Notes are how a nonfiction book shows its work. Footnotes sit at the foot of the page where the reader can reach them without losing their place. Endnotes gather at the end of a chapter or a book, where they interrupt less but are harder to consult. Which to use depends on the book, the readers and the format. Scholarly and academic readers like footnotes. General readers often prefer endnotes or none. Ebooks complicate the question, because a reflowable page has no foot. Footnote and endnote formatting is the craft of making notes work in each medium.
Footnote and Endnote Formatting · from $129
Footnote and endnote formatting that keeps your references accurate and readable
Footnote and endnote formatting is the careful setting of the notes that support an argument: numbers that run in order, notes that sit where readers expect them, citations in a consistent style and links that work in the ebook. Our footnote and endnote formatting service handles print and ebook so your references are clean and trustworthy. Choose a word count to see an exact price for your own manuscript.
View Pricing
Most notes projects are ready in about a week.
- Footnotes or endnotes set to a consistent style
- Chicago and other citation styles
- Linked notes in the ebook
Key facts
- $129Starting price for the notes system, before extras
- 2 roundsOf revisions included in every notes system order
- 2 to 3 daysFastest standard delivery for a short notes system
Overview
What a notes system actually involves
The differences between footnotes and endnotes shape the design. Footnotes need space at the bottom of each page, and the layout must make room for them, even when a page has several long ones. They need a rule above them, a smaller type size and a clear marker in the text. Endnotes need a section, with the chapter title and the note numbers, and either a link back or a page reference. Style guides add rules: Chicago style, for example, uses footnotes or endnotes with a full citation the first time and a short form later, and a bibliography. Converting footnotes to endnotes, or the reverse, changes the layout and the page count, and must be done with care.
Our service formats notes for print and for ebooks. We convert Word notes into InDesign or keep them in Word, set footnote layout and style, build endnote sections with back links, apply Chicago or another style, handle long notes that break across pages and convert notes between types when asked. For ebooks, we build linked notes with popup support. For KDP paperbacks and IngramSpark, we make sure that margins and page counts still suit the platform. For your notes system, the price is fixed, and the calculator shows it.
We start every footnote and endnote formatting job with an audit. We open your file or manuscript, list what is already right, what is wrong and what needs a decision from you, and send that back before any work begins for the notes system. The audit is why there are no surprises: you know the scope, the price and the schedule, and you know which of footnote placement and endnote sections is likely to need the most care.
Footnotes in KDP paperback files need care because the notes must stay on the page where they are cited without pushing text outside the margins. We set the note style, the numbering and the separator rule once, then check every cited page in the previewer.
Why it matters
Why a notes system matters
Footnote and endnote formatting shapes the reading experience
Scholarly readers judge credibility by notes, so they must be accurate and easy to follow. Readers rarely name the cause, but they feel the difference between careful and careless footnote and endnote formatting work.
The details carry the quality
Footnotes interact with page breaks, and a long note can push text across pages awkwardly. Each detail in footnote and endnote formatting has a tolerance, and a professional knows where it lies and how to check it.
Doing it once, properly, saves time
In ebooks, notes should link both ways, so readers can return to where they were. Getting footnote and endnote formatting right at the start also keeps later edits, reprints and new editions inexpensive. It is far easier to get footnote and endnote formatting right while the book is still a working file than to repair it after publication.
Footnotes vs endnotes in books
Choosing between footnotes and endnotes
Footnotes vs endnotes in books is partly a matter of convention and partly of readability. Footnotes sit at the foot of the page and are easy to consult but can crowd dense pages, while endnotes gather references at the end of a chapter or book, leaving the page clean at the cost of flipping.
Scholarly and legal texts often prefer footnotes, popular nonfiction frequently uses endnotes, and many authors choose chapter endnotes as a compromise. Footnote layout for academic books needs a rule above the notes, a smaller type size, hanging indents and careful control of notes that continue onto the next page. Chicago style footnotes in a book interior follow a defined pattern of author, title, publication details and page, with shortened forms for later references.
In the ebook, footnotes become pop-up or linked endnotes, with a link from each number to the note and a link back to the text. Footnote formatting for ebooks, and endnote formatting for print books, therefore need different handling from a single source. We prepare both from one set of notes, so the numbers, text and links stay in sync in every edition.
- Footnotes, chapter endnotes or book endnotes set to your style
- Chicago and other citation styles applied consistently
- Two-way links between numbers and notes in the ebook
Choose the right build
The first decision in any notes system
Footnote formatting
Notes at the foot of the page. It suits scholarly books. We choose this route when the book leans on footnote placement, and we show a sample before the whole footnote and endnote formatting job proceeds.
Endnote formatting
Notes at the end of chapters or the book. It suits trade nonfiction. We choose this route when endnote sections are central to how the book is used, and we explain the cost and schedule consequences before you commit.
Specification
The notes system specification we build to
These are the decisions we make on every notes system job, and the reason for each one.
Element
How we build it
Why it matters
Numbering
Continuous or restarting by chapter. We confirm the value with you before building, and record it in the specification for your footnote and endnote formatting job.
Follows your style guide. Getting this right early avoids rework once the footnote and endnote formatting pages have been proofed.
Footnote style
Smaller size with a rule above. We apply it through a defined style or setting, so it holds across the whole footnote and endnote formatting file.
Notes read as secondary. Readers and reviewers notice when it is wrong, even when they cannot say what is wrong for the notes system.
Endnotes
Grouped by chapter with heading. We verify it again in the final proof, because it is easy to disturb during late edits with your notes system.
Easy to find. With your notes system, platforms and printers check it automatically, and a failure delays the launch.
Links
Two-way in the ebook. Where your platform sets a different rule, we follow the platform and tell you why in this notes system order.
Readers can return to the text. It also keeps later editions of the footnote and endnote formatting work consistent with the first.
Files
A formatted interior with notes, an EPUB with linked notes and a note style specification, named consistently and delivered with a short specification.
With your notes system, a clear package prevents mix-ups between versions and speeds up any later change. Getting this right early avoids rework once the footnote and endnote formatting pages have been proofed.
Checks
Preflight or validation run on every deliverable, with the report supplied in this notes system order. We apply it through a defined style or setting, so it holds across the whole footnote and endnote formatting file.
On this notes system job, evidence of a clean pass is what separates a checked file from a hopeful one. Readers and reviewers notice when it is wrong, even when they cannot say what is wrong for the notes system.
See what it costs
See the price of your notes system in a minute
Choose a word count to see what footnote and endnote formatting costs for your own book, with delivery time and extras, before you commit to anything.
Build my priceProcess
How a notes system project runs
Send
You send the files and tell us what you need from the footnote and endnote formatting job, including where you plan to publish and any deadline. With your notes system, we confirm the scope and the price. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the footnote and endnote formatting job in writing.
Day 1
Audit
We examine the file, list what is correct and what must change, and send a short note with any decisions we need from you on this notes system project. For a notes system, if something unexpected turns up at this stage, we tell you at once and agree the fix before continuing.
Days 1 to 2
Plan
We agree the specification, including how we will treat footnote placement and endnote sections, and confirm the schedule. This stage is where most questions arise, so we leave time for them in the schedule in this notes system order.
Day 2
Build
For a notes system, we carry out the work, applying defined styles and settings, and fixing faults at their source rather than covering them. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the footnote and endnote formatting job in writing.
Days 3 to 7
Check
We validate, preview and review the result against the specification, and compare the text with your manuscript for the notes system. For a notes system, if something unexpected turns up at this stage, we tell you at once and agree the fix before continuing.
Days 8 to 9
Deliver
You receive the files, the specification and the change log, with support if a platform queries the file for the notes system. This stage is where most questions arise, so we leave time for them in the schedule in this notes system order.
Day 10
Before and after
Notes before and after formatting
The same page of notes before and after formatting. The sources are the same, but the second version is ordered, consistent and linked.
123Before
- 1Superscript numbers that repeat or skip
- 2Footnotes spilling onto the next page with a gap
- 3Notes pasted into the ebook as plain text
123After
- 1Numbers in perfect sequence and matched to every note
- 2Footnotes controlled on the page with a clean separator
- 3Two-way links between text and notes in the ebook
- 3problems found in the first review
- 3fixes checked in the final review
- 1named specialist owning every fix
- Fixedprice confirmed in the calculator before you order
Credible references
Readers can trust notes that are complete and consistent.
Cleaner pages
Footnotes sit neatly and never crowd the text.
Notes that work
Ebook readers move between text and notes with a tap.
Pricing calculator
Build your notes system price
Notes let a book carry its evidence without interrupting the story. Describe your manuscript and see a fixed price for setting footnotes or endnotes that number correctly and link properly.
Beyond our online limit? Let us quote it properly.
A book above 150,000 words or with more than 150 images has a notes system that is priced individually. Send the details and we reply with a fixed price and delivery date.
The price covers setting and linking notes you supply. Editing citations, printing, ISBN fees and permissions for quoted material are not included.
Price guide
Footnote and Endnote Formatting cost at a glance
The table below shows footnote and endnote formatting cost by book length, with the base price, delivery window and the kind of book that fits. The calculator adds extras to your notes system for an exact total.
Word count
Base price
Standard delivery
Typical book
Very short text
$129
2-3 working days
Very short text
Short text
$159
3-4 working days
Short text
Compact text
$199
3-5 working days
Compact text
Short book
$249
4-6 working days
Short book
Standard length
$289
5-7 working days
Standard length
Full-length text
$329
5-8 working days
Full-length text
Long text
$379
6-9 working days
Long text
Large text
$419
7-10 working days
Large text
Longest online length
$459
8-11 working days
Longest online length
More than 150,000 words
Custom quote
Agreed with your quote
Quoted individually
Comparison
Footnote and Endnote Formatting compared with the alternatives
What you compare
A quick footnote and endnote formatting fix
Professional footnote and endnote formatting
Approach
A quick fix treats symptoms and leaves the cause in the file in this notes system order. That approach saves effort at the start and tends to cost more in repairs once the footnote and endnote formatting job is live.
A professional footnote and endnote formatting job finds and corrects the cause. We do this as standard on every footnote and endnote formatting job, and the evidence comes with your files.
Consistency
Manual changes vary from page to page for the notes system. It leaves the cause in place, so the same fault tends to return when the text changes on this notes system project.
Defined styles apply identically everywhere. It is built to be repeated, so later editions cost less and match the first in this notes system order.
Validation
For your notes system, success is judged by eye on one screen. For your notes system, it is hard to check, so faults are usually found by readers instead of by the author.
Success is judged by the platform's own checks and real devices with your notes system. With your notes system, it is checked by a person and by software before it reaches you, so problems are found early.
Documentation
For a notes system, nothing is recorded, so the next edition starts again. That approach saves effort at the start and tends to cost more in repairs once the footnote and endnote formatting job is live.
A specification and change log are supplied with your notes system. We do this as standard on every footnote and endnote formatting job, and the evidence comes with your files.
Risk
For a notes system, a rejected upload costs days and may delay a launch. It leaves the cause in place, so the same fault tends to return when the text changes on this notes system project.
With your notes system, files are tested before they reach you, and fixes are covered by the guarantee.
Cost
Cheap at first, then repeated whenever something changes on this notes system project. For your notes system, it is hard to check, so faults are usually found by readers instead of by the author.
For your notes system, a fixed price and a reusable result. With your notes system, it is checked by a person and by software before it reaches you, so problems are found early.
Our standard
The standard we hold every notes system to
Fix causes, not symptoms
Our footnote and endnote formatting work corrects the underlying structure, so the same problem does not return when the text changes. It is a standard we hold on every footnote and endnote formatting job, whatever the price of the package or the length of the book.
Evidence over assurance
On this notes system job, we supply the validation or preflight report with your files, so a clean result is something you can see. You can check it for yourself, because the evidence comes with your files on this notes system project. For a notes system, holding to it costs us time, and it saves you the cost of repairs later.
Plain communication
For your notes system, we explain what we found and what we did in plain language, and we tell you honestly when something is outside what the file can support. For a notes system, holding to it costs us time, and it saves you the cost of repairs later.
Checklist
The pre-delivery checklist for a notes system
Every item below is verified on your notes system before it leaves our desk.
- Audit completed and agreed with you
- Footnote placement checked and corrected
- Endnote sections checked and corrected
- Numbering and cross-references checked and corrected
- Ebook note links checked and corrected
- Validation or preflight run with the report supplied
- Previewer and device checks completed
- Text compared with the approved manuscript
- Specification and change log delivered
How we think
How we think about your notes system
Structure first
In footnote and endnote formatting, footnote placement and endnote sections are built into the file, not painted on top. We treat structure as the foundation and appearance as the finish, because structure is what survives edits and platform changes in this notes system order.
Checked, not hoped
A file is not finished because it looks right on our screen in this notes system order. It is finished when the validator, the preflight and real devices agree, and when we can show you the evidence for the notes system. It is the principle behind most of what we do on footnote and endnote formatting, and the reason we prefer to explain our choices rather than hide them.
Your files stay yours
We deliver source files and a specification, and we never lock your footnote and endnote formatting work inside a proprietary format. If you hire someone else later, they can pick up where we stopped in this notes system order.
Client reviews
What authors say about our notes formatting
Verified reviews from authors with footnotes, citations and bibliographies that were praised for precise formatting.
Good formatting work overall. The chapter headers felt slightly generic at first but after one revision round they had exactly the right tone for my YA readership. File passed KDP without any issues.
My bilingual poetry collection had French and Wolof on facing pages. The layout handled both languages with the right visual balance. One alignment correction in revisions and it was exactly right.
Good formatting work on my early reader book. The large font and generous spacing were applied correctly. One illustration needed repositioning in revisions but it was fixed quickly. Happy with the result.
My textbook had 200 footnotes, 45 tables, and a detailed index. Every element was formatted to academic publishing standards. My publisher accepted the files without requesting any corrections whatsoever.
The interior was formatted cleanly and the file passed KDP without corrections. I had one request during revisions about the callout box styling and it was updated promptly. Overall a good experience.
My business book had 14 chapters, 38 tables, and 22 figures. Everything was formatted cleanly and consistently. The specialist flagged two source document errors I had not noticed. Thorough and professional.
Solid formatting work. The chapter headers and page numbers were all clean and the file passed IngramSpark first time. Communication was good throughout. Minor revision was turned around same day.
The atmospheric chapter openings matched the tone of my books without being overdone. The specialist clearly understood what dark fantasy readers expect from a professionally formatted interior.
The interior finally looked the way I had always imagined it. Every margin, chapter header, and page number was precisely placed. My proof copy from KDP was perfect on the first attempt.
My historical novel had period-appropriate chapter epigraphs and an author's note section. Every element was formatted with understanding of the genre's conventions. My literary agent commented on the professional quality.
The devotional layout needed daily readings, scripture references, and reflection prompts to work together without feeling cluttered. The specialist understood the format immediately and the result serves the purpose perfectly.
Cookbook formatting is a specialised skill. The recipe layouts, ingredient column alignment, and index were all formatted beautifully. The food photography placement looks professional and the page flow is logical.
The citation formatting, chapter opening pages, and bibliography were all handled precisely. For a scholarly publication, these details matter enormously. The finished book looks authoritative and professional.
The Kindle file looks professional on every device I have tested it on. Consistent fonts, clean line spacing, and the table of contents navigates properly. My readers have noticed the improvement over my previous book.
Business books need to feel authoritative while remaining readable. The interior design achieved both. The chapter structure is clear and every table reads cleanly. My corporate clients have all commented favourably.
My psychological thriller had unreliable narrator chapters that needed specific typographic signals to the reader. Every formatting choice reinforced the story. My beta readers said the book felt cinematic.
Good work overall. The formatting was clean and the file passed KDP first time. I would have liked slightly more communication during the process but the end result was exactly what I needed.
My romance novel needed a warm, readable layout with consistent chapter styling. The specialist understood exactly what I was after and the finished file exceeded my expectations on every page.
FAQ
Footnote and Endnote Formatting: questions answered
These are the questions authors ask most about footnote and endnote formatting, including style, conversion and cost. If your question about the notes system is missing, request a quote and a specialist will reply.
How to format footnotes in a book?
Set them in smaller type at the foot of the page with a rule above and linked markers in the text. For footnote and endnote formatting, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
What are footnotes vs endnotes in books?
Footnotes sit at the foot of the page, and endnotes are collected at the end. We keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work in this notes system order.
How do I do endnote formatting for print books?
Group notes by chapter with headings and numbering. For a notes system, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
How do I do footnote formatting for ebooks?
Use linked notes with popup markup and back links. If you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves for the notes system.
How do I do Chicago style footnotes in a book interior?
Use a full citation first and a short form later, set in smaller type. Revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect for the notes system.
Do you offer a footnote and endnote formatting service?
Yes. For footnote and endnote formatting, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
How do I do footnotes in a KDP paperback?
Set them in the layout and check margins and page count. We keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work in this notes system order.
How do I do footnote layout for academic books?
Reserve space, control breaks and use a consistent style. For a notes system, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
How do I convert footnotes to endnotes in a manuscript?
Convert in the source, check numbering and rebuild the layout. If you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves for the notes system.
Do you offer footnote and endnote formatting services?
Yes. Revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect for the notes system.
What is footnote and endnote formatting cost?
For your notes system, the calculator on this page shows a fixed price for each package. For footnote and endnote formatting, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
Can you do notes for ebooks?
Yes, with links. We keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work in this notes system order.
Should I use footnotes or endnotes?
Footnotes suit scholarly books, while endnotes keep trade pages clean. We advise on your readers. For a notes system, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
Can you convert footnotes to endnotes?
Yes. We rebuild numbering and links. If you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves for the notes system.
Do ebook notes link?
Yes, in both directions. Revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect for the notes system.
How much does footnote and endnote formatting cost?
Footnote and endnote formatting cost starts at $129 for a short book and rises to $459 for the longest length priced online. The calculator adds your editions and extras, so the price you see for footnote and endnote formatting services is the exact total.
How long does notes formatting take?
Notes formatting usually takes between five and ten working days, depending on the number of notes. Priority and Express options shorten the schedule for your notes system, and the calculator shows an estimate before you pay.
Can I use footnotes in a KDP paperback?
Yes. Footnotes in a KDP paperback work well when the note text is set in a smaller size and the numbering is generated by styles, not typed by hand. The page layout must leave room for the longest note on each page.
Ready when you are
Ready to start your notes system?
Notes are where readers check your authority, so they have to be right. See the price of your footnote and endnote formatting in a minute, or send a larger project and we will quote it.
- Fixed price shown before you pay
- Revision rounds included
- One named specialist, brief to upload