BOOK FORMATTING & LAYOUT FAQ
What the heck is formatting? What the heck is FAQ? Who is this Damonza character? What language do deaf and blind people think in? This section aims to answer none of those questions, but will answer some that are more related to the Damonza formatting and layout processes. Let’s dive in.
(For those seeking answers to their cover design queries, check out the cover design FAQ page)
How long will my formatting take?
Once we have the final version of your manuscript and you have submitted your order online, we promise to deliver the first formatting draft within 14 days, or a British fortnight.
What if I don’t have my manuscript in a word document?
While we prefer to accept manuscripts in Microsoft Word format, RTF or Pages, we do also accept PDFs, ODTs, or inDesign files. In fact, without pumping up our own tyres, we’ve never come across a text format we couldn’t use!
Sending us a manuscript as a PDF file will require us to export all the text out so that we can format it. In some cases, depending on how the PDF was created, all paragraphs which are spread across two pages will break at the page break when exported. Along with that, there are many other anomalies which result in exported a PDF document into a useable text format. This will result in a lot of additional hours spent manually fixing each paragraph. In these cases we can do that for an additional fee or we can send you back the exported Word file for you to have a go.
What if my manuscript is still in draft phase?
Unless you want a print-ready file of an unfinished manuscript (trust us, you don’t), we’ll need the final, edited and proofread version of your manuscript before we can begin formatting.
Will you be able to work on our cover at the same time as the formatting?
We sure can! Our cover design team will be happy to assist you with your cover design while we work on the layout of your manuscript. We can also start on your cover design if your manuscript is not ready. We’re as flexible as you need us to be.
Do you follow the ePub standard when creating the ePub file?
We certainly do. We make sure that the retailers you will be selling through will accept the file format you’ll be provided with.
Will you provide me with an ISBN number?
No, we won’t. It is important that the author or publisher provide the ISBN. If you don’t have one, you can purchase one at www.ISBN.org. The good people of CreateSpace, if you choose to use them, will supply you with an ISBN for your print book. You can get this process started while we get your print formatting done.
What file types will you provide me with?
If you order eBook formatting, you’ll receive a Mobi file (for Kindle), and an ePub file (for use on all other eReader devices). If you order print book formatting you’ll be supplied with a PDF that follows the standards required by CreateSpace. These standards work for most other printers as well. If there are any other specifics required for your PDF export, you can request them during the order process.
I’m not printing through one of the big online printers and am using a local printer close to me, will your files still work if I go this route?
Absolutely. At Damonza we follow methods and techniques when setting up files that are standard across the industry. Our aim is to deliver high quality files that you can use easily and with anyone.
What if I have some corrections to my text after the formatting is done?
With books it’s so often the case that the ‘final draft’ is not the final draft. Sometimes corrections need to be made, and sometimes this is during or after the layout process. We understand this, and are happy to do edits to your manuscript at a charge of $1 per edit and $15 per edit round. You’ll just have to complete our Edit Control Document with all the relevant information.
No one is perfect, not even you; proofreaders and editors are human, and miss things from time to time. With this in mind we do offer a grace edits round, as long as the edits are less than 10 words.
I have a number of text boxes, graphs, tables and images. Can you help with these?
There’s nothing better than a good graph – bar graph, scatter graph, Steffi Graf; at Damonza we love them all. We are happy to insert any type of graph as well as most other elements into your book. Just check out our Extras section on the briefing form for pricing.
I would like to have some decorative elements in my book.
Let’s get a little fancy, huh? We love adding decor to books and bringing the pages to life. Your book can have decorative elements added for an extra fee of just $50 per format (print or eBook).
My book requires indexing. Is that possible?
It most certainly is. There are many variables to consider when working out a cost for indexing and we deal with this on a job by job basis. If you need indexing please contact us and we’ll work it all out for you.
Do you offer discounts for bulk orders or other guaranteed relationships?
By all means email us if you have a proposal you would like considered, but generally speaking we do not.
