What Custom Formatting Means at Page Turner Studios
Custom formatting is for authors who want an interior designed around their story from the ground up. This is the most flexible interior option we offer and is suited to books where structure, atmosphere, and presentation play a meaningful role in how the story is experienced.
This package allows for a higher level of design consideration while still respecting the core purpose of an interior layout: to support the writing, not compete with it.
Below is a detailed, step-by-step explanation of what custom formatting includes, how the process works, and what to expect at each stage so you can see exactly what you’re investing in.
Custom Formatting includes:
- A bespoke print-ready interior designed around your manuscript
- A carefully structured ePub adapted from the custom print layout
- Greater flexibility in chapter design, spacing, and visual hierarchy
- Design decisions made in direct response to your story
This option is about intention. Every design choice is deliberate and tied back to how the book should feel to read.
Who this package is for
Custom formatting package is a good fit if:
- Your book has a strong visual or emotional identity
- You want the interior to feel distinctive rather than minimal
- Your book includes structural complexity, such as multiple timelines, letters, poems, or embedded material
- You are producing a special edition, collector-style paperback, or premium hardcover
This package work well for:
- Fantasy and epic fiction
- Literary fiction
- Dark romance and gothic fiction
- Special edition print runs
- Non-fiction with a complex structure
Before Formatting
After Formatting
What you receive with the Custom Formatting Package
1) Fully custom print-ready PDF interior
A print-ready interior file designed specifically for your book and built to your chosen trim size and printer specifications.
Includes:
- Front and back matter designed to match the interior style
- Bespoke chapter opening design
- Custom scene break treatments
- Considered spacing and pacing choices throughout
- Margin and gutter settings matched to binding method
- Page numbering and running elements designed as part of the whole
Nothing is added by default. Everything is chosen with purpose.
2) Adapted ePub file for digital platforms
Your ePub is created from the custom interior structure, then adapted so it works reliably in a reflowable digital environment.
Includes:
- Clean, well-structured styles
- Logical navigation and table of contents
- Decorative elements simplified for device compatibility
- Testing across common platforms and apps
Some custom print elements do not translate directly to eBooks. Where this happens, we preserve the tone and hierarchy rather than forcing features that would compromise readability.
Fonts and Visual Styling
Custom formatting allows greater flexibility in font selection and pairing.
Our approach:
- Body text is selected for long-form readability first
- Display or decorative fonts may be used for chapter elements
- Font choices are tested together, not in isolation
- We consider how fonts behave in print, not just on screen
We may recommend fonts based on genre, tone, and print behaviour, always with readability as the priority.
Custom Design Elements
Depending on your book, custom formatting may include:
- Bespoke chapter designs
- Integrated scene break graphics
- Decorative headers or footers
- Visual hierarchy adjustments to support complex narratives
- Structural layout decisions tailored to the manuscript
What custom formatting does not include by default:
- Full illustration programs
- Heavy art books or highly graphic interiors
- Design elements that compromise print reliability
If your project requires illustrated or art-heavy interiors, we can discuss scope separately.
What the Custom Formatting Package Does Not Include
The Custom Formatting Package is focused on typographic design, structure, and layout clarity. While it allows for a high level of design consideration, it is not intended for illustration-led or art-heavy interiors.
This package does not include:
Full illustration programs or image-driven page layouts
Art books, graphic novels, or heavily illustrated interiors
Decorative design elements that compromise print reliability
Fixed-layout eBooks or highly visual digital editions
- Cover Design
If your project requires extensive illustration, complex artwork, or a layout driven primarily by visual content rather than text, a separate custom quote is required. These projects involve a different production process and are assessed individually to ensure the result is handled properly.
Design Your Book Interior With Intent
If your manuscript is finished and professionally edited, custom formatting allows the interior to be designed around the way your story is meant to be read. This package is not about adding decoration for effect. It is about making considered layout and typographic decisions that support structure, pacing, and emotional weight from the first chapter to the last.
The Custom Formatting Package is built for books where presentation matters. Instead of working within a predefined style range, the interior is designed specifically for your manuscript. Chapter openings, spacing, hierarchy, and visual rhythm are developed in response to the story itself, not a preset formula. You are not choosing design features. You are choosing a process that treats the interior as part of the book, not an afterthought.
The outcome is a fully considered print-ready interior, supported by a properly adapted eBook, both built to function as intended. If your book requires more than a refined layout and deserves an interior designed with purpose, custom formatting provides a clear, professional path from manuscript to publication. Secure your formatting slot and move forward with confidence.
Your Step-by-Step Process From Booking to Delivery
Step 1: Initial enquiry and discussion
You submit an enquiry outlining:
- your book’s genre and tone
- intended formats and printers
- whether the project is a standard release or a special edition
- any known design requirements or inspiration
Step 2: Manuscript questionnaire and design direction
We send a detailed questionnaire that explores:
- narrative structure and pacing
- emotional themes
- chapter and section behaviour
- reference materials and inspiration
This stage informs the design direction before any layout work begins.
Step 3: Contract, scope, and invoice
Because custom formatting varies by project, we confirm the scope clearly before issuing your contract and invoice.
Your booking is confirmed upon full payment and signed agreement.
PayPal Pay in 4 is available if preferred.
Step 4: Secure manuscript upload
You receive a secure upload link to submit your manuscript.
Files must be provided in DOCX format.
Step 5: Custom sample interior
We create a custom sample layout that reflects the agreed design direction. This includes chapter openings, spacing, and key visual elements.
This stage is collaborative. Feedback is used to refine the design before full production begins.
.
Step 6: Full interior build
Once the sample is approved, we complete the full interior layout, applying the custom design consistently and reviewing the book holistically for flow and balance.
Step 7: Final delivery
You receive:
- a print-ready PDF
- an adapted ePub file
Files are delivered ready for upload.
Source files remain the property of Page Turner Studios.
Turnaround and Revisions
- Turnaround time is confirmed at booking, based on scope
- A 30-day revision window is included for design and layout refinements
- Major manuscript changes after formatting begins may require a revised scope
What You’ll Need to Provide
To keep your project moving smoothly:
- Final manuscript in DOCX
- Cover design or concept, if available
- Trim size and printer details
- Notes on structure, tone, or special requirements
Pricing
Custom Formatting Package: From AUD $350 plus GST
Includes:
- up to 120k words;
- additional words charged at $10 AUD (ex GST) per 10k block;
- print-ready PDF + ePub files supplied
If you need only one format (print only or ePub only), we can quote accordingly.
Built Around the Book, Not a Template
When a book’s structure, tone, or presentation carries meaning, the interior cannot be treated as a technical afterthought. Guesswork at this stage shows. Poor layout decisions disrupt flow, flatten emotional impact, and undo the discipline already invested in writing and editing.
The Custom Formatting Package exists to remove that risk. Every aspect of the interior is designed in response to the manuscript itself. Spacing, hierarchy, chapter structure, and typographic choices are developed deliberately to support how the story unfolds. There are no preset styles and no decorative additions for appearance alone. The design serves the reading experience first.
The result is a professionally built interior that feels cohesive, intentional, and stable across print and eBook formats. If your book requires more than refinement and deserves an interior shaped specifically around its content, this package provides the clarity and control needed to publish with confidence. Secure your formatting slot and move forward knowing the interior has been handled properly from the ground up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about custom book formatting, covering interior design decisions, print and eBook differences, pricing, timelines, and when a fully bespoke layout is the right choice for your book.