For the self-publisher, AI automation in ebook formatting is a powerful efficiency tool, but it is not a replacement for meticulous human quality assurance. The final step before hitting “publish” must be a rigorous, detail-oriented review. This checklist, distilled from professional formatting practice, ensures your automated output meets market standards.
Universal File & Metadata Checks
Begin with core file integrity. Confirm your uploaded files—both eBook (EPUB) and print (PDF)—match the exact trim size and paper type selected in your project setup. Use clear, consistent file naming. Critically, the primary language must be declared in the file’s metadata (e.g., xml:lang="en-US"). Record every ISBN in a master log with its corresponding format and distribution channel. Never ignore platform previewer warnings; a “font not embedded” alert requires a fix.
Front to Back Matter Review
Examine front matter completeness and order: a half-title page (title only), correct title page, and copyright page. Verify optional elements like a dedication or epigraph are correctly placed. In back matter, ensure a short, professional author bio includes a call-to-action (e.g., “Sign up for my newsletter”) and your primary website URL. A complete, consistently formatted “Also by [Author]” list is essential, with correct, live links to sales pages for other works or series entries.
Layout, Navigation & Print-Specific QA
Scrutinize automated formatting outputs. Hyphenation must be consistent and logical; excessive, nonsensical breaks (e.g., “the-rapid”) are a hallmark of poor AI processing. Verify the Table of Contents is comprehensive, logical, and includes proper landmarks for accessibility. For print books (PDF), check margins, page numbers, and running heads. Most importantly: ALWAYS ORDER A PHYSICAL PROOF COPY. Digital previews cannot reveal binding issues, color reproduction, or paper quality. This step is non-negotiable.
Platform-Specific Finalization
Tailor your final check to your distribution channels. For Amazon KDP, cross-reference all project settings against your uploaded file. For IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Apple Books, and others, ensure you have uploaded the correct, platform-optimized version of your file and that all metadata aligns perfectly across your ISBN log. AI can generate the file, but you are the final arbiter of its quality.
For a comprehensive guide with detailed workflows, templates, and additional strategies, see my e-book: AI-Assisted E-book Formatting for Self-Publishers.