Interior Book Layout + Ebook Formatting: Nonfiction, Adobe InDesign, IngramSpark & KDP

About the book I am a self-publishing author preparing a nonfiction book called It Takes a Valley for an August 2026 release. The book is written for entrepreneurial ecosystem builders, practitioners in communities across the United States who design programs, build networks, and support entrepreneurs. It blends narrative storytelling with practical frameworks and is approximately 70,000 words. The book will be published in three formats: trade paperback (6x9), hardcover, and ebook (EPUB). It will be distributed through IngramSpark for print and wide distribution, Amazon KDP for print and Kindle, and Draft2Digital for wide ebook distribution. The manuscript will be fully copy edited and locked before it is handed off for layout. You will receive a clean, final Google Doc with no tracked changes. What I need I am looking for an experienced book interior designer and ebook formatter to handle the full production workflow from final manuscript to distribution-ready files. This is a text-heavy nonfiction book. The design should be clean, readable, and professionally typeset, not decorative. Think University of Chicago Press or Island Press, not a self-help paperback. Scope of work 1. Print interior: trade paperback and hardcover Interior layout in Adobe InDesign for a 6x9 trim size - Design system including: chapter openers, running headers, page numbers, front matter (title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, foreword/preface), back matter (acknowledgments, notes, bibliography, index if applicable) - Pull quotes and section breaks styled consistently throughout - Export of print-ready PDF/X-1a for IngramSpark (both paperback and hardcover — same interior, different cover file) - Export of KDP-formatted PDF for Amazon print - One round of revisions after author review of proof copy 2. Ebook formatting - Reflowable EPUB3 file formatted for wide ebook distribution - Validated with EPUBCheck before delivery, zero critical errors - Compatible with Kindle (via KDP conversion), Apple Books, Kobo, and Draft2Digital - Front matter, chapter breaks, and table of contents correctly structured with working hyperlinks - All fonts embedded or converted correctly 3. Proof copy coordination - Provide final files in the correct format and resolution for IngramSpark upload - Available for one round of corrections after I receive and review a physical proof copy Technical requirements - Adobe InDesign CC, not Canva, not Affinity, not Word. InDesign is required for print-ready PDF/X-1a export at IngramSpark specifications. - EPUB3 output, not MOBI, not EPUB2 - IngramSpark file specifications: PDF/X-1a, 300 dpi images, fonts embedded, correct bleed and trim settings - KDP specifications: separate PDF formatted to Amazon's current interior guidelines The manuscript includes - Approximately 70,000 words of text-heavy prose - No complex graphics, charts, or data visualizations - Section pull quotes and occasional callout text - Front matter: title page, copyright, dedication, table of contents, foreword - Back matter: acknowledgments, endnotes or chapter notes, further reading, index (TBD) - Part openers and chapter openers throughout You are a strong fit if - You have typeset at least 5 nonfiction books for print-on-demand distribution and can provide titles and/or sample spreads - You work natively in Adobe InDesign, not a template-based tool - You have exported PDF/X-1a files for IngramSpark before and understand their technical specifications - You have produced validated EPUB3 files and routinely run EPUBCheck - You understand the difference between a print PDF and a Kindle-ready file - You can provide a sample layout of 3 to 5 pages using my manuscript before the project begins, this is a condition of hiring You are not a fit if - You use Canva, Vellum templates, or other drag-and-drop tools as your primary production workflow - You cannot provide IngramSpark-ready PDF/X-1a files - Your portfolio is primarily fiction, children's books, or heavily illustrated titles - You cannot validate EPUB files with EPUBCheck Budget and timeline - Manuscript handoff: approximately mid-June 2026 (after copy editing is complete) - Proof copy review period: July 2026 - Final files needed: August 2026 publication - Quote the sample layout (3 to 5 pages) separately; this is a paid sample, not spec work Please quote a fixed price for the full scope: print interior (paperback + hardcover), KDP PDF, and EPUB3 I am not looking for the lowest bid. I am looking for clean, professional work delivered on time. Please price your work at your standard professional rate and include a realistic timeline. What to include in your proposal - Two to three nonfiction book titles you have typeset for print-on-demand; include whether they were distributed through IngramSpark or KDP - Sample spreads or a portfolio link showing interior layout work for text-heavy nonfiction - Confirmation that you work in Adobe InDesign CC and can export PDF/X-1a - Your process for EPUB validation: do you run EPUBCheck as a standard step? - Your fixed-price quote for the full scope described above - Your availability for a June 2026 manuscript handoff and August 2026 final file delivery - Your quote for a paid sample layout of 3 to 5 pages using my manuscript Proposals that do not address these seven points will not be reviewed. I am specifically looking for a specialist in nonfiction print-on-demand production, not a generalist designer.