Formatting your book to prepare for publishing can be challenging. However, KDP has a number of tools and resources to help you format your manuscript. You’re welcome to use your own local software to create your book elements. For the purposes of this guide, however, we’re sharing the simplest way to approach each format type.
Download a Template
If you plan to publish your book in both eBook and print formats, we recommend starting with one of our manuscript templates. Even if you only plan to publish eBooks now, this will save you time if you decide to create print versions in the future.
To select a template, you’ll need to determine what trim size you want for your printed book. The trim size will be the final size of your physical printed book.
Jumpstart Tip
The most common trim size for books in the U.S. is 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm). If you're unsure which size to pick, find books with content similar to yours to get an idea of what readers expect.
Note: Printing costs will vary depending on your selected trim size.
You can find a complete list of the trim sizes available through KDP in Print Options.
Jumpstart Tip
Keep in mind, the information in your template (for example, the book title and author name) needs to exactly match the book details you’ll enter in 4 - Title Setup: Book Details, Content, & Pricing. This will later impact your book’s detail page on Amazon. It’s very important to keep this information consistent.
Prepare Your Manuscript for Upload
How you’ll create your manuscript will differ based on your selected book format.
Select your format below to expand the KDP Jumpstart instructions for each:
Jumpstart Tip
After you upload your book, it will go through our content and quality review. If it doesn't pass review, you'll need to edit your files, and resubmit them. We’ll cover quality review in 5 – Publishing & Review.
Your eBook manuscript in PDF, DOC/DOCX, RTF, HTML, or TXT format
Your trim size and bleed preferences
KDP Template in your preferred trim size
Your ink and paper type preferences
Jumpstart Tip
If you want to make your print book available in both paperback and hardcover format, you can use the same interior manuscript for both formats. The guidance in this section applies to both. However, paperback and hardcover cover formatting is not the same. You’ll be required to create separate cover files for your paperback and your hardcover. We’ll discuss this further in 3 – Prepare Your Cover.
When formatting an interior manuscript for print, you’ll need to consider three important concepts: Trim Size, Margins, and Bleed. Watch our video, or read about them on our help page Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins.
Note: One of the most common reasons manuscripts don’t pass quality review is failure to account for bleed. Make sure to follow the guidance below to prevent publishing delays.
Jumpstart Tip
For the best results, we recommend you convert your interior manuscript file to a PDF before uploading to KDP. If your file is in any other format, visit Create a PDF file. If you plan to include bleed in your interior, your file must be in PDF format.
