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Contact UsKindle Create Tutorial
By the end of the tutorial, you'll understand what you can do with Kindle Create and how to use it to prepare your own books.
Note that Kindle Create doesn't support reflowable books in Japanese.
Contents
- Download Kindle Create
- Download sample files
- Import unformatted file into Kindle Create
- Add front matter pages (e.g. title page)
- Add table of contents page (optional)
- Style chapter title pages
- Choose a theme
- Insert an image
- Insert hyperlinks
- Add back matter pages (e.g. more books by author)
- Prepare your book for print
- Preview and export file
Download Kindle CreateIf you haven't done so, download Kindle Create and install the tool. | ||
Download sample filesHere's an unformatted Microsoft Word version of Pride and Prejudice and an image you'll insert in step 8. Download and save these files on your computer. | ||
Import unformatted file into Kindle CreateTo import the sample manuscript file, start Kindle Create and click Create New.Find the file of Pride and Prejudice on your computer and open it. After Kindle Create imports the file, it will automatically find and format the chapter titles. Make sure the chapters Kindle Create found are correct. When you're done, click Accept Selected. This formats your chapter titles and adds them to the Kindle TOC in the Body section. Kindle Create displays your book in three sections: Front Matter, Body, and Back Matter. You can split, merge, or rearrange chapters as needed. Next, save your file. This is a work file (in KCB format) you can use to update your book later. Learn more about creating projects and tables of contents. | ||
Add front matter pagesKindle Create allows you to easily add front matter pages like title page, copyright, dedication, and more in a few clicks. For example, to add a title page:
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Add table of contents page (optional)To add a table of contents (TOC) page, click your first chapter in the Contents pane, click Insert, and choose Table of Contents. A list of detected chapter titles will appear.If everything looks the way you want it to, click OK. The TOC page will be added to your book's front matter. The TOC page is automatically updated as you add or remove chapters. When you change your chapter titles, the TOC updates automatically to match the new text. | ||
Style chapter title pagesWhen you accept the chapter title pages Kindle Create detects, the tool automatically styles the chapter titles. To apply drop caps and add spacing between the chapter title and first paragraph:
Experiment with the different elements and formatting options in the Text Properties pane. When you style the chapters of your own book, you need to repeat these steps for each chapter. Learn more about formatting text. | ||
Choose a themeGive your book the right look and feel by applying a theme that automatically updates the layout and font.The Modern theme is the default. To change it, click the Theme button in the upper right-hand corner of Kindle Create. You have four options: Modern, Classic, Cosmos, and Amour. Here's what they look like when applied to Pride and Prejudice: | ||
Insert an imageTo insert the sample image into Pride and Prejudice:
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Insert hyperlinksWith Kindle Create, you can insert hyperlinks to webpages. A common reason for inserting hyperlinks is to add external references such as wiki pages or blogs.For example, if you want to add a hyperlink to a word in chapter 1:
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Add back matter pagesKindle Create allows you to easily add back matter such as “about the author,” or “more books by this author” in a few clicks. For example, to add a “Books by author” page:
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Prepare your book for printKindle Create helps you to take the same project file you used for your eBook and publish it as a print version on KDP. It automatically handles margins based on the trim size you choose on KDP, and limits widows and orphans for a professional print. The page numbering of your book begins with the body, and front matter gets roman numerals as page numbers. You can control how the headers and footers of your print book appear by specifying the style you want. Click the Print Settings button in the top-right corner of Kindle Create. This opens a window with several options to change the alignment and position of the author name, book title, and page numbers. Learn more about print features in Kindle Create. | ||
Preview and export fileAfter you finish formatting your book, you can preview it in Kindle Create to see what it would like look on a tablets, E-readers, and phones.To preview your book, click the Preview button in the upper right-hand corner of Kindle Create. Here's a preview of our Pride and Prejudice file: When you're happy with your book, then you're ready to export the file. To export Pride and Prejudice, you would click the Export button in the upper right-hand corner of Kindle Create. This creates a publishable file (in KPF format) that can be uploaded to KDP. If you're also publishing your book in print, you should use the KDP Print Previewer after uploading your file to KDP. Learn more about previewing and publishing books prepared with Kindle Create. |
You're done! Thanks for testing out Kindle Create. Now try it on your book! If you still have questions, check out our help pages.