Help Topics
- Help
- Accounts
-
Prepare, Publish, Promote
- Getting Started
-
Prepare Your Book
-
Format Your Manuscript
- eBook Manuscript Resources
-
Paperback Submission Overview
- Paperback Interior Design
- Paperback Manuscript Templates
- Build Your Book - Format a Paperback Manuscript (Word for Windows)
- Build Your Book - Format a Paperback Manuscript (Word for Mac)
- Build Your Book – Format a Paperback Manuscript (Pages for Mac)
- Format Images in Your Paperback
- Paperback Fonts
- Create a Paperback PDF File
- Paperback Submission Guidelines
- Formatting on a Mac
- Create Your Cover
-
Format Your Manuscript
-
Publish Your Book
- Enter Book Details
- Upload Content
- Set Rights and Pricing
- Timelines
- Amazon Search Results
-
Promote Your Book
- Amazon Literary Contests
- Kindle Merchandising Programs
- Merchandising Tips
- Customer Reviews
- Amazon Programs
- Tools and Resources
- Manage Your Books
- Orders
- Sales, Royalties, Taxes
- Legal
-
User Guides
-
Kindle Publishing Guidelines
- Getting Started
- General Best Practices
- Guidelines for Specific Types of eBooks
- Appendices
- KDP Jumpstart
-
Kindle Publishing Guidelines
Contact Us
Have feedback? Can't find your answer in our Help pages?
Contact UsPrevious Webinars
Missed the live webinar? Don't worry. You can watch recorded webinars and read the most frequently asked questions from the Q&A sessions.
To view prior KDPUniversity @home sessions, check out the Playlist on our Youtube Channel.
Video: Recorded February 18, 2021
Video: Recorded February 11, 2021
Video: Recorded February 4, 2021
Video: Recorded January 28, 2021
Video: Recorded January 14, 2021
Video: Recorded January 7, 2021
Video: Recorded December 17, 2020
Video: Recorded December 10, 2020
Video: Recorded December 9, 2020
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this companion guide.
Video: Recorded January 10, 2019
For the resources discussed in the webinar, download this companion guide.
Contents
To view prior KDPUniversity @home sessions, check out the Playlist on our Youtube Channel.
KDPUniversity @home with Savannah J. Frierson
Savannah J. Frierson is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling author of happily-ever-after romances and mainstream fiction featuring African American girls and women that capture the hearts of those who believe in transcendent love worth waiting for. Author, editor, formatter, and consultant, Frierson depicts characters who find empowerment through love, and shows vulnerability as a strength to be embraced and celebrated. Dedicated to increasing black women’s representation, she has also spoken at several book fairs, book clubs, and radio shows. Savannah joined us on Feb. 18 to share her story, and her best advice to go from writer to successful publisher!Video: Recorded February 18, 2021
KDPUniversity @home with Kennedy Ryan
RITA Award Winner, USA Today and Amazon Top 12 best seller, Kennedy Ryan writes to empower women from all walks of life, placing them at the center of each captivating romance novel. Ryan and her books have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, O Mag and many others. She describes self-publishing as a powerful means for writers from marginalized communities to publish their work, and reach their audience. Kennedy joined KDP on Feb. 11 to celebrate diverse voices with us, and share her best tips on the craft of writing, and publishing your book!Video: Recorded February 11, 2021
KDPUniversity @home with Crystal Swain-Bates
Celebrated children’s book author with over 100,000 copies sold, Crystal Swain-Bates founded Goldest Karat Publishing in order to fill the diversity gap in children’s literature. Swain-Bates has been featured in Forbes, and her books highlighted in Essence Magazine, the Huffington Post, and used as props on several TV shows. Crystal joined KDP on February 4, 2021 to share with us her commitment to positively reshape the self-perception of children of color, and some great formatting, and marketing tips.Video: Recorded February 4, 2021
KDPUniversity @home with Steffanie Holmes
Legally blind since birth, Steffanie Holmes turned a failed archeology career into a great opportunity: writing full-time, and becoming USA Today Best-selling author of the paranormal, gothic, dark, and fantastical! Her books feature clever, witty heroines, spooky mysteries, and secret societies. Steffanie joined KDP University on January 28, 2021, to share her story, talk about her unique drafting method, and provide some great tips for new indie authors!Video: Recorded January 28, 2021
KDPUniversity @home with Jonathan Yanez
Former personal trainer, now award-winning author Jonathan Yanez decided to turn to full-time writing because he felt that was his calling, and true passion. Yanez writes primarily urban fantasy and sci-fi books, which have now been translated into multiple languages, optioned for the big screen, and adapted into a mobile game. Jonathan joined KDP on January 14, 2021, for our second New Year New You session, to share his inspiring story, along with a few tips on branding and reader engagement.Video: Recorded January 14, 2021
KDPUniversity @home with Craig Martelle
Author/co-author of over one hundred books, Craig Martelle draws inspiration from his experience in the US Marine Corps Intelligence, and work as a business consultant to add realism to his stories. Martelle is mainly a science fiction writer, however he enjoys writing thrillers and non-fiction as well, and tends to prefer writing his books in series because “a set of characters have an infinite number of tales to tell”. The KDP University team had the pleasure of meeting Craig as part of the “New Year, New You” series on Jan. 7, 2021, hear his story and his best advice on how to be a successful new Indie Publisher!Video: Recorded January 7, 2021
KDPUniversity @home with Alessandra Torre
Alessandra Torre is a self-published, New York Times bestselling author who writes romance and suspense novels striving for unexpected plots and unforgettable characters. While she always enjoyed writing, Torre had never considered it as a career choice, until the success she achieved with her first book in 2011 gave her the confidence to envision that as her future. Alessandra joined KDP University on Dec. 17 to share her story, how self-publishing made this career a reality for her, and her best tips for a great book craft and successful launch.Video: Recorded December 17, 2020
KDPUniversity @home with Mandy M. Roth
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mandy M. Roth loves 80s music and movies and wishes leg warmers would come back into fashion. When she’s not dancing around her office to the sounds of the 80s, she’s busy writing paranormal operatives and kick-butt urban fantasy heroines. Mandy joined KDP University on Dec. 10 to share about her transition from traditional to indie publishing, and how KDP tools have helped her increase reach.Video: Recorded December 10, 2020
Getting started with KDP
Take a tour of the KDP website and learn about requirements and resources for book formatting.Video: Recorded December 9, 2020
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this companion guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I create paperback books on KDP without creating an eBook?
You can publish both eBooks and paperbacks on KDP. You don’t have to publish an eBook on KDP, though you can easily create an eBook edition of your paperback by clicking + Create eBook next to the book on your KDP Bookshelf. Publishing in both formats can help you reach new readers.
What paperback formatting tools does KDP offer?
KDP offers several free formatting tools and resources:
- Build Your Book is a step-by-step video guide for formatting a paperback manuscript.
- KDP University offers webinars, videos, and end-to-end guides to help you successfully publishing your book.
- Kindle Create Add-in for Microsoft Word (Beta) is a tool for formatting a manuscript in Microsoft Word.
- Paperback Cover Creator uses the book details you entered during title setup to help you design an eye-catching cover.
- Manuscript and cover templates help you create print-ready paperback files.
How can I determine my author copy order pricing?
When you order author copies through your KDP Account, you’ll pay the author price for your own books. The author price is the printing cost for your selected marketplace times the number of copies. The trim size, interior type, page count determines this price and does not include shipping charges or taxes. On Amazon.com, any applicable sales tax will be applied at checkout. For European orders, local VAT will be applied at checkout. This price is the lowest price we can offer for your book; we are unable to offer additional discounts.
For help determining your books printing cost, download our printing cost calculator.
For help determining your books printing cost, download our printing cost calculator.
Can I upload a fully formatted JPEG cover through KDP's Cover Creator?
Yes, visit the Paperback Cover Creator help page for instructions on how to do this.
Does KDP offer professional paperback formatting services?
KDP doesn't offer paperback formatting services. For more details on companies that specialize in professional publishing services, see our help page for Publishing Service Providers & Resources.
Note: Amazon does not endorse or sponsor any service provider, nor recommend one over another.
For more details on self-service resources to help you prepare your book for publication, check out KDP University.
Note: Amazon does not endorse or sponsor any service provider, nor recommend one over another.
For more details on self-service resources to help you prepare your book for publication, check out KDP University.
Does KDP offer phone support?
If you have questions about CreateSpace moving to KDP, first check our CreateSpace and KDP to Become One Service help page.
After you move, you'll have access to our customer support through phone and email from the Contact Us page.
To request a phone call from us:
After you move, you'll have access to our customer support through phone and email from the Contact Us page.
To request a phone call from us:
- From Contact Us, select your issue under How can we help?
- Choose the subcategory that best describes the reason for your contact.
- You'll see a Phone option under the section How would you like to contact us?
- Under Phone, click Call us.
- Under Talk with KDP Customer Service, enter your contact number and country or region.
- Choose Call Me or Call Me in 5 Minutes, and be ready to provide your account information when we call.
Does KDP offer promotional or marketing help?
KDP provides several programs to help you promote your book. For more details, check our Promote Your Book help page.
Tax talk: What digital content providers should know about taxes
Learn why Amazon needs tax information, where to download forms, and about taking the tax interview.Video: Recorded January 10, 2019
For the resources discussed in the webinar, download this companion guide.
Paperback formatting essentials
Learn industry terms and best practices for turning a completed manuscript into a formatted file.Video: Recorded December 17, 2020
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this companion guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is bleed?
Bleed is a page size and margin increase of 0.125" (3 mm) beyond the final trim size from the top, bottom, and outer edges of your manuscript. Bleed allows content like images and illustrations to extend to the edge of the page. Content can shift when your book is trimmed. Due to this shift, a white line may be present at the edge of the page if you don't add bleed.
See all our paperback manuscript resources.
See all our paperback manuscript resources.
How are gutter margins calculated?
Page count determines the size of your gutter, or inside margins. You'll want a wider gutter margin for longer books.
Learn how to set your margins.
Learn how to set your margins.
What's the difference between section breaks and page breaks?
- Section breaks allow you to change headers, footers, and pagination between different sections in your book. Insert a section break at the end of the front matter to add headers to the content and start the page numbering at Chapter 1. To insert a section break, go to the Layout tab. In the "Page Setup" section, click Breaks, and select Section Breaks – Next Page.
- Page breaks allow you to move content to a separate page without interrupting header and footer styles or pagination. Insert a page break at the end of every chapter to keep the text from running together. To insert a page break, place the cursor where you want it, go to the Insert tab and click Page Break.
How do I insert two different styles of page numbers?
Want Roman Numerals (i, ii, iii) for the front matter and ordinal numbers (1, 2, 3) for the book body? Here's how:
- Enter a section break between the front matter and the body content (usually the first chapter).
- Go to the Insert tab and click Page Number.
- From the drop-down menu, click Bottom of page then click Plain Number 2. This will add page numbers to the center of your footer throughout the manuscript.
- To change the style of the page numbers, click Footer.
- From the drop-down menu, click Edit Footer. This will open the footer design tab.
- Click Page Number.
- From the drop-down menu, click Format Page Numbers to open the "Page Number Format" dialog menu.
- Select i, ii, iii from the Number Format drop-down.
- Click OK to close the window.
- Move to your chapter 1 title page and click Page Number from the footer design tab.
- From the drop-down menu, click Format Page Numbers to open the "Page Number Format" dialog menu.
- Select 1,2,3 from the Number Format drop-down.
- Under "Page Numbering," click the radial button next to "Start at:" and enter 1 in the text box.
- Click OK to close the window and click the red "X" to close the Headers and Footers Design tab.
What is the minimum and maximum page count for my book? What is the minimum page count for spine text?
The minimum page count is 24 pages. At least 100 pages are required for text to fit on the spine. Maximum page count depends on print options like ink & paper types and trim size.
Learn more about page count.
Learn more about page count.
What trim sizes does KDP offer?
See our Help page for a list of trim size options.
What is the suggested indentation for a new paragraph?
The suggested indentation for a new paragraph is 0.2" (5 mm). To indent paragraphs:
- Highlight the paragraphs you want to indent.
- Go to the Home tab and open the Paragraph dialog box by clicking the small diagonal arrow at the bottom right of the "Paragraph" section.
- Under "Indentation," select First line from the "Special" drop-down menu.
- In the "By" field, enter 0.2" (5 mm).
- Click OK.
When uploading a print-ready PDF created in Microsoft Word, how do I ensure my images are high resolution?
Microsoft Word downsamples, or lowers the resolution, of images by default when a file is saved to reduce the file size. This takes your high-resolution images and reduces them to 96 or 72 DPI (dots per inch).
To preserve your image resolution:
To preserve your image resolution:
- Go to the File tab and click Options. A "Word Options" pop up window will open.
- Click Advanced.
- Check the "Do not compress images in file" box.
- Click OK.
Does the Kindle Create Add-in support footnotes?
Yes, the Kindle Create Add-in for Microsoft Word (Beta) supports footnotes if they're added using the Microsoft Word footnote tool and are inserted within our margin requirements. To insert footnotes:
- Place the cursor where you want to add the footnote.
- Go to the References tab and click Insert Footnote. (If you're using Word 2003 or earlier, press Ctrl + Alt + F on your keyboard at the same time to create footnotes).
- The cursor will jump to the footnote section at the bottom of the page.
- Enter your footnote text.
What are the accepted file types for the Kindle Create Add-in?
The Kindle Create Add-in for Microsoft Word (Beta) is only compatible with PCs.
See our Help page for a list of file formats.
See our Help page for a list of file formats.
Can I download formatted templates?
Yes, to help you format your paperback, we've created templates in Microsoft Word into which you can insert your content.
Go to our Help page to download and learn how to use the templates.
Go to our Help page to download and learn how to use the templates.
My interior's trim size, margin, and bleed are correct. Why is KDP rejecting my file?
Book detail mismatches are among the most common reasons KDP rejects files. Before uploading your files, make sure the title, subtitle, series, edition, ISBN, author and contributor information you entered during title setup matches the information in your manuscript and cover files. .
Learn more about our metadata guidelines.
Learn more about our metadata guidelines.
Creative cover solutions
Learn about cover formatting, branding principles, and top 10 cover best practices.Video: Recorded January 6, 2021
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this companion guide.
Discovering Metadata
Metadata influences how readers find and purchase your book on Amazon. Join us for best practices on how to identify categories and keywords to increase traffic and use metadata to create a strong detail page that impacts conversion to sales.Video: Recorded July 1, 2020
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this author guide.
Developing a promotional strategy
Stand out from the hundreds of books that are published weekly by creating a plan for promoting your book.Video: Recorded December, 2, 2020
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this companion guide.
Getting started with sponsored ads for KDP authors
Ready to launch your first self-service Amazon Advertising campaign but not sure where to start? Let this webinar tailored to KDP authors be your guide.Video: Recorded October 28, 2020
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this guide.
Advanced Book Marketing on Goodreads
Designed for the author who is already part of the Goodreads Authors Program, this webinar will teach you the best ways to maximize the reach of Goodreads, the world’s largest community of readers.Video: Recorded October 29, 2019
For more information and links to the resources discussed in the webinar, download this author guide and these notes and highlights.
