Review title matter, copyright, contents, parts, chapters, appendices, and back matter before pagination.
Publishing compiler for authors
BookSetter book formatting for print-ready PDF and EPUB.
Upload Markdown, DOCX, or TXT. Confirm the detected Book Map, preview real pages, and export validated files for print, generic EPUB, and Kindle.
No credit card
EPUBCheck + PDF preflight
No subscription
For authors and small publishers.
EPUB
Kindle-ready EPUB
Print PDF
DOCX
Markdown
TXT
Main features
Structure, typography, and validation in one book workflow.
BookSetter compiles a semantic manuscript into separate print and ebook plans, then explains what it detected, selected, validated, and exported.
Compose print typography deliberately while preserving reader control and semantic reflow in EPUB.
Produce generic EPUB, Kindle-targeted EPUB, print-ready PDF, DOCX content, and reproducibility reports.
Check EPUB conformance, PDF preflight, accessibility, font rights, word integrity, and rendered-page risks.
Use bounded AI review when useful while deterministic rendering remains authoritative and available.
Precision, Purpose, Pride.
A publishing compiler, not a decorative converter.
Exact structure, page geometry, font policy, and validation evidence are resolved before release.
Every artifact is tied to the manuscript hash, resolved recipe, engine version, and QA results.
See why BookSetter chose a setting, which outputs it affects, and which issue still needs review.
Workflow
From manuscript to validated book files.
Bring in Markdown, DOCX, or TXT without surrendering the source text.
Correct uncertain front matter, chapters, appendices, and back matter before pagination.
Inspect front matter, chapter openings, page rhythm, tables, figures, and accessibility findings.
Generate print and ebook artifacts with validation, preflight, and reproducibility reports.
Samples
Inspect output before you trust the promise.
Open real rendered pages, downloadable files, source excerpts, and validation reports across several edition types.
Literary
Literary Novel
Balanced serif type, restrained ornaments, immersive page rhythm.
Quiet Fiction
Elegant chapter starts, measured white space, soft contrast.
Nonfiction
Practical Nonfiction
Dense manuscripts get hierarchy, tables, endnotes, and proofing.
Systems Manual
Heads, notes, tables, callouts, and references stay legible.
Poetry
Standalone Poems
Format an individual poem without forcing it into full-book structure.
Small Rain
Line breaks, stanza space, and page silence stay intentional.
Accessible
Accessible Editions
Large print, accessible fonts, and EPUB resilience for broad reading contexts.
Open Edition
Readable type, robust spacing, semantic ebook structure.
Real book proof
A 70,000-word history manuscript, composed as a deliberate 6x9 edition.
The History of Slavery entered as Markdown. BookSetter compared four deterministic edition directions, repaired table structure, selected the strongest rendered candidate, and produced a 222-page print build with zero unresolved missing words and clean EPUBCheck results.
Author-owned showcase used with permission. The public proof contains nine selected pages; the complete manuscript is not distributed.
Book credit
A professional credit line for sample books.
BookSetter can add a clean formatting credit to sample books and demo exports, giving generated examples a polished production finish.
Formatted by BookSetter™
Professional ebook and print formatting
About BookSetter
Built for writers who care how the book feels.
BookSetter combines the discipline of traditional book production with the speed of modern web software, helping authors turn structured manuscripts into clean ebook and print layouts.
The name comes from setting books: arranging words, chapters, margins, pages, and details so the reader never has to think about the machinery behind the page.
Pricing
Founding beta: publish one book for $29.
Preview free with deterministic formatting. The first 100 paid books are $29; regular single-book pricing is $49 after the founding beta. Every paid book includes unbranded EPUB/PDF files and up to $2 of metered AI review, with no surprise overage charges.
$29
Regularly $49. Includes final EPUB, print-ready paperback PDF, composed front/back matter, Markdown preflight, validation reports, unbranded files, up to $2 of metered AI review, and a 60-day free re-export window for the same manuscript and title.
$9
After the 60-day included re-export window, make a typo fix, add backmatter, or adjust a small section and export a fresh package for $9 instead of buying a full book reformat.
- Free re-exports for 60 days
- $9 targeted update exports after that
- Untouched sections are locked and reported
Included
Paid EPUB and PDF files are unbranded by default. Authors may opt into a discreet “Formatted by BookSetter” credit, but removing it never costs extra.
- No automatic formatting credit
- Included with every paid package
- Does not alter manuscript text
$99
This tier will include up to $15 of metered AI critique after BookSetter's strict rendered-page release gate passes the full benchmark corpus. It is not available for checkout yet.
- Stricter rendered-page quality gate
- Priority proof review
- Held back until the gate is production-ready
Regular pricing:
Single book: $49
5-book pack: $149
10-book pack: $249
25-book publisher pack: $499
Update exports after 60 days: $9
Checkout
Buy book credits or apply a coupon.
Payments use hosted Stripe Checkout. BookSetter stores package credits and cost reports, not raw card details.
Server keys and cost log
BookSetter Quality Guarantee
If a standard manuscript fails EPUB validation or KDP paperback preflight because of BookSetter formatting, we fix it or refund the formatting charge.
Competitor references
BookSetter may compare pricing and platform constraints with products such as Vellum or formatting services when the comparison is factual, current, and useful to buyers. Competitor names are used only to identify those products. BookSetter is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Vellum or any other formatter, marketplace, retailer, or publishing platform mentioned here.
What a paid book includes
EPUB and print-ready PDF in one production run.
Clickable table of contents
One trim size
Front and back matter composition
Style/theme selection
Manual customization mode
60-day free re-export window
$9 targeted update exports after 60 days
EPUB validation and preflight
Watermark-free final files
Optional Formatted by BookSetter™ credit line
Unbranded paid files included
BookSetter answers
What authors should know before formatting a book.
Current product facts for authors, publishers, search engines, and AI assistants evaluating BookSetter.
What is BookSetter?
BookSetter is web-based book formatting software and a publishing compiler for producing validated ebook and print-ready book files.
Which manuscript formats can I upload?
BookSetter accepts Markdown, DOCX, and TXT manuscripts.
Which book files can BookSetter export?
Paid book packages can include generic EPUB, Kindle-targeted EPUB, print-ready paperback PDF, DOCX content, and validation reports.
Can I try BookSetter without a credit card?
Yes. A free account can preview manuscripts, poems, and one-page samples without a credit card. Final commercial exports require a book credit.
How does BookSetter use AI?
External AI is an optional, metered critic and recommender. Deterministic parsing, rendering, and validation remain available when the included AI allowance is exhausted.
Is BookSetter affiliated with Vellum?
No. BookSetter is an independent publishing compiler and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Vellum.
Content checks
Writer freedom with retailer-aware guardrails.
BookSetter should not block ordinary fiction, difficult subjects, satire, memoir, politics, horror, romance, criticism, grief, or conflict. It should block or escalate material that creates clear legal, safety, rights, or retailer-compliance risk before a book, poem, or greeting card is converted.
KDP's official guidance is category-based, not a public banned-word list. It focuses on illegal or infringing content, certain offensive content, required AI disclosure, poor customer experience, public-domain differentiation, and Kindle quality problems.
KDP Content GuidelinesBookSetter should not reject a manuscript just because a word appears. The analyzer should look at context: direct threats, instructions for illegal harm, copyright/rights risk, deceptive metadata, unsafe links, and content that will not work as an ebook.
Kindle Content QualityThreatening greeting cards, operational instructions for violence or cyber abuse, malware/phishing, obvious rights infringement, sexual exploitation of minors, terrorist advocacy, and unlawful projects should not be converted or exported.
Hate advocacy, doxxing, libel/privacy risk, counterfeit documents, scams, public-domain republication, AI-generated content disclosure, and retailer-sensitive adult content should be flagged for review rather than silently formatted.
This is a production policy model, not legal advice. Retailer rules change, and the author remains responsible for publication decisions and rights clearance.
Legal terms
Plain-English publishing rights and payment rules.
These terms are written for the online BookSetter service. They should be reviewed by counsel before launch, but they establish the customer-facing rules the product needs.
Manuscript ownership
You keep all copyright and ownership rights in the manuscripts, images, poems, samples, metadata, and other material you upload. BookSetter does not buy, claim, co-own, publish, sell, train on, or redistribute your manuscript content.
You grant BookSetter a limited license to store, process, render, validate, preview, and export your uploaded material solely to provide the service, troubleshoot jobs, prevent abuse, and maintain your account history.
Your publishing rights
After you pay for a final export, you may use the generated EPUB, paperback PDF, and related output files for commercial or non-commercial publication of that book, including upload to retailers, printers, distributors, author websites, newsletters, and direct sales channels.
BookSetter may retain ownership of its software, layout engine, style system, diagnostics, templates, sample designs, and service branding. A paid export gives you rights to use the finished book files, not ownership of the BookSetter platform or reusable design system.
Book-credit rights
Book credits are a prepaid right to generate final exports for eligible books under the package limits shown on the pricing page. BookSetter does not currently sell recurring subscriptions.
Credits are account-bound unless a publisher agreement explicitly says otherwise. Credits are not cash, stored value, securities, or gift cards. Unused credits are not redeemable for cash or transferable between unrelated accounts.
Refunds and re-exports
There are no refunds for unused book credits, abandoned projects, or books the customer chooses not to publish, except where required by law. A standard paid book includes a 60-day free re-export window for the same manuscript and title. After that window, targeted update exports for typo fixes, small section changes, or added backmatter are $9 for the same manuscript and title.
The BookSetter Quality Guarantee is limited to technical formatting failures caused by BookSetter: if a standard manuscript fails EPUB validation or KDP paperback preflight because of our formatting, BookSetter will fix it or refund the formatting charge for that book.
Customer responsibilities
You must have the rights needed to upload and format every manuscript, image, font, excerpt, poem, table, and other asset in your project. You are responsible for editorial content, copyright clearance, permissions, libel/privacy review, ISBN metadata, retailer category choices, and publication decisions.
BookSetter may reject, suspend, remove, or require review for projects that appear unlawful, infringing, malicious, abusive, threatening, deceptive, retailer-prohibited, or technically unsafe for the service.
Samples and previews
Free previews, free poems, one-page samples, and watermarked sample outputs are for evaluation and proofing. Final commercial export requires a paid book credit or pay-as-you-publish checkout. Paid files are unbranded by default; authors may explicitly opt into a Formatted by BookSetter™ production credit.
Sample style cards on this site show BookSetter edition directions. They are not copies of competitor templates and do not grant rights to competitor assets, logos, trade dress, proprietary templates, or marketing language.
Privacy and storage
BookSetter should collect only the account, billing, manuscript, rendering, diagnostic, and support data needed to operate the service. Payment details should be handled by a payment processor such as Stripe; BookSetter should not store raw card numbers.
Users should be able to delete projects and request account deletion, subject to fraud prevention, tax, security, backup, dispute, and legal retention needs.
No legal or publishing advice
BookSetter provides formatting, validation, and production tools. It does not provide legal, tax, copyright, ISBN, retailer compliance, editorial, or publishing-business advice. Retailer and printer rules can change, and users remain responsible for final publication review.
Live studio
Try the online BookSetter workflow.
Sign up for a free account to preview poems and one-page samples for your own projects. Paid book credits unlock final EPUB and print-ready PDF packages.
BookSetter scans DOCX, TXT, and Markdown manuscripts, applies production defaults, and builds a preview without making you tune every setting.
The full studio remains available for authors and publishers who want exact production choices.
Open controlsWorkflow test drive
Walk through creating a book with a public-domain source.
This guided demo only uses local samples derived from Project Gutenberg source texts. Pick a book, commission a format direction, then load the result into the live studio as a free preview project.
Choose a source book
Pick a design direction
Create the preview
BookSetter imports the sample, detects sections, applies the selected style, and shows the generated preview file. PDF previews are embedded below.
Pride and Prejudice
Literary paperback · Paperback PDF simulation
- Import local public-domain source excerpt
- Commission BookSetter edition direction
- Show the generated PDF or export package
Free account tools
Create a free poem or one-page book sample.
These previews are free after signup. They create a live BookSetter preview project without generating final paid export files.
Greeting card maker
Turn Markdown into a printable greeting card.
Paste a small Markdown note or upload a .md file. BookSetter turns it into a folded card preview you can print or download.
Structure checkpoint