Which manuscript files you can upload
kdpbook.io reads these manuscript files:
- Word (.docx)
- Word 97–2003 (.doc)
- PDF (.pdf)
- Markdown (.md)
- Plain text (.txt)
You can also paste the text. EPUB, Pages and ODT files can’t be imported: save them as .docx first. Images inside the document aren’t imported either; the pictures of an illustrated book are drawn for it, and every book gets a new cover.
Your words stay as written
An imported manuscript is used word for word. kdpbook.io finds the chapters from your headings (“Chapter 1”, “Part Two”, “Prologue”, Markdown headings, “Day 1” in a devotional) and lays the text out, but it never rewrites, drops or adds a word, a punctuation mark or a line break inside a paragraph. Text only changes if you edit it in the editor, or ask for an AI rewrite of a passage.
Trim size and paper
KDP prints paperbacks in 16 standard trim sizes plus custom sizes, on 5 ink and paper combinations. Hardcovers come in 5 trims (5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10, 8.25 × 11 in) and 3 of those combinations: premium color on white paper, black & white on white paper and black & white on cream paper (KDP Help, Print Options, checked September 28, 2026). A novel starts at 5.5 × 8.5 in and a non-fiction guide at 6 × 9 in; you can change both before and after the book is made. Compare every size, drawn to scale, on the KDP trim sizes page.
KDP margins and gutter by page count
The inside margin (gutter) grows with the page count, because thicker books curve more at the binding. These are KDP’s minimums (KDP Help, Paperback Submission Guidelines, checked September 28, 2026):
| Page count | Minimum gutter |
|---|---|
| 24–150 pages | 0.375 in (9.6 mm) |
| 151–300 pages | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) |
| 301–500 pages | 0.625 in (15.9 mm) |
| 501–700 pages | 0.75 in (19.1 mm) |
| 701–828 pages | 0.875 in (22.3 mm) |
Top, bottom and outside margins must be at least 0.25 in, or 0.375 in when the book has bleed. kdpbook.io sets them from your final page count, so adding a chapter never breaks them. The margins and bleed calculator shows the exact page size for any trim.
What the layout does
- A title page and a copyright page up front, a table of contents when you want one, and an About the author page at the back.
- Chapter openers, with each chapter starting on a right-hand page in novels.
- Running heads and page numbers on the outside corner of text pages.
- First-line indents for fiction, and drop caps at chapter starts in novels, short fiction and memoirs.
- Fonts embedded in the PDF, and pure black text so a black and white interior prints without gray dots.
Everything stays editable: change the font, the size, the alignment or a single paragraph with a live preview, and the page count, gutter and spine follow.
The Kindle eBook
Text books get a reflowable Kindle EPUB made from the same manuscript: the reader picks the font and size, and the chapters become the table of contents. It comes with a Kindle cover of 2,560 × 1,600 pixels. Picture books and comics get a fixed-layout EPUB instead, and coloring, puzzle, activity, journal and notebook books are print only.
A cover sized from the final page count
The full-wrap cover (back, spine and front) is sized from your trim, your paper and the final page count, so it matches the interior KDP receives. The spine carries the title and author once the book has more than 79 pages (KDP’s rule) and the spine is wide enough for readable text. Check any size with the free cover size calculator, or read how the KDP cover creator works.
What formatting a manuscript costs
Every book gets a credit estimate before launch, and only what is produced is charged. For example, a novel of 80,000 words imported at the default 5.5 × 8.5 in trim comes to about 1,357 credits (about $14), for 288 pages:
| Step | Credits |
|---|---|
| Story plan & character bible | 936 |
| Manuscript import | 240 |
| Typesetting | 116 |
| Cover (front, back, spine) | 65 |
Exports and the KDP listing sheet are included. New accounts get 2,000 free credits, enough for this example; free-plan exports carry a watermark and are not for sale, and any paid plan exports clean files. See plans and credit packs.
Other ways to format a book for KDP
Dedicated formatting apps are another route if you only need the layout. Our comparisons say what each one documents, with the date we checked: