Help Topics
- Help
- Account & Taxes
-
Book Formatting
-
Format Your Paperback
- Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins
- Format Front Matter, Body Matter, and Back Matter
- Save Your Manuscript File
- Paperback and Hardcover Manuscript Templates
- Cover Creator
- Create a Paperback Cover
- Format Images in Your Book
- Paperback Fonts
- Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
- Paperback Submission Guidelines
- Format Your Hardcover
- Format Your eBook
- Tools and Resources
-
Format Your Paperback
- KDP Publishing
-
Orders & Book Copies
-
Proof and Author Copies
- How do I order a proof or author copy?
- How much do proof or author copies cost?
- What is the cost to ship my proof or author copy?
- When will my proof or author copy arrive?
- I’m getting an error ordering my author copy
- I’m getting an error ordering my proof copy
- My proof or author copy came damaged
- My proof or author copy didn’t arrive on time
- My proof or author copy has printing errors
-
Proof and Author Copies
- Amazon Store & Detail Page
- Marketing & Distribution
- Book Updates
- Payments & Reports
- Legal & Content Guidelines
-
User Guides
-
Kindle Publishing Guidelines
- Getting Started
- General Best Practices
- Guidelines for Specific Types of eBooks
- Appendices
- KDP Jumpstart
- KDP University
-
Kindle Publishing Guidelines
Contact Us
Have feedback? Can't find your answer in our Help pages?
Contact UsTopic 7 - Format Your eBook Manuscript
WHAT THIS TOPIC COVERS
After reading this topic, you'll be able to use the Kindle Create tool to:- Format your front matter (e.g., title page, copyright page, dedication)
- Create an active table of contents
- Format your chapter titles and first paragraphs
- Apply a theme to your book that styles the layout and font
- Preview your book before publishing it
YOUR PROGRESS
You've completed Milestones 1 and 2. Now you're working on Milestone 3, which covers book formatting. Later, you'll set rights and pricing (Milestone 4).
HOW TO FORMAT YOUR EBOOK MANUSCRIPT
This topic is for authors with a finished manuscript who want to publish their book as an eBook. If you want to publish your book as a paperback, go to Topic 8.If you have specific formatting needs, check out these resources for formatting your manuscript yourself.
Video: How to use Kindle Create
 | Open Kindle Create and start your projectAfter downloading, installing, and opening Kindle Create, you'll start a new project by choosing your Word file. The tool will automatically find and format your chapter titles, which will create a table of contents for your eBook. |
 | Apply formatting elementsKindle Create allows you to apply elements to your book. Think of elements as formatting shortcuts. For example, there's a "Book Title" element that you can click to style your title instantly. You'll save time by applying elements to format your front matter (title page, copyright page, and dedication) and book body (chapter titles and first paragraphs). |
 | Apply a themeGive your book the right look and feel by applying a theme that automatically updates the layout and font. Choose between Classic, Modern, Amour, and Cosmos. We introduced these themes in the activity in Topic 6. |
 | Preview your eBookKindle Create allows you to preview your eBook at any time so you can see what it will look like on tablets, phones, and e-readers.Does your eBook have incorrectly bolded text, irregular page breaks, or inconsistent font sizes? Is your source file a PDF? If so, watch the video linked below to learn how to avoid conversion issues. TIP: Make sure the information in your manuscript (e.g., book title, author name) exactly matches the book details you entered. |
 | Save your fileWhen you're satisfied with your book, you'll save it as a .kcb and then a .kpf file. You'll upload the .kpf file to KDP later.TIP: After you upload your book, it will go through our content and quality review. If it doesn't pass our review, you'll need to edit your files and resubmit them. |
 | Use Kindle Create and your eBook will have the latest Kindle reading features like enhanced typesetting, which supports faster reading with less eye strain; beautiful page layouts, even at larger font sizes; and page flip, a new way to explore books without losing your place. Readers have come to expect this, and now you can format your eBook so it has these features too! |
WHAT TO DO NEXT
- Download or print the KDP Jumpstart companion guide. It provides detailed, step-by-step instructions on using Kindle Create to format your manuscript.
- Download (PC or Mac) and install the tool.
- Open Kindle Create and follow the instructions in the companion guide.
- Save your file in .kpf format. You'll upload this to KDP later.
- Go to Topic 9 to learn how to design your cover.
