Introduction
Publishing an eBook can be a thrilling moment for any author. After weeks or even months of writing, your words are finally ready to reach readers worldwide. But there’s one critical stage between finishing your manuscript and publishing that too many new authors overlook: formatting.
Formatting might not sound as exciting as storytelling or designing a cover, but it’s what turns a raw manuscript into a polished, professional eBook. Done right, formatting ensures your book looks clean and reads smoothly across all devices. Done wrong, it can lead to broken layouts, messy fonts, unreadable text, and—worst of all—frustrated readers who abandon your book entirely.
In this guide, we’ll explore the most common formatting mistakes new authors make, and more importantly, how you can avoid them. Whether you’re self-publishing on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, or other platforms, this article will help you produce an eBook that’s both visually appealing and easy to read.
1. Ignoring Reflowable Text
One of the biggest rookie mistakes is formatting a book like a print layout. New authors often add hard line breaks, multiple spaces, or fixed page layouts, forgetting that eBooks are meant to be reflowable—meaning the text should adapt to different screen sizes and user preferences.
For example, a reader using a smartphone will view your text differently than someone using a Kindle Paperwhite or a tablet. If your formatting locks in specific line breaks or page lengths, it ruins the flow and causes awkward spacing.
Avoid This By:
- Not using the spacebar to create indents—use paragraph styles instead.
- Avoiding hard page breaks unless necessary (e.g., between chapters).
- Testing your eBook on multiple devices or using preview tools like Kindle Previewer.
2. Using Inconsistent or Unprofessional Fonts
Many authors fall into the trap of using fancy fonts or multiple typefaces to make their book “look good.” But what they don’t realize is that most eReaders override the fonts with user-chosen settings.
Including unusual fonts can not only increase your file size but also create compatibility issues. Worse, if your formatting isn’t embedded properly, the fonts may not appear at all.
Avoid This By:
- Sticking to standard fonts like Times New Roman, Georgia, or Arial.
- Using a single font style for body text and reserving bold/italic for emphasis.
- Leaving font control to the reader whenever possible (especially in EPUBs).
3. Forgetting to Use Proper Styles (Headings, Paragraphs, etc.)
Some writers manually format their text—bolding chapter titles, hitting enter to space out paragraphs, or underlining section headers. This kind of manual formatting can break when converted to an eBook format, especially if you switch from Word to EPUB or MOBI.
Proper use of heading styles helps your eBook generate a clickable Table of Contents and ensures consistency throughout the document.
Avoid This By:
- Using built-in styles like Heading 1, Heading 2, and Normal in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
- Creating custom styles if needed, but applying them consistently.
- Avoiding overuse of ALL CAPS or underlines, which look unprofessional on eReaders.
4. Not Creating a Clickable Table of Contents
An eBook without a Table of Contents (TOC) is like a website with no navigation menu. Readers want to skip to specific chapters, especially in non-fiction or instructional books.
Some new authors forget to add a TOC entirely—or worse, they include one that’s just plain text with no clickable links.
Avoid This By:
- Using Word’s built-in “Table of Contents” feature based on heading styles.
- Ensuring that your formatting tool (like Kindle Create or Calibre) includes a working TOC.
- Always testing the TOC during your preview or proofing stage.
5. Embedding Large or Low-Quality Images Improperly
Adding images can enrich your eBook, especially in how-to guides, children’s books, or memoirs. However, improper image formatting—either too high in resolution or too low in quality—can wreck your file size and user experience.
Large image files make your book slower to download and read, while blurry or stretched images look unprofessional.
Avoid This By:
- Using optimized JPEG or PNG images with a resolution around 300 DPI (dots per inch) if print quality is needed, or 72 DPI for web-only.
- Resizing images before inserting them into your document.
- Making sure images are centered and set “in line with text” rather than floating.
6. Inconsistent Spacing and Indents
This mistake is both common and annoying for readers. Uneven spacing between paragraphs, inconsistent indent sizes, or random blank lines between chapters can make your eBook feel amateurish.
Often, these problems come from copying and pasting text from various sources or editing over time without resetting the styles.
Avoid This By:
- Using paragraph styles for indents rather than tab keys or multiple spaces.
- Keeping line spacing uniform throughout your manuscript.
- Doing a final clean-up using tools like the “Find and Replace” function to remove extra spaces or line breaks.
7. Not Testing the eBook on Multiple Devices
Just because your eBook looks great in Microsoft Word doesn’t mean it will translate perfectly to Kindle, Kobo, or Apple Books. One of the biggest mistakes is not testing your eBook after formatting.
Even small formatting choices (like footnotes or image placement) can behave differently on each device.
Avoid This By:
- Using Kindle Previewer, Calibre, or Apple Books to test your file.
- Checking it on a phone, tablet, and eReader if possible.
- Looking out for weird breaks, font issues, or missing elements.
8. Not Using eBook-Specific Tools
Many new authors try to format their eBook entirely in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. While these tools are great for writing, they can fall short when it comes to exporting clean, functional eBook files.
Skipping dedicated eBook formatting tools increases the risk of broken layouts or messy conversions.
Avoid This By:
- Using tools like Reedsy Book Editor, Scrivener, Kindle Create, or Vellum (Mac only).
- Exporting to EPUB or using professional formatting software to clean up your file.
- Hiring a formatter for complex projects (like textbooks or image-heavy books).
9. Including Incorrect Metadata
Metadata is the behind-the-scenes information that tells online stores and eReaders the title, author, genre, language, and description of your eBook. If you skip this step—or input the wrong info—it can affect how your book is discovered and displayed.
Incorrect metadata can also confuse readers or make your book look unprofessional.
Avoid This By:
- Double-checking that your title, author name, and language are correct in the file metadata.
- Using relevant keywords and categories in your publishing platform.
- Updating your metadata before distribution if you’ve changed your book title or subtitle.
10. Overlooking Final Proofreading After Formatting
Even if your manuscript was perfectly edited before, formatting can introduce new errors—missing line breaks, duplicated headers, awkward spacing, or invisible characters.
Some authors skip a final read-through, assuming formatting doesn’t affect the text. But tiny errors can sneak in during conversion, and they’ll stand out to your readers.
Avoid This By:
- Doing a full proofread after your final formatting pass.
- Reading your eBook on a real device (not just your computer screen).
- Considering hiring a professional proofreader who specializes in eBooks.
Final Thoughts
Formatting may not be the most glamorous part of publishing, but it plays a crucial role in your book’s success. Poor formatting can turn away readers before they get past the first chapter, while clean, consistent formatting makes your content shine—no matter how it’s read.
The good news? With today’s tools and a little attention to detail, you don’t need to be a tech wizard to format like a pro.
