5.25 × 8 in at a glance
| Trim size | 5.25 × 8 in · 133.4 × 203.2 mm · 13.34 × 20.32 cm |
| Shape | Portrait |
| Size class | Regular trim, lower printing cost |
| Interior page with bleed | 5.375 × 8.25 in · 136.5 × 209.5 mm |
| Bindings | Paperback only |
| Expanded Distribution | B&W white, B&W cream, B&W groundwood, Standard color |
Page limits by ink and paper
KDP sets a minimum and a maximum page count for every combination of trim, binding, ink and paper. At 5.25 × 8 in:
| Ink and paper | Paperback pages | Spine per page |
|---|---|---|
| Black & white · white paper | 24–828 | 0.002252 in |
| Black & white · cream paper | 24–776 | 0.0025 in |
| Black & white · groundwood paper | 24–812 | 0.00235 in |
| Standard color · white paper | 72–600 | 0.002252 in |
| Premium color · white paper | 24–828 | 0.002347 in |
KDP counts every page, blank ones included, and rounds an odd count up to the next even number. The spine factor is the thickness of one page; the spine width calculator multiplies it by your page count.
At 5.25 × 8 in, black and white on white paper, black and white on cream paper, black and white on groundwood paper and standard color are eligible for Expanded Distribution (40% royalty through bookstores and libraries); premium color is not.
Eligibility by size and paper doesn’t guarantee acceptance. KDP’s Expanded Distribution page says its distributors don’t currently accept journals, notebooks, planners, coloring books or interiors that need a high concentration of ink, among other content, and it follows that list with a table of topics that includes activity books, puzzle books, workbooks and cookbooks.
Margins and text area at 5.25 × 8 in
KDP’s minimum inside margin (the gutter) grows with the page count. The top, bottom and outside margins must be at least 0.25 in, or 0.375 in when the interior has bleed. With those minimums, the text block can be this wide at 5.25 × 8 in:
| Pages | Minimum gutter | Max text width | With bleed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24–150 | 0.375 in (9.6 mm) | 4.625 in | 4.5 in |
| 151–300 | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) | 4.5 in | 4.375 in |
| 301–500 | 0.625 in (15.9 mm) | 4.375 in | 4.25 in |
| 501–700 | 0.75 in (19.1 mm) | 4.25 in | 4.125 in |
| 701–828 | 0.875 in (22.3 mm) | 4.125 in | 4 in |
The text block can be up to 7.5 in tall (7.25 in with bleed). These are KDP’s minimums; most book designers leave more room, especially at the gutter of thick books. See every margin to scale in margins and bleed.
Full-wrap cover size at 5.25 × 8 in
The cover is one PDF: back cover, spine and front cover side by side. Its width depends on the spine, so it changes with the page count and the paper.
Paperback
| Pages | Paper | Spine | Full cover (in) | Full cover (mm) | Spine text |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | B&W cream | 0.3 in | 11.05 × 8.25 | 280.7 × 209.5 | Yes |
| 240 | B&W cream | 0.6 in | 11.35 × 8.25 | 288.3 × 209.5 | Yes |
| 360 | B&W cream | 0.9 in | 11.65 × 8.25 | 295.9 × 209.5 | Yes |
For 240 pages: 0.125 + 5.25 + 0.6 + 5.25 + 0.125 = 11.35 in wide, and 8 + 2 × 0.125 = 8.25 in tall. The bleed is trimmed off after printing.
KDP allows spine text from 79 pages. kdpbook also checks that the spine is wide enough for 7 pt text inside KDP's 0.0625 in spine margins, which in black and white on cream paper takes 90 pages.
Get the exact size for your page count, with a template that marks the bleed, spine, safe area and barcode box, in the cover size calculator.
Printing cost at 5.25 × 8 in on Amazon.com
KDP deducts the printing cost from each sale. Examples on Amazon.com in US dollars, with the lowest list price KDP accepts for each:
| Pages | B&W white | Premium color |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $2.30flat fee · min. list price $4.60 | $7.50min. list price $12.50 |
| 300 | $4.60min. list price $9.20 | $20.50min. list price $34.17 |
On Amazon.com, black-and-white paperbacks up to 108 pages (the limit in KDP's own calculator; the KDP Help page says 110) and premium color up to 40 pages pay a flat printing fee; above that, the cost is a fixed fee plus a price per page. Standard color is always fixed fee plus per page.
5.25 × 8 in is a regular trim, so it prints at the same rate as every regular paperback size (5 × 8, 5.06 × 7.81, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9 in): a 300-page black-and-white paperback costs $4.60 to print on Amazon.com. At 6.14 × 9.21 in, a large trim, the same book costs $6.10.
Other marketplaces use their own price tables: compare all of them in the printing cost calculator, and see what you earn per copy with the royalty calculator.
How many pages will your manuscript fill?
- An 80,000-word novel comes to about 330 pages at 5.25 × 8 in with 11 pt body text (242 at 6 × 9 in), for a 0.825 in spine on cream paper.
These are kdpbook’s own layout estimates, front and back matter included. Try your word count and font size in the word count to page count calculator.
When to choose 5.25 × 8 in
- It is 0.25 in wider than 5 × 8 in at the same height: a few more characters per line and slightly fewer pages, while the book still feels small in the hand.
- Every KDP ink and paper option prints at this size, from groundwood paper to premium color.
kdpbook book types at 5.25 × 8 in
No kdpbook book type starts at 5.25 × 8 in by default, but you can choose it when you set up a book.
You can also choose 5.25 × 8 in for early chapter book, middle-grade novel, young adult novel, novel, novella & short stories, self-help book, devotional and manga.
Whatever the size, kdpbook lays out the pages, margins, images and full-wrap cover for it, and reflows the book if you change the trim later. kdpbook is independent and not affiliated with Amazon.