- Note: most authors will take advantage of the interior layout service that is included in most publishing packages. Sound like you? Check out this article instead.
- ⚠️Before beginning design, we recommend you follow the instructions in this guide, which outline all of the important distributor requirements to be aware of, following which will ensure your book prints properly.
- 🖼️If your book has any photos, illustrations or graphics, make sure all included images are in high resolution (minimum 300dpi) and large enough for printing. learn more about printing images here.
- 📐If your publishing package includes Enhanced Amazon paperback distribution, then please make sure your files meet the bleed and margin specifications mentioned here.
- 🖋️If your publishing package includes professional editing from Tellwell, you will need to submit a Microsoft Word document for the editing phase first, then after editing is complete, follow one of the options below.
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💡 If your publishing package also includes eBook distribution, before you begin design, please keep in mind that the file format you provide will affect how easily an eBook can be created later:
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If your book has a standard text-heavy layout: Provide the finalized Word or InDesign (IDD) files whenever possible. These are needed to create a reflowable eBook (text that automatically adjusts to any screen size), which is the format required by all major eBook distributors.
- If your book is text-heavy but includes significant design complexities—such as charts, sidebars, text boxes, and/or images—our design team may need to rework parts of the layout to make it compatible with a reflowable eBook. This can require additional design time and may not be possible without the source Word or InDesign files.
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If you provide a print-ready PDF: Be aware that it cannot be reliably converted into a reflowable eBook without manual proofreading and may require extra design time. You’ll need to carefully review, edit and approve an exported Word file before eBook formatting begins.
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- This option allows our designers to make minor adjustments if needed.
- Please send us the packaged InDesign file (including all fonts and images) to support@tellwell.ca via wetransfer.com — we especially recommend this if you/your designer are not familiar with setting up print book layouts for Ingram and KDP.
- Note: this option is usually required if you have eBooks and are relying on Tellwell to create the electronic book files for you.
- Please send the finalized PDF file to support@tellwell.ca. If it is too large to send by email, we recommend using wetransfer.com.
- Note: if you are working directly with a freelance designer and choose this option, you will be responsible for submitting the files to Tellwell according to correct printer specs and Tellwell will be unable to fulfill any future revisions for you. Therefore, it's important to ensure that the designer you're working with will be reliably available in the future (one of the main risks with working with freelancers), or that you get the working files back from the designer as well when they create the final files for you.
If this article seemed like it was written in a language you don't speak, consider submitting a properly formatted Word Document instead, as interior layout is included in most publishing packages.