Write First. Format Later.
After fifteen years of helping authors bring their books to life, I'm hanging up my book production hat. This isn't just a business decision—it's a sanity preservation measure. And if you're planning to publish a book, this article might save you time, money, and a whole lot of frustration.
The Problem: You're Not Ready (And That's Okay)
Author at a desk creating a book she’s still writing
Here's what I've learned after working with hundreds of authors: most people start the interior formatting and layout process while they're still writing the book. This is like trying to wallpaper a house while the walls are still being built.
Don't get me wrong—smart authors who truly understand their market can absolutely nail their cover design early (I've seen some brilliant covers from authors who hadn't even finished their first draft). And marketing? Start that yesterday. But interior production? That needs to wait until your text is locked and loaded.
If you take nothing else from this article, remember: You can work on marketing and cover design while you write, but don't start production layout until your text is locked.
Here's the framework I wish every author followed:
While You're Still Writing (This is Fine):
Market research and positioning
Cover design (smart authors who know their audience can nail this early)
Building your platform and audience
Pre-launch marketing strategy
Phase 1: Write the Damn Book
Finish your manuscript completely
Put it away for at least two weeks
Read it through once without editing (tip: use text-to-voice AI to read it to you)
Only then begin serious revisions
Phase 2: Edit Until It's Done
Developmental editing (big picture stuff)
Line editing (sentence-level improvements)
Copy editing (grammar, style, consistency)
Proofreading (final typo hunt)
Stop editing. Seriously. Stop.
Phase 3: Now You Can Start Production
Interior formatting (with final, final text)
Printing quotes (with actual page counts)
Final marketing materials (with a book that actually exists)
Why I'm Done: The Ask-Too-Much, Give-Too-Little Problem
Not every author is like this, but in my experience, authors consistently ask for too much during production (seventeen cover concepts, endless text tweaks, "just one more revision") while giving too little upfront (unclear manuscripts, missing information, unrealistic timelines).
I've spent more time project-managing author anxiety than actually producing books. I've watched authors spend months agonizing over font choices for books they haven't finished writing. I've designed covers for manuscripts that changed genres between version one and version twelve.
And even worse? Every time text is changed in a formatted book, you risk creating new, original typos (cut and paste-o-s?) I’ve even had an author re-submit pre-edited copy in the final stage of production, thereby reintroducing all the old errors.
If you're planning to publish a book, here's my parting advice:
Respect the process. Each phase of publishing has its place. Trying to do everything at once doesn't make you efficient—it makes you ineffective.
Respect your service providers. Come to designers and formatters with finished work, clear specifications, and realistic expectations. We're craftspeople, not therapists.
Respect your own work. Your book deserves better than to be rushed through production while you're still figuring out what it's about.
Moving Forward
I'm redirecting my energy toward projects with clear boundaries and defined endpoints. Books, as I've learned, are living documents in authors' minds long after they should be finished products on shelves.
For those of you with manuscripts that are truly, completely, absolutely finished—I can make a recommendation. Email me with some details of your project and I'll make a personal recommendation. For those of you still writing, still editing, still "just tweaking a few things"—finish first. Your book (and your service providers) will thank you.
