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Format Your Paperback
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Format Your Paperback
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KDP Jumpstart
Milestone 3 - Manuscript & Cover
Topic 8 - Format Your Paperback Manuscript
Topic 8 - Format Your Paperback Manuscript
WHAT THIS TOPIC COVERS
After reading this topic, you'll be able to:- Choose a template for your paperback
- Customize the template
- Review your file and save it as a PDF that's ready to be uploaded to KDP.
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 A PAPERBACK MANUSCRIPT
This topic is for authors with a finished manuscript who want to publish their book as a paperback. If you don't want to use the recommended templates, check our our other formatting resources.Video: Work backwards to create a quality book
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Choose a templateYou'll choose the template that best fits your manuscript's needs and trim size. You can choose between blank templates and templates with sample content (e.g., title page, table of contents, etc.) |
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Customize front matterYou'll insert your information into the title page, copyright, and table of contents pages. |
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Customize chapter pagesYou'll add or delete chapters and insert your information into the headers and chapter beginnings. |
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Add page numbers to table of contentsAfter you've finished customizing the rest of your book, you'll find the page numbers on which each chapter begins and add them to the table of contents page. |
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Review your fileBefore you upload your formatted file to KDP, make sure you've customized or removed all template text. Also make sure that the information in your file (e.g., book title, author name) exactly matches the book details you entered during title setup. Finally, for the best results, save your formatted manuscript as a PDF. |
 | Publishing your book in multiple formats (digital and print) can attract readers who want to consume your book in different ways. Some like holding physical books in their hands; others like the convenience of immediately downloading and reading. To learn more about the benefits of publishing in multiple formats, read this article. |
WHAT TO DO NEXT
- Download or print the KDP Jumpstart companion guide. It provides detailed, step-by-step instructions on using templates to format your manuscript.
- Follow follow the instructions in the companion guide to customize the template, review the formatted file, and save it as a PDF, which you'll upload to KDP later.
- Go to Topic 9 to learn how to design your cover.
