Book production is the stage where your manuscript becomes a published product. It’s where words turn into files, and files turn into formats that readers can buy, use, and enjoy.
In the past, production was almost entirely print-based and depended on specialist typesetters and interior designers. Today, indie authors can produce professional ebooks, print books, and audiobooks using a mix of software, services, and (when needed) skilled human support.
If you’re new to this, the main thing to know is: you don’t need to master everything on day one. With today’s tools, indie authors can produce work to a professional standard from the outset, and refine as they go.
This page is part of ALLi’s Self-Publishing 101 series: clear, supportive guides for authors getting started (or getting re-oriented) in indie publishing.
Each page covers one key part of the process, so you can understand what matters, what comes next, and make confident decisions that fit your book and your goals. Want more support? ALLi membership gives you trusted guidance, vetted services, and a global community behind you.
What “Production” Actually Covers
Book production can be as simple or as creative as you want it to be.
For some authors, production is a practical process: clean formatting, reliable files, professional presentation. For others, it’s a space for creative expression through typography, layout, illustrations, and premium editions.
Both approaches are valid. What matters is that your production choices match:
- your book’s content (simple prose vs complex layouts)
- your budget and timeline
- your format plan (ebook only, or multiple formats)
- your distribution goals (online platforms, direct sales, bookstores, libraries)
A straightforward novel needs very different production support than an illustrated nonfiction book with charts and tables. The key is choosing tools and workflows that suit your project, rather than overbuilding from day one.
The Three Core Formats
Ebook, Print, and Audiobook
Most indie authors produce in three main formats:
- Ebook
- Audiobook
For many authors, ebook is the simplest starting point: it’s usually faster to produce, cheaper to iterate, and easier to distribute internationally. Print and audio often take more time, cost more to produce well, and are more complicated to update after launch, although AI tools have already lowered some of the barriers around audiobook production.
That said, readers have strong preferences. A professional indie publisher doesn’t just pick a format based on personal taste, the goal is to make the book available in the formats readers want. Over time, expanding across formats also helps discovery: one format often leads readers to another.
Which Format Should You Produce First?
If this is your first time publishing, a practical path is:
Start with ebook
Ebook production teaches you the fundamentals quickly and helps you get to market sooner. It also gives you a live product you can sell and, importantly, learn from.
Add print and audio as soon as you can afford to
Once your ebook is selling, reinvesting into print and audio can expand your reach and revenue. It also gives you the opportunity to refine the text before committing to more fixed formats.
Even with print-on-demand, updates can be slower and more fiddly than ebook updates. Audio is typically more complex again, although, as mentioned above, AI-assisted tools can now reduce production time and costs in audiobook workflows. That doesn’t mean “don’t do print or audio”; it simply means planning your sequence in a way that supports quality without stalling your launch.
Ebook Production
Reflowable vs Fixed Layout (and why it matters)
When producing an ebook, you’ll usually choose between:
Reflowable layout
This is the most common choice for text-based books. The reader can adjust things like font, text size, spacing, and sometimes margins and orientation. Reflowable ebooks are flexible, but they also mean your design intentions won’t always display exactly as you imagined.
Fixed layout
This behaves more like a print page. It can be useful for highly designed books, but it’s not ideal for many reading situations and may limit accessibility and device compatibility.
A useful mindset: ebooks are not “print books on screens.” The reading experience behaves differently, and readers may customise it heavily. That’s normal.
What readers can typically change in reflowable ebooks
Depending on device/app, readers may adjust:
- font style and size
- line spacing
- margins
- justification
- page turn vs scrolling
- theme (white/sepia/night mode)
- hyphenation behaviour
- single-page vs two-page view
This is why ebook production is often about clean structure and reliable navigation, rather than micro-managing appearance.
Ebook Files and Formats
What you actually need to know
People often say “ebook” as if it’s one format, but there are several.
EPUB
EPUB is the most widely supported ebook standard across major retailers and devices. If you’re distributing widely (not just Amazon), EPUB is the format you’ll encounter most often.
EPUB standards have evolved over time, and newer versions are better suited to illustrated and complex books.
Kindle formats
Amazon uses its own Kindle format ecosystem. Kindle files are designed for Kindle devices and the Kindle app, and they’re tied closely to Amazon’s publishing workflow.
Word, PDF, and “source” files
- Word is commonly used for drafting and editing (especially when working with professional editors and tracked changes). It’s often a starting point, not the final ebook file.
- PDF preserves page layout and is excellent for print workflows, but it’s not usually a reader-friendly ebook format.
The big takeaway: your source file (Word, Pages, Scrivener, etc.) is not the same thing as your distribution file(EPUB/Kindle format). Production is the bridge between them.
Tools and Services
DIY, assisted, or fully outsourced
For straightforward books (like novels), you may be able to produce professional results using modern self-publishing tools without hiring an interior designer. If your book has complex elements; illustrations, tables, charts, unusual layouts, you may need specialist help, or a tool that supports complexity well.
Many authors draft in tools like Word or Scrivener and then format using dedicated book-production software, or hire someone to convert and polish files.
The best tool is the one you’ll actually use consistently. Most production workflows involve a bit of trial and error at the start, that’s normal, and it’s part of learning the craft.
Print Book Production
Print-on-demand vs print runs
Even though ebooks are central for many indie authors, print remains hugely important for readers and for credibility in certain spaces (events, gifts, libraries, bookstores).
Print-on-demand (POD)
With POD, a copy is printed when a reader orders it. This can save you from:
- paying for inventory upfront
- storing stock
- fulfilling orders yourself
POD is widely used by indie authors because it lowers risk and makes global availability possible.
Print runs
A print run means ordering a quantity of books in advance. It can reduce unit costs, but it increases risk: if you don’t sell through, you’ve paid for books that may end up sitting in storage.
Print runs can work well when you already have a solid plan — for example:
- regular speaking gigs where you sell books
- established direct-to-reader demand
- confirmed bulk orders or special sales
A simple rule: don’t print big quantities without a clear path to selling them.
Practical print decisions you’ll make
Trim size
Trim size is the physical size of the book (for example, 6 × 9 inches or 5.5 × 8.5 inches). Standard sizes are easier to distribute and easier to manage across platforms.
Trim size also affects:
- how thick/slim the book feels
- print cost
- cover spine width calculations
- readability and page design
Interior type and paper
You may choose between black-and-white and colour interiors, and different paper types. Colour printing is often significantly more expensive, even if only a few pages use colour — so it’s worth deciding early whether colour is essential.
Paper choice can also affect spine width and therefore cover setup, so it’s best to decide paper before finalising the cover file.
Audiobook Production
Why it’s different (and when to add it)
Audiobook production turns your text into narrated, recorded audio — and it’s typically more time-consuming and expensive than ebook or print. That’s why many indie authors wait until they:
- already know they can sell books
- have a clearer marketing plan
- can reinvest profits into production
That said, audio is a powerful growth format, and in some genres it can be a major discovery channel.
Your main production routes
- Hire a professional narrator/producer (often paid per finished hour)
- Choose distribution pathways that align with long-term goals (including whether you want to be exclusive to one platform or distribute more widely)
A note on AI narration
AI narration can reduce costs, and quality is improving, but acceptance and reader expectations vary across platforms and genres. If audio is central to your strategy, it’s worth checking retailer policies and audience response before committing.
Going Beyond the Big Three
Formats, rights, and what’s becoming possible
Beyond ebook, print, and audio, your book can expand into other formats and products: translations, adaptations, and more. As tools evolve, indie authors are increasingly able to produce and distribute formats that once required large teams and budgets.
You don’t need to plan every future format today. But it is useful to build production habits that keep your work flexible:
- clean, well-organised source files
- consistent styling
- documented decisions (trim size, fonts, layout choices)
- reliable workflows you can repeat
JOIN ALLI: SUPPORT AT EVERY STAGE
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) exists to educate, empower, and advocate for self-publishing authors worldwide.
We provide trusted guidance, practical resources, and independent ratings to help our members make informed decisions at every stage of publishing.
To learn more about ALLi and the support available through membership, visit our website.
The Real Goal of Production
A reader-first experience, across formats
At its best, production isn’t about fancy features. It’s about delivering a smooth reading (or listening) experience and making your book available in the formats readers prefer.
Start simple. Learn by doing. Then expand your formats and production ambition as your catalogue, and confidence, grows.
In conclusion:
- Book production is about creating a reliable, professional process, not achieving perfection on your first release.
- Modern tools allow indie authors to produce high-quality ebooks, print books, and audiobooks from the outset.
- Production improves with experience: each book helps you refine your workflow, tools, and format decisions.
- Thoughtful sequencing across formats supports quality without delaying publication.
- Keeping the reader experience front and centre helps your books travel well across platforms, formats, and markets.
- Strong production turns creative work into books that are usable, discoverable, and built to last.