What is typesetting? Should you hire an interior book designer?
Aug 15
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When you hear the term "book design", I bet you automatically think of gorgeous front covers, pretty spines, or cool production effects like foil and sprayed edges.
Most of the time, people overlook the interior pages or don't consider it part of the book design process at all. Sometimes, interior book design can feel like an afterthought you bump into during the final upload process, an inconvenience that IngramSpark or KDP can hopefully magic away.
Unfortunately, that couldn't be further from the truth, and adopting this mentality could be costing you money and reader satisfaction.
Let's dive into what interior book design is and whether it's worth hiring a dedicated designer for your interior pages...
What is interior book design?
Interior book design refers to the process of designing and formatting a written manuscript to determine how information is organised and presented to the reader in print or on screen.
One of the first stages of interior book design is known as "layout design". This is the process of setting up a page with the correct dimensions for the print area, bleed, and margins, as well as proceeding to 'block' out where headings, body text, images, and repeated elements (like page numbers, section markers) should go. Similar to creating a wireframe in web design.
You may have come across the terms "typesetting" and "formatting". What's the difference? These two words are often used informally to mean the same thing, even though one is a more specific process than the other.
"Formatting" is the act of prepping or arranging a file. It can mean something as simple as choosing typefaces and exporting a word document into a PDF file; it can also mean making said word document tidy, presentable, and meeting upload requirements.
"Typesetting" is a more specific process of arranging text with an array of things to consider in order to ensure maximum readability and visual attractiveness. It involves fine-combing and making adjustments to ensure a comfortable reading experience. For example, adjusting the space between lines and individual letters, to making sure there are no singular words left hanging as the last line in a paragraph (known in this trade as 'runts').
Whilst typesetting can be referred to as formatting, formatting is not necessarily typesetting—unless that's the specific formatting you would like. Still with me?
In other words, you can say that the goal of formatting is to tweak the settings of a file to meet certain requirements (whether it's for submission or personal preferences), whereas the goal of typesetting is to tweak the presentation of the text to maximise readability and aesthetic value.
What does an interior book designer do?
You may have gathered from the above what the job of a interior book designer is. Just to summarise, an interior book designer completes layout design, formatting, and typesetting in order to:
Make sure your interior pages look as aesthetically-pleasing as your book cover
Ensure that your book is comfortable to read and meets accessibility needs
Enable a smooth upload process by checking that all files meet platform / printer upload requirements
For some genres, such as picture books and non-fiction, where presentation of the text is integral for information transmission or storytelling, an interior book designer's role is even more important. You may benefit from them working directly with illustrators at the start of a project, or getting their insights on how best to present your ideas in a way that's easy to digest.
Should you hire a professional interior book designer or DIY?
As a proudly self-taught book designer, I will not tell anyone that they cannot learn a professional skill and do it themselves.
That being said, when you hire a professional, you are hiring their years of experience, their skills, and their expertise.
Can you learn interior book design and typeset your own book? Absolutely.
Can you use a DIY programme to help you auto-format your files? Sure.
But the former requires lots of time, resilience, and problem-solving, whilst the latter lacks human touch, personalisation, and thoroughness.
In the past, I have worked with clients who have tried DIY only to hire a professional as they couldn't figure out how to get their files to meet submission requirements. I have also picked up last-minute projects where the cover designer was responsible for the internals, and unfortunately, I had to tell the client that the formatting was inadequate and it would be easier for me to start again from scratch.
(Yes, unless your cover designer specifies that they are experienced with interior book design, don't make the mistake of assuming they can do it just the same — they are two separate skills.)
It should also be noted that if you are looking to publish in multiple formats (for example, hardback, paperback and eBook), having your manuscript professionally formatted can save you time and money (when done right, the work transfers between formats) — and even future-proof your interiors for later releases.
Conclusion
If you are a DIY person, with the time, curiosity, and resilience to pick up a new skill then you may not need to hire an interior book designer. Online courses and YouTube tutorials will be your go-to sources.
If you are an author or publisher who just wants to focus on writing / the other aspects of the publishing process then you may want to outsource the work to a professional, but make sure you're hiring someone who specialises in interior book design.
Looking for an experienced interior book designer for hardback, paperback, or eBook? You can find out more about my services below...
Hi! My name is Wendy. Based in the UK, I'm a book designer and typesetter with a Master's degree in Publishing and over 5 years of industry experience. I love helping indie publishers and authors bring to life their manuscripts through great cover and interior design. As a designer, I am curious, communicative, and continuously learning. When I’m not reading or designing books, you can catch me cosy-gaming, journaling, and obsessing over self-development!
