Interactive KDP Formatting Guide for 2025
Your Professional Publishing Journey Starts Here
This interactive guide demystifies the technical craft of book formatting for Amazon KDP. Follow the steps below to configure your paperback, prepare your eBook, and avoid common publishing errors. The key is the **Two-Format Mindset**: a paperback is a fixed object, while an eBook is a flexible file. Let's prepare both for a professional result.
Paperback Configurator
The most critical decisions for your print book are made here. Your choices will determine your book's physical size, feel, and printing cost. This tool provides personalized recommendations based on your manuscript.
Step 1: Select Your Book's Genre
Genre conventions are key. Choose a genre to see the most common and reader-accepted trim sizes.
Step 2: Choose a Trim Size
Select a genre above to begin.
Step 3: Calculate Your Margins & Costs
Enter your final manuscript page count to calculate the required KDP margins and estimate printing costs. A thicker book needs a wider inside margin (gutter).
Step 4: Does Your Book Need Bleed?
"Bleed" is only for books with images or colors that extend to the very edge of the page. Most novels do not need bleed.
Your Paperback Blueprint
Your selections will appear here.
Printing Cost Estimator
This chart visualizes how your trim size and page count choices impact the per-book printing cost. Smaller trim sizes increase page count, which increases cost.
Typography & Layout
Professional typography is the foundation of readability. These settings create a comfortable reading experience and are hallmarks of a professionally published book.
Font Recommendations
Use classic, readable serif fonts for body text and clean sans-serif fonts for headings. Here are some excellent, commercially-free font pairings. Click to see a preview.
Chapter One
The journey from a completed manuscript to a published book is both exhilarating and daunting. While the creative process of writing is an art, the technical process of formatting is a craft—one that, when mastered, can elevate a self-published book to a level of professionalism indistinguishable from those produced by major publishing houses.
Layout Best Practices
Mirrored Margins
For a bound book, the inside (gutter) margin must be wider to prevent text from being lost in the spine. The margins on facing pages are a mirror image.
Left Page (even)
Right Page (odd)
Paragraph Style
Use a first-line indent (typically 0.3" to 0.5") for paragraphs. Do not use blank lines between paragraphs. Text should be justified (aligned to both left and right margins).
Pagination
Front matter (dedication, etc.) uses lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii). The main body starts on page 1. Page numbers are usually hidden on chapter start pages.
eBook Preparation Guide
eBook formatting requires a completely different approach. The goal is a simple, flexible file that "reflows" to fit any screen. You must remove all fixed-layout elements from your print manuscript.
Your eBook Cleanup Checklist
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Remove Page Numbers, Headers, & Footers. They don't exist in a reflowable eBook. Navigation is handled by the e-reader.
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Set Alignment to Left. Justified text can create awkward gaps on e-readers. Left-aligned text is the standard.
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Use Standard Fonts. Stick to basics like Times New Roman. The reader will change it to their preference anyway.
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Use Heading Styles. Apply "Heading 1" to all chapter titles. This is essential for creating the automatic, hyperlinked Table of Contents.
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Set Images to "In Line with Text". Any other text wrapping style will cause major formatting errors during conversion.
How to Upload to KDP
Method 1: Direct Upload (.docx)
For simple, text-only novels, you can upload your cleaned-up Word file directly. KDP will convert it automatically. Always use the KDP Previewer to check for errors.
Method 2: Kindle Create (Recommended)
Amazon's free software gives you more control. Import your .docx file to add professional themes, build an interactive Table of Contents, and preview how it will look on different devices before exporting a perfect .kpf file for upload.
The Ultimate Pre-Upload Checklist
Before you export your final PDF for print, run through this checklist. Catching a small error here can save you from a frustrating file rejection by KDP.