Write and publish your book
Upload a manuscript and get a real printed book. BookForge typesets the interior, builds a print-ready cover, checks every file against the printer before you pay, and ships paperbacks and hardcovers to your door. You keep every right and every royalty.
Free to build and preview. No minimum order, no inventory, no royalties taken.
How to publish a book, step by step
Seven steps from a finished draft to copies in your hands. Most authors get through it in under half an hour.
- 1
Add your manuscript
Upload a .docx, .pdf, .txt or .md file, or paste your draft straight into the page. Chapters are detected for you.
- 2
Choose the format
Trim size, paperback or hardcover, paper stock, and a matte or glossy cover finish.
- 3
Pick a style
Four typographic themes and an adjustable body size, previewed at true printed proportions.
- 4
Place your images
Position illustrations in the text. Each one is measured for print resolution as you add it.
- 5
Design the cover
Generate artwork at your exact trim size, or upload your own front, back, or full wrap-around cover.
- 6
Review the proof
Page through the typeset interior and turn the finished book over in 3D before committing.
- 7
Order copies
Live printing and shipping costs, then printed on demand and delivered to your door.
What BookForge does for you
Typesetting
Real book typography, not a Word export. Chapter openings, running heads, drop caps and margins are set to the trim size you choose, across four themes with adjustable body text.
Covers
Generate artwork at true print resolution, shaped to your exact trim size — or upload your own front, back, or full wrap-around cover. Spine width is computed from your real page count.
Printing
Paperback and hardcover, multiple trim sizes, paper stocks and cover finishes. Printed on demand and shipped worldwide, with live costs shown before you order.
Your files are checked before you pay
The most common way self-publishing goes wrong is a print order accepted, charged, and then rejected by the printer for a technical fault in the files — a cover built to the wrong spine width, a page count below the binding minimum, artwork too low-resolution to print sharply.
BookForge validates the interior and cover against the printer's own requirements before you are asked to pay, and repairs the common faults automatically. Low-resolution images are flagged while you are still designing, with the pixel dimensions you need. You should not have to learn what a bleed is to print your own book.
What it costs
Building and previewing a book is free. Publishing takes a subscription, and printing is billed per order at wholesale cost.
Author Pro
For indie authors publishing their own books.
$15 / month
Billed annually, or $19 month to month.
- Unlimited book projects
- Unlimited AI cover art
- All typography themes
- High-resolution interior and cover downloads
Publisher Studio
For series authors and small publishers.
$39 / month
Billed annually, or $49 month to month.
- Everything in Author Pro
- Collaborators on a project
- Custom ISBN with barcode insertion
- Multiple trim size exports
Printing and shipping are billed separately for each order, at wholesale cost. The exact amount for your book and destination is shown before you pay.
Questions authors ask
How do I self-publish a book without formatting it myself?
Upload your manuscript and BookForge typesets the book for you. Chapter openings, running heads, page numbers, margins and drop caps are applied automatically to match the trim size you pick. You never open a layout program, and what comes out is a print-ready PDF interior plus a cover built to the printer’s exact specification.
What file formats can I upload?
Word documents (.docx), plain text (.txt), Markdown (.md) and PDF files up to 50 MB. You can also paste a draft directly into the page instead of uploading anything.
Can I print a hardcover?
Yes — case-wrapped hardcovers with rigid boards and a full wrap-around cover, as well as perfect-bound paperbacks. Both print on demand, so there is no minimum order and no inventory. Spine width and cover geometry are calculated from your book’s real page count.
Who owns the rights to my book?
You do. CreateLex takes no royalty and no share of your sales, and claims no rights over your manuscript, your cover, or your print files. Printing is billed at wholesale cost for the copies you order.
How much does it cost?
Building and previewing a book is free. Publishing requires a subscription: Author Pro is $19 per month, or $15 per month billed annually. Publisher Studio is $49 per month, or $39 per month billed annually. Printing and shipping are billed per order at wholesale cost, and you see the exact amount before you pay.
What if the printer rejects my files?
BookForge checks the interior and cover against the printer’s own requirements before you are asked to pay, and repairs the common problems automatically — most often a cover built for the wrong binding or spine width. Low-resolution artwork is flagged while you are still designing, along with the pixel dimensions you need for a sharp print.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes. Books are printed in the network closest to the delivery address and shipped worldwide. Shipping options and costs for your destination are calculated live before you order.
Do I need an ISBN?
Not to print copies for yourself or to sell directly. You need one to sell through retailers and libraries. Publisher Studio lets you attach your own ISBN and inserts the EAN barcode onto the cover for you.
Your book, printed and in your hands
Start free. Build the whole book and look at it before you spend anything.
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