How to Format a Book for KDP (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

Step 1 – Clean Your Manuscript

Garbage in, garbage out. If your Word or Google Doc is messy, your KDP file will be messy too.

• Use a single body text style for all normal paragraphs.
• Use Heading 1 for chapter titles, Heading 2/3 for sub-sections.
• Remove manual line breaks at the end of every line.
• Replace double spaces after periods with a single space.

This takes 20–30 minutes and prevents hours of frustration later.

Step 2 – Choose Trim Size (for Print)

Pick your print size before you worry about margins.

Common KDP sizes:

• 5" × 8" – compact fiction and memoir.
• 5.5" × 8.5" – popular for most fiction and non-fiction.
• 6" × 9" – business, how-to, and many non-fiction titles.

Pro tip: look at top sellers in your niche and copy their trim size so your book “looks right” on the shelf.

Step 3 – Set Margins, Gutter & Page Layout

This is where most DIY interiors go wrong.

• Set the page size to your chosen trim size.
• Use mirror margins so inner margins (gutter) are wider.
• Turn on different odd/even pages for headers/footers if your tool supports it.

Check KDP’s current print guidelines for recommended margin and gutter values based on page count.

Step 4 – Build Your Front Matter

Front matter sets the tone before chapter one.

Include at least:

1. Title page – book title, subtitle, author name.
2. Copyright page – rights statement, ISBN, publisher name, disclaimers.
3. Table of contents – generated from Heading styles.

Optional but useful:

• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Foreword or introduction

Step 5 – Style Chapters & Paragraphs

Consistency beats cleverness. Readers care that it’s easy to read, not that you used a rare font.

• Use a book-friendly serif font for print (e.g., Garamond, Baskerville).
• Set line spacing to around 1.15–1.5 for comfortable reading.
• Use a first-line indent (0.2"–0.3") for normal paragraphs.
• No indent after headings, subheads, or blank lines.

Step 6 – Handle Images, Callouts & Extras

Images are where technical issues usually show up.

• Use 300 dpi images for print; lower resolution will look fuzzy.
• Center key images and keep them within margins.
• Avoid tiny text inside images—mobile readers won’t be able to see it.

For callout boxes or tips, use consistent paragraph styles and simple borders instead of complex shapes.

Step 7 – Export for Ebook

Ebooks are fluid layouts. Your goal is clean structure, not pixel-perfect pages.

• If you’re using Word or Docs, upload the .docx directly to KDP.
• If you’re using a dedicated tool (Vellum, Atticus, etc.), export an EPUB.

Always test with KDP’s Kindle previewer and check:

• Table of contents links work correctly.
• Headings and paragraph breaks look right on phone + tablet.
• Images resize without breaking the layout.

Step 8 – Export for Print (PDF)

Your print interior must be a press-ready PDF.

• Export using your chosen trim size and margins.
• Make sure fonts are embedded.
• Don’t include crop marks unless KDP specifically asks for them.

Upload the PDF to KDP and zoom through the print previewer page by page, checking page numbers, headers, and orphan lines.

Step 9 – Final Checks & Proof Copies

Always proof the actual book. Don’t trust the screen only.

• Order at least one author copy.
• Flip through it like a real reader; mark anything that feels “off.”
• Fix issues, re-export the files, and re-upload.

When KDP gives you the green light and the proof looks good, you’re ready to launch. Next stop: the 30-Day Launch Plan .