Frequently Asked Questions

Most projects take 2-4 weeks depending on complexity. A straightforward book might take 1-2 weeks, while a technical book with equations and diagrams could take 3-4 weeks. We'll give you a timeline estimate after reviewing your manuscript.

We accept Word documents (.docx), plain text, Markdown, and LaTeX files. If you have your manuscript in another format, contact us and we'll work something out.

Yes! We offer free discovery calls where you can discuss your project, get advice, and understand what's involved in the process of publishing your book. Schedule a call to get started.

Our formatting service includes: professional interior layout, font selection, chapter styling, table of contents, running headers, and output files ready for your chosen publishing platforms (Amazon KDP, Lulu, IngramSpark).

Yes, we offer professional proofreading and copy editing at €80/hour. Our senior editor, Conna Craig, has edited 36 nonfiction books. Learn more about our editing services.

Yes! We specialize in Word to LaTeX conversion. We transform your .docx manuscript into professionally typeset LaTeX while preserving your content, tables, figures, and references. Learn about our Word to LaTeX conversion service.

Professional book design involves proper typography, consistent margins, well-designed headers and footers, and attention to details like widows and orphans. We use LaTeX to achieve this level of quality—it's the same system used by academic publishers and technical books worldwide.

LaTeX is a typesetting system used for producing high-quality documents, especially those that require complex formatting, such as mathematical equations, tables, and cross-references. Unlike Word, LaTeX separates content from formatting, giving you precise control over your book's appearance.

No. If you're using our formatting service, we handle all the LaTeX work. You just provide your manuscript in Word or another format. However, if you want to maintain and update your book yourself, we can teach you the basics.

The LODE Template is our professional LaTeX framework for self-publishing. It's designed to produce print-ready PDFs and EPUBs that meet Amazon KDP, Lulu, and IngramSpark requirements. Learn more about the template.

The LODE Template is €49 for a one-time purchase. It includes 1 year of updates and basic setup support. Get the template.

Yes, the template works with Overleaf, the popular online LaTeX editor. This means you can work on your book from any computer without installing software locally.

Yes. LaTeX is an excellent choice for self-publishing. It produces beautiful, professionally typeset books that rival traditionally published titles. Whether you're writing nonfiction or technical content, LaTeX handles it all—from simple prose to complex equations and diagrams.

LaTeX has a learning curve, but you don't need to master it to publish a book. Our LODE Template handles the complex formatting, so you can focus on writing your content. Basic LaTeX for chapters, sections, and paragraphs can be learned in a day. If you prefer, we can handle all the technical aspects for you.

Our LODE Template (€49, one-time purchase) is designed specifically for self-publishing on Amazon KDP, Lulu, and IngramSpark. It includes professional typography, automatic spine calculation, and support for complex formatting like indexes and bibliographies.

We use tex4ebook and custom scripts to convert LaTeX source files to EPUB format. The process preserves your formatting, handles images properly, and produces files that work on Kindle, Apple Books, and other e-readers.

A straightforward conversion takes 2-4 hours. Complex books with many images, equations, or special formatting may take longer. We'll provide an estimate after reviewing your project.

Footnotes in e-books appear at the end of the chapter or book, not at the bottom of the page. We can help you decide whether to keep footnotes, convert them to endnotes, or use a different approach for the e-book version.

Yes. EPUB 3 fully supports MathML, so mathematical equations display correctly on modern e-readers. We ensure your equations render properly across different devices.

Images are converted to appropriate formats for e-readers. TikZ diagrams are rendered as images, and we ensure all graphics display correctly at different screen sizes.

While it's technically possible to convert a PDF to EPUB, the results are often poor. PDFs are designed for fixed layouts, while EPUBs need to reflow text for different screen sizes. For best results, we convert from the original LaTeX or Word source. If you have only a PDF, we can recreate your content in LaTeX before converting to EPUB.

We produce files for Amazon KDP (paperback and Kindle), Lulu (print-on-demand), and IngramSpark (global distribution to bookstores and libraries). We can also prepare files for other platforms on request.

Yes, our formatting service includes cover templates with automatic spine width calculation. We can include final cover design as part of a larger project or recommend designers for you to work with.

We support hardcover formatting for platforms that offer it. Note that hardcover formatting requirements differ from paperback, particularly for margins and trim sizes.

We primarily handle formatting, but we provide guidance on the publishing process. We can walk you through uploading to KDP, setting up your ISBN, and other publishing steps during a consultation.

Publishing on Amazon KDP involves creating an account, entering your book details, uploading your manuscript and cover, setting your price, and clicking publish. We've written a comprehensive guide covering the entire process. Read our Amazon KDP publishing guide.

No worries — that's one of the big advantages of having LaTeX source files. You can make corrections and regenerate the PDF anytime. And if you'd rather not dig into the files yourself, we're happy to handle the updates for you.

Don't panic — this happens to everyone! Start by clicking "Recompile from Scratch" to clear any cached files. Then double-check that you're using the right compiler (usually LuaLaTeX or XeLaTeX). Still stuck? Drop us a message and we'll help you sort it out.

LaTeX error messages can be confusing at first — they point to where compilation failed, not always where the actual problem is. The most common culprits are unclosed curly brackets, unfinished environments, and missing math mode delimiters. Try checking a few lines before the reported error. And if you're stuck, feel free to reach out — we've seen it all.