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KDP formatting: paperback interior and Kindle e-book from one manuscript
Amazon KDP prints what you upload, exactly as it is. This page lists what KDP asks of a paperback interior and an e-book file, with the numbers from KDP's own help pages, and shows how your manuscript becomes both files for $39.
What KDP asks of a paperback interior
KDP checks a print file against a short list of rules. These are the ones that decide whether a text-only book passes:
| Rule | What KDP says |
|---|---|
| Trim size | One of KDP's sizes. The common ones for novels and non-fiction are 5 x 8, 5.25 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9 inches. |
| Inside margin | Grows with the page count: at least 0.375 in for 24 to 150 pages, 0.5 in for 151 to 300, 0.625 in for 301 to 500, 0.75 in for 501 to 700, 0.875 in for 701 to 828. |
| Outside, top and bottom margins | At least 0.25 in for a book without bleed. |
| Fonts | All fonts embedded in the file. |
| Pages | At least 24. Odd page numbers on right-hand pages, even on left. Many blank pages in a row get a file rejected. |
| Images | At least 300 DPI at the printed size. |
| File | A PDF up to 650 MB. A book with bleed must be a PDF. |
The inside margin is the rule that catches most self-made files: it depends on the final page count, and the page count changes when you change the font, the trim size or the margins. So the book has to be typeset, counted, and typeset again.
What we deliver for KDP
- Paperback interior PDF at 5 x 8, 5.25 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9 inches, no bleed. The inside margin is set a quarter inch above KDP's minimum for your page count and never under 0.75 in, so the text does not disappear into the spine. Every font is embedded.
- EPUB for Kindle. KDP supports EPUB files that follow its Kindle Publishing Guidelines. Ours is a reflowable EPUB with a linked table of contents, validated with EPUBCheck.
- Cover template at the exact size for your page count: spine width, bleed, safe zones and barcode area.
- A check report and a one-page upload guide that says which file goes into which KDP field and which settings to pick.
You see your own first chapter typeset before you pay. Upload your manuscript and look.
Upload your Word file and look at your own first chapter, typeset for print, before you pay anything. One book $39 per book · Three books $99 for three books. Refund within 14 days if it misses.
Show me my bookWhat makes a KDP book look self-made
Passing KDP's checker is the minimum. Readers notice other things:
- Ragged or badly spaced lines. Printed books are justified and hyphenated.
- An indent on the first paragraph of a chapter, or a blank line between every paragraph, as in a Word document.
- Chapter titles at the very top of the page. Printed books start a chapter lower on the page and leave the running head off that page.
- A single last line of a paragraph alone at the top of a page, or a heading alone at the foot.
- Scene breaks that vanish when they fall at the end of a page, because they were only an empty line.
- Straight quotes and double hyphens where curly quotes and dashes belong.
These are typesetting rules, and they are applied to every page of your book the same way.
Price
$39 for one book: paperback interior, EPUB, cover template, report and guide. $99 for three books. One payment, nothing renews. If the result misses, two rounds of changes are included, and you get your money back within 14 days if it still does. Another trim size or style within 30 days is made at no charge. See what book formatting costs elsewhere.
Questions
Does KDP need a PDF for the paperback?
For a book without bleed KDP also takes Word files and converts them itself, which is where most layout surprises come from. A PDF with embedded fonts prints the way it looks. A book with bleed must be a PDF.
Which trim size should I pick?
5 x 8 and 5.25 x 8 are usual for novels and novellas, 5.5 x 8.5 for fiction and memoir, 6 x 9 for non-fiction and long novels. A larger page means fewer pages and a lower print cost per copy. In the preview you can switch sizes and see the page count for each.
Can I use the same file for KDP hardcover?
KDP's hardcovers come in 5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9 inches among others and need 75 to 550 pages. We make and check the file for the paperback; we have not tested it as a hardcover interior, so we do not promise it.
What if KDP's previewer flags something?
Tell us what it says. If it is about the interior we made, we fix it at no charge.
Upload your Word file and look at your own first chapter, typeset for print, before you pay anything. One book $39 per book · Three books $99 for three books. Refund within 14 days if it misses.
Show me my bookMore about Book Formatting
Sources (checked 2026-11-12): kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GVBQ3CMEQW3W2VL6 · kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201857950 · kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634390