Publish Your Novel or Non-Fiction Book from a Word File
The standard trim size for novels and non-fiction books is 6×9 inches, using a cream or white paper, with chapters starting on the right-hand side (odd-numbered pages), and a book spine that expands based on the page count. The Path A at FormatBookForPrint.com offers complete, automated layout with minimal manual effort.
Most independent authors searching for "format a novel for Amazon KDP" find themselves in the same situation - they have a .docx file but lack the time to spend months learning professional layout software like InDesign. Even though I know how to design the print-ready book layout manually, I refuse to spend that much time creating the whole book page by page. We live in the age of intelligent machines.
In the United States, the trim size of a printed novel or non-fiction book is typically 6×9 inches. While not the only option, it is the most popular. The Path A of this online "factory" where you have landed also offers other sizes, such as 5.5×8.5, 5×8, and more. However, 6×9 is the most common size found in bookstores and is highly favoured by Amazon KDP. It is crucial that the book size you select here at FormatBookForPrint.com matches the size you specify in your title’s metadata on Amazon KDP or IngramSpark. If they do not match, the PDF file containing your book’s layout may be rejected.
Cream-colored (off-white) paper is frequently used for novels because it is easier on the eyes. White paper is typically used for essays, manuals, works containing images or tables, or publications with a more “decorative” feel. You might also opt for thicker paper if you need it to better showcase images. This selection should be based on more than just aesthetics - the software calculates the spine width by multiplying the number of pages by the thickness of the chosen paper. Even an extra half-millimeter can prevent your book cover from being sized correctly. For this reason, both the Path A setup form and the Path D cover design section use your actual page count to generate a technical specification sheet for your book - you will see it automatically created below the manuscript viewer and preview window.
In printed books, industry tradition dictates that chapters should begin on the right-hand side - that is, on an odd-numbered page. Because the glue used for the spine consumes a portion of the inner margin, services like Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and other printers and print-on-demand services require larger margins once a book exceeds a certain thickness. In general, the more pages a book has, the more “breathing room” (extra margin) is required on the inner side. As the page count reaches 150, 300, or 500 pages, the minimum margin requirement increases. IngramSpark, for instance, requires a safety margin of approximately 13 mm on the sides. With the Path A of this book formatting “factory” you do not need to manually set up “mirrored margins” in Word - the system calculates and adds them for you automatically, based on the specific requirements of the printers. It applies standard requirements and, if necessary, adds extra space based on the thickness of the chosen paper and the final page count determined during the layout process.
While a table of contents may not be necessary for a novel, it is essential for an essay or non-fiction work. You can enable the automatic generation of a table of contents (TOC) by checking the appropriate box, and you can choose whether to include only top-level chapter headings (H1) or also include subheadings (H2 and H3). The table of contents has its own page numbering - the book’s pagination follows its own sequence. The half-title page, copyright information, and dedication - if you have them - are placed at the beginning, just as in a real book - you simply need to mark them with the appropriate tag in the original manuscript edition viewer.
If the final PDF of your book’s layout ends up with a page count that doesn’t complete a 4-page signature (the standard for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark), the program will automatically add the necessary extra pages. You can leave them blank or fill them with advertisements, promotional material, or additional information - which will appear on the odd-numbered pages. The book’s spine width is calculated based on this total page count. Do not let Amazon KDP or IngramSpark fill in these extra pages automatically. This is especially important if you need the cover design to perfectly match the actual spine width of your book. In the Path D the relevant technical data of your freshly formatted book is transferred automatically if you wish to proceed here.
To get started, upload a 5-page Word document and experiment with this automated layout tool. Choose your fonts, adjust the trim size, and run tests. Then, upload your full manuscript to see just how quick and easy book layout can be created here. Once your print-ready book layout is complete, you pay the session and can download the generated PDF(s) in the required color profile - RGB for Amazon KDP, CMYK for IngramSpark, or any other CMYK specification requested by your independent printer. Please do not close your browser tab while generating the various PDF versions you need - if you close it, the file will be lost, and you will have to start the process all over again - which would require another payment. You can also design your book cover right here within the Path D – and download for free the RGB version of it. If there is anything else an independent author might need in terms of book layout, please send me a message – and I will do my best to address your requests as soon as possible.
Do it in the factory
