As an author, you know that writing a book is just the first step on the long journey toward seeing your work published. The real challenge often lies in making your book not only readable but professionally formatted and visually appealing. Whether you’re going the self-publishing route or working with a traditional publisher, the right formatting software and design tools are crucial in turning your manuscript into a polished, market-ready product.
In 2025, there are a multitude of software solutions and design tools that make formatting easier than ever. With the abundance of e-books, print books, and audiobooks in the market, standing out as a professional author means ensuring your book looks amazing on every platform. Whether you’re looking for tools to help with the layout, fonts, cover design, or print publishing, having the best tools at your disposal is essential for success.
Let’s explore the best book formatting software and design tools that every author should have in their toolkit to ensure they publish a stunning, market-ready book in 2025.
1. Scrivener: The Ultimate Writing Software for Organization and Formatting
If you’re an author serious about creating an organized manuscript, Scrivener is your best friend. More than just a writing tool, Scrivener is a manuscript manager that allows you to structure your work in a way that makes it easy to navigate, edit, and format for publication. It lets you break down your chapters, scenes, and sections into manageable pieces while keeping everything organized in one place.
Key Features:
- Writing and Research Storage: Scrivener allows you to keep your research, notes, and chapters together, making it easy to track your progress.
- Flexible Export Options: Once you’ve finished your draft, Scrivener supports easy export to multiple formats, including ePub, PDF, and Kindle, with preset formatting for each.
- Split-screen Editing: You can view your outline on one side of the screen while writing your chapters on the other, keeping your creative juices flowing.
Why You Need It: If you’re looking for a comprehensive writing tool that not only helps you draft your book but also prepares it for formatting and publication, Scrivener is indispensable.
2. Vellum: Perfect for E-Books and Print Formatting
If you’re focused on self-publishing, Vellum is arguably one of the most user-friendly and powerful tools for formatting your e-book or print book. Known for its ability to create professionally formatted eBooks and print-ready books, Vellum streamlines the entire process by offering gorgeous design templates and a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Key Features:
- Beautiful Pre-designed Templates: Choose from an extensive range of pre-designed templates that are compatible with multiple devices and e-reading platforms (like Kindle, Apple Books, etc.).
- Automatic Formatting: With just a few clicks, Vellum formats your book’s chapters, images, and text to meet professional standards.
- One-Click Exporting: After formatting, you can easily export your book in multiple formats—whether for eBooks or for a print-ready file.
Why You Need It: If you want effortless e-book and print formatting that looks polished and professional, Vellum is the tool for you. It’s one of the easiest ways to ensure your self-published book looks incredible.
3. Adobe InDesign: The Industry Standard for Professional Book Design
When it comes to professional-level design, Adobe InDesign is the industry standard. This advanced desktop publishing software is used by professional graphic designers and publishers to create stunning book layouts, typography, and graphics.
Key Features:
- Complete Creative Control: You can create a custom layout and typography that is unique to your book’s style, offering full creative freedom.
- Interactive PDFs: For authors creating digital books, InDesign lets you add interactivity, multimedia, and hyperlinks to your eBook.
- Advanced Typography and Layout: Control every detail of your book’s layout, from text alignment to page sizes.
Why You Need It: If you’re looking to produce a high-quality printed book or want complete creative control over the design, InDesign is your go-to tool.
4. Canva: Easy Book Covers and Marketing Designs
For authors who are new to design or on a tight budget, Canva offers a simple and intuitive way to create eye-catching designs without any experience. Whether you need a book cover, social media images, or promotional banners, Canva is a great resource.
Key Features:
- Pre-made Templates: Choose from thousands of customizable templates for book covers, banners, social media posts, and marketing materials.
- Drag-and-Drop Interface: The easy-to-use design platform allows you to create stunning graphics with minimal effort.
- Stock Photos and Fonts: Canva comes with an extensive library of free stock photos, fonts, and graphics that you can use for your designs.
Why You Need It: If you want to create simple yet beautiful designs without being a design expert, Canva is the tool you need to publish and market your book.
5. BookBrush: A Dedicated Tool for Book Covers and Promotion
When it comes to promoting your book, having eye-catching graphics is essential. BookBrush is specifically designed to help authors create professional book covers and marketing visuals. Whether you need a cover for your eBook, a 3D mockup, or a banner ad for Facebook, BookBrush has the templates and tools to get the job done.
Key Features:
- Customizable Templates: Choose from a variety of professionally designed templates or create your own.
- 3D Book Mockups: Show off your book with stunning 3D mockups that make your cover look lifelike.
- Promo Materials: Easily design promo images for social media, email campaigns, or websites.
Why You Need It: BookBrush helps you create visually appealing marketing materials that grab attention and help boost book sales.
SEO Keywords: BookBrush book covers, book promotion tools, self-publishing design software.
6. Reedsy Book Editor: Free and Accessible Formatting Tool
Reedsy Book Editor is a free and easy-to-use tool designed to help self-published authors format their manuscripts. It doesn’t require any prior knowledge of book design or formatting software. Simply upload your manuscript, and Reedsy formats it for both print and eBook versions.
Key Features:
- Free to Use: Reedsy Book Editor is 100% free, which makes it a great tool for authors just starting out.
- Multiple Formats: You can export your formatted book in various formats, including EPUB, PDF, and print-ready files.
- Easy-to-Use Interface: With a simple interface, you can quickly format and style your manuscript without feeling overwhelmed.
Why You Need It: Reedsy is a great option for authors on a budget who still want professional-looking formatting without the steep learning curve.
The Power of Good Formatting and Design
In 2025, the digital age has opened new doors for authors to easily self-publish and distribute their work, but with these opportunities comes fierce competition. Professional book formatting and design are crucial to ensuring your book not only meets industry standards but stands out to readers.
From easy-to-use tools like Canva to professional-grade options like Adobe InDesign, there’s a solution for every author’s needs and budget. Whether you’re formatting an eBook, designing a book cover, or preparing your manuscript for print, choosing the right tool will save you time, effort, and ensure your book looks stunning across all platforms.
At YPN Publishers, we understand how important it is to put out a polished, professional product, which is why we offer a range of services to assist authors every step of the way. Visit us at YPN Publishers for more information on how we can help you.
