KDP Self-Publishing

 KDP Paperback Publishing 101:

Formatting Your Interior and Cover

Welcome back, fellow authors! I was busy with events and a mini vacation. Excuse me for the delay.

Today, we're diving into the essential, and sometimes complex, world of publishing your book as a paperback through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Getting your book on the shelves means successfully formatting and uploading two key files: your interior manuscript and your cover.

This workshop is designed to cover the basics. For a deep dive, remember that KDP itself provides a wealth of information. You can visit your KDP account, click Help, and search for "formatting a paper book" to find step-by-step tutorials and videos for both the interior and cover.

First things first, if you haven't already, head over to www.kdp.amazon.com and create your account.

Step 1: Formatting Your Interior Manuscript File

The manuscript is the heart of your book, and proper formatting is critical to a professional-looking paperback. Here are the core steps to prepare your interior file:

 * Set Trim Size and Margins: Determine the physical size of your book (the trim size) and set the margins for the pages.

 * Handle Bleed: If your book includes visual elements, like images or graphics, that need to extend all the way to the edge of the page, you must set up your interior file with bleed.

 * Create Book Matter: Assemble all the necessary elements of your book, including the:

   * Front Matter (e.g., title pages, copyright page)

   * Body (the main content/chapters)

   * Back Matter (e.g., author bio, other books)

 * Save, Upload, and Preview: Save your final interior file correctly to avoid upload errors. Once saved, upload it and use the preview tool to make sure everything looks perfect.

Step 2: Formatting Your Cover File

The cover is your book’s first impression. KDP offers three primary options for creating and formatting your print-ready paperback cover:

 * Use KDP's Free Cover Creator Tool: This is the simplest option for meeting KDP specifications.

 * Download a Cover Template: If you prefer to design your own, you can download a template. Use any graphic design software that handles PNG or PDF files to create your print-ready cover, and then save the final product as a PDF file [02:08]. You should use KDP's Cover Calculator and Templates to ensure the dimensions are correct.

 * Use the Cover Guide: Refer to KDP's cover guide for detailed specifications to create your cover, leveraging the KDP calculator to help with your book dimensions.

A Quick Note on Ebooks

If you decide to create an ebook version, the formatting is similar to the paperback, with one key difference: you must include a table of contents. This allows readers using an e-reader device to easily click and jump to any chapter they wish.

As you work on your manuscript and publishing steps, remember to take your time. Write your story, and edit it as many times as you need to before you upload it to Amazon KDP.

Our next workshop, Part 10, will cover writing a strong synopsis for the back of your book, which is also useful for advertising and social media promotion.

If you have any questions, you can feel free to contact the workshop by email anytime at 4ewriters@gmail.com.

https://youtu.be/087eXd65TuE?si=fUuv_DTz8NFiw1Ix