How to Prepare Your Manuscript for Ebook Formatting

You've finished your manuscript. Now you want to get it professionally formatted into an EPUB for Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and everywhere else.

But here's the problem: Most authors send their manuscript without preparing it properly. They include manual formatting, inconsistent styles, unfinalized content, and unclear preferences. This creates back-and-forth delays and sometimes requires rework.

The solution: Follow this checklist before you hit send. It takes 1-2 hours and saves weeks of turnaround time.

Step 1: Finalize Your Content (This Is Critical)

Do not send a manuscript that's still in flux. If your content changes after formatting, the formatter has to redo work, which costs you time and money.

Before you send, confirm:

• Developmental edits are done. This means no major rewrites, chapter deletions, or restructuring after sending.
• Copy edits are complete. Typos, grammar, consistency—lock it all down. Small fixes later are fine. Major rewrites are not.
• Chapter order is final. Don't send Chapter 1-20, then decide you want to add a prologue or reorder chapters.
• Chapter titles are locked. If you're still deciding between "Chapter One" vs "Chapter 1," finalize it now.
• Front matter text is written. Dedication, epigraph, author bio—have it ready. If you say "I'll figure this out later," it delays formatting.
• Back matter is decided. What comes after the final chapter? List your other books, website, mailing list link—decide it before you send.

This is the #1 reason manuscripts take longer than they should to format. Unstable content = unstable format.

Step 2: Clean Up Your Formatting (But Don't Overdo It)

Here's where authors often waste time or cause problems. You do NOT need to manually format your manuscript. In fact, manual formatting creates MORE work for the formatter because they have to strip it all out and rebuild it correctly.

What to avoid:

• Tab characters or multiple spaces for indents. This breaks in EPUB. The formatter rebuilds it with CSS. Save yourself the trouble—just leave it unindented. The formatter will handle it.
• Manual blank lines between paragraphs. If you press Enter twice to create space, that becomes technical debt. Use paragraph styles instead (or just let the formatter add spacing).
• Hard returns at the end of lines. If you're pressing Enter at the end of each line to control line breaks, stop. That's print formatting, not ebook formatting.
• Multiple spaces between sentences. Some writers put two spaces after periods (an old typesetting habit). One space is standard for digital. The formatter cleans this up, but don't stress about it.
• Font changes, colors, or highlights. If your manuscript is purple text on yellow background because "it looked cool," the formatter strips it anyway. Don't bother.
• A manually built table of contents. Don't create your own TOC in the document. The formatter generates this automatically from your chapter headings.

What to do instead:

• Use paragraph styles. In Word or Google Docs, use the built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Body Text). This gives the formatter clean structure to work with.
• Use a single line break between paragraphs. Just press Enter once. That's it.
• Keep it plain. Black text on white background. Simple and professional. The formatter will add styling.
• Use one space after periods. Modern standard. No need to overthink it.

Step 3: Decide What You Want in Front and Back Matter

There's no required template. Different books need different front and back matter depending on genre, goals, and platform.

Common front matter sections: title page, copyright page, dedication, epigraph, table of contents, foreword, preface, introduction.

Common back matter sections: acknowledgments, about the author (with photo), other books you've written, newsletter signup, website/social links, call to review.

Read the front and back matter guide for detailed recommendations. For now, just decide: What do you want readers to see before they start and after they finish?

If you're unsure, that's fine. Send what you have and ask the formatter for recommendations based on your genre.

Step 4: Gather the Assets You'll Need

Required:

• Your manuscript file (.docx, .doc, PDF, Google Docs link, or EPUB)
• Your author name (and pen name if different from author name)

Strongly recommended:

• Your book cover image (if you want it embedded in the EPUB)
• Author photo (if you want one in the About the Author section)
• Your website or social links (for back matter)
• Links to your other published books (for back matter "Also by" section)

Optional but useful:

• Any specific style preferences for chapter headings (e.g., "I want centered chapter titles with decorative dividers")
• Genre details (romance, thriller, nonfiction, etc.)
• Target platforms (Amazon KDP only? Or also Apple, Kobo, Google Play?)

Have these ready before you email. It speeds everything up.

Step 5: Share Your Preferences Clearly

In your submission email, include:

• Genre — Fiction? Nonfiction? Romance, Thriller, Fantasy, Self-Help? This helps the formatter recommend appropriate styling.
• Word count — Just so they know the scope.
• Style preferences — "I want simple chapter headings" or "I like decorative scene breaks" or "Drop caps on first chapter"—whatever you care about.
• Target platforms — "Amazon KDP only" or "I'm going wide (Amazon, Apple, Kobo, IngramSpark, Google Play)". This matters because some platforms have different back matter requirements.
• Anything unusual — "This book has sidebars" or "There are footnotes" or "Chapter 5 has a recipe that needs special formatting." Flag it so the formatter knows in advance.

What You Do NOT Need to Worry About

Stop worrying about these things. They're not your job:

• Perfect spacing and manual cleanup. Leave that messy. The formatter cleans it.
• EPUB technical details. You don't need to understand XML, OPF files, or nav documents. That's the formatter's expertise.
• KDP validation. Is your file valid? Does it pass EPUBCheck? The formatter handles this.
• Font embedding or CSS styling. You don't pick fonts. The formatter does. They'll choose something professional that works across all devices.
• How it looks on different devices. The formatter tests on Kindle, iPad, Android, and other readers. Your job is to send the content. Theirs is to make it look good everywhere.

Quick Email Template You Can Use

Subject: Ebook formatting request – [Your Book Title]

Body:

"Hi Marcus, I'm ready to format my ebook. Here are the details:

Book Title: [Title]
Genre: [Genre] (e.g., Romance, Thriller, Nonfiction)
Word Count: [approx. count]
Platforms: [Amazon KDP only / Amazon + wide distribution]

Style Preferences: [e.g., "Simple chapter headings," "Decorative scene breaks," "Drop caps"]

Anything else I should know: [e.g., "Chapter 5 has a table," "There are footnotes"]

Please confirm pricing and timeline."

Attach your manuscript and you're done. The formatter will get back to you with a quote and next steps.

The Real Benefit of Being Prepared

Authors who follow this checklist get their books formatted faster and with fewer revision rounds. You're not wasting the formatter's time. You're not changing your mind halfway through. You're not sending unclear requirements.

The result: professional formatting, faster turnaround, and a book that's ready to upload to retailers immediately.