipeline that turns an Obsidian vault into a print-ready book PDF and prepares the Kindle interior from the same files. It runs from the command line or as a Claude Code plugin, and needs Quarto, Python 3 and ImageMagick installed. It suits authors who are comfortable installing developer tools; if you aren't, one of the options above is simpler.
The tools at a glance
From each tool's own page, checked 2026-09-30. Prices change; check before you buy.
| Tool and cost | Good for |
|---|---|
| Kindle Create Free, PC and Mac | Text-heavy books from a Word file, published on KDP |
| Reedsy Studio Free core features; account needed | Writing and formatting in the browser; print PDF and EPUB |
| Draft2Digital Free to convert; $20 activation fee for new publishing accounts | A paperback PDF or EPUB from a Word file, usable anywhere |
| Vellum $199.99 ebooks, $249.99 print; Mac only | Polished ebooks and print books on a Mac |
| Atticus $147 once; any computer or browser | Ebooks and print books on Windows, Chromebook or Linux |
| KDP Word templates Free | Formatting a paperback yourself in Word |
| AuthorKit Free, open source (MIT) | Obsidian and Markdown writers comfortable with the command line |
Before you choose
- Where you'll publish. Kindle Create makes files for KDP. If you also publish elsewhere, a tool that exports a standard EPUB and PDF saves formatting twice.
- What's in the book. Tables, footnotes and full-bleed images rule some tools out; check before you commit a whole manuscript.
- Try one chapter first. Vellum is free to try and Atticus has a 30-day refund, so format a single chapter and look at the result before you pay or move everything.
After you format
Before you upload a paperback, run through the KDP paperback preflight checklist, and use the KDP cover calculator for the cover size and inside margin that match your page count. To compare typefaces for the interior first, see the book design templates.
Sources (last verified ):
- KDP: Prepare your eBook and paperback with Kindle Create: free, PC and Mac, .docx import, KPF and print PDF, text-heavy books, no tables, footnotes, endnotes or bleed images
- Reedsy: Reedsy Studio: free core features, works in any browser, print-ready PDF and EPUB
- Draft2Digital: FAQ: download a paperback PDF or EPUB without publishing through D2D; $20 activation fee for new publishing accounts
- Vellum: Mac only, macOS 13 or newer; free to try; $199.99 ebooks, $249.99 Press; EPUB and PDF/X-1a
- Atticus: $147 one-time; Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, browser; EPUB, PDF, DOCX; 30-day money-back guarantee
- KDP: Paperback manuscript templates: blank and sample-content Word templates; remove sample text
- AuthorKit on GitHub and authorkit.pro: free, MIT licence, requires Quarto, Python 3 and ImageMagick
These tools and guides are for information only. Check requirements with KDP, and ask a qualified professional about tax or legal questions. AuthorKit is not affiliated with Amazon.