Last Updated on December 9, 2025 by NEK Editing

Interior book formatting is the process of arranging a manuscript’s interior pages (text and images), or layout, to the book’s specified trim size for print and eBooks. The layout influences the way your readers experience the content of your book.

The Interior Elements of a Book

A book has three elements: front matter, body, and back matter.

Front Matter

The front of the book includes the title and copyright pages, the table of contents, acknowledgments, the dedication, the epigraph, the foreword, the preface, the introduction, and the prologue.

Body

This section refers to the main text or chapters of a book.

Back Matter

You will find the conclusion, appendices, bibliographies, glossaries, contributor lists, sources, epilogues, afterward, and the author’s notes or information about the author in the back of the book.

Every book will have all of these three elements. However, not every book will have each of these sections per element.

What to Consider When Formatting Your Book

You should take into account the following features when preparing to format your book:

• Determine the trim size of your book
• Choose your font and font size
• Choose your chapter heading preferences
• Determine if the book will include a table of contents, dedication, acknowledgment, foreword, afterword, or index
• Choose where the page numbers will appear
• Choose the line spacing and paragraph breaks

Trim Size

This is the height and width of your book. A larger trim size can fit more words; however, the more words per page, the fewer pages overall. Research the industry standards for your book’s genre.

Font Type and Size

Choose between a serif or a sans serif font according to your book’s genre and a font size between 10 and 12 for fiction and non-fiction print books.

Note, the book’s trim size and word count determine the margin size, page count, and spine width.

Ready to Publish Your Book?

After writing, revising, and having your book edited, it may not get the attention it deserves without professional formatting.

Whether you’re looking to publish a print or eBook, NEK Editing can help you with your interior book formatting.