Vellum. Vellum isn’t free, and it’s Mac-only, but it’s the best tool available for Do-It-Yourselfers, and allows you to generate both print and eBook files. The print layout design quality is only so-so, but still better than you’d be able to do on your own or by hiring a bottom-tier designer. It’s like the difference between editing a photo in Instagram vs. Photoshop. A beginner will be able to get an OK result from Insta- gram quickly. Photoshop is far more powerful, and a professional will be able to get a much better result from it, but they had to invest a lot of time (and money) to get to that level. If you’re going to hire a designer—which you should—there are basically three options: CHEAP There are people offering layout services on Fiverr. Bookalope is another. Upwork is another. As we described earlier in the chapter, the quality of these designs is really low. It’s easy to delude yourself when you’re looking at a computer screen to think that the PDF looks good, but we’ve tested this path enough times to know better. Only use the cheap options if you’re okay with the book not looking entirely professional. We’d honestly recommend going the DIY route as a better alternative to hiring this quality of designer—that’s how bad it usually turns out. MIDDLE ROUTE There are some decent layout people on Reedsy and similar websites. This bracket often contains graphic designers who are “moonlighting” with layout work and don’t necessarily have a lot of specialized experience in book design, but you can find some DESigN yOUr BOOk lAyOUT · 301