Last Updated on December 9, 2025 by NEK Editing

After your book’s manuscript has been professionally edited, the book’s interior pages need to be formatted to their specific trim size. If you plan to self-publish your book on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), you’ll need to follow KDP’s guidelines.

KDP guidelines outline the steps for preparing a self-published book. Authors must format both manuscript and cover files to meet KDP’s requirements for trim size, bleed, and file format.

In this article, discover the essential formatting guidelines, file requirements, and design tools you need to make your book stand out on Amazon.

Formatting Your Manuscript File

When uploading your manuscript to KDP, you’ll need to upload two types of files: your manuscript file and your cover file. Your manuscript file will contain the interior pages of your book (front matter, body, and back matter). If you’re uploading a file for a print book (paperback or hardcover), the file will include the front, back, and spine. If you’re uploading an eBook cover file, it will be just the front.

Books with Images: Bleed vs. No Bleed

For book pages containing images, KDP needs to know if they bleed to the edges of your pages. If they extend beyond the page, this is called a “Bleed.” If they don’t extend past the page, this is called a “No Bleed.”

Print books with a bleed must be uploaded as a PDF of your manuscript. Print books without a bleed can be uploaded as a PDF, DOC, RTF, HTML, or TXT file. KDP will automatically convert these file types to PDF before publishing.

eBook interior images are treated as print books (bleed vs. no bleed). Visit KDP’s help page for more details on how to set your trim size, bleed, and margins.

eBooks: KDP Accepted Files

The most common KDP-accepted file formats for eBooks are DOC, DOCX, KPF, EPUB, MOBI, and PDF. Additional accepted file formats include HTML, RTF, and TXT. Upload an EPUB, DOCX, or KPF file for reflowable eBooks.

To double-check your eBook files before uploading, KDP recommends using Kindle Previewer. Kindle Previewer is a free desktop application that shows you how your book will look in its current layout. You can also use KDP’s Online Previewer after you’ve uploaded the file before you publish.

Creating a Book Cover File

There are several options for you to create your book cover file. You can use KDP’s Cover Creator tool, Photoshop, Canva, or a freelance book cover formatter.

The Cover Creator tool can help you customize your eBook, paperback, or hardcover with several layouts and fonts. It uses the book details you entered during the title setup and adds your ISBN to the barcode on the back cover. You can choose an image from the image gallery or upload your own. Cover Creator accepts JPG, PNG, and TIF/TIFF files.

1. Cover File: Total width and height of the cover file, including front, back, spine, and wrap.
2. Front Cover: Width and height of the visible cover area after it’s printed. It’s the same for the back cover.
3. Margin: Don’t place text or images in this area, unless they’re intended to wrap to the inside cover.
4. Wrap: Portion of the cover file that wraps around the case board and is glued to the inside cover.
5. Hinge: When you open the book, the cover bends here.
6. Spine: The outside edge of the book where the pages are gathered and bound. A hardcover spine is flat, with a black-and-white headband at the top and bottom of the book if your manuscript is more than 120 pages.
7. Spine Safe Area: Place all spine text and images within this area, so they don’t shift to the front or back cover during printing.
8. Spine Margin: Don’t place text or images in this spine area because they could shift to the front or back cover during printing.
9. Barcode Margin: This area ensures that the barcode doesn’t shift during printing and scans properly.

To create your book cover using another platform, use the KDP Cover Calculator and download the provided template. You also have the option to provide your own barcode (mark the check box) or allow KDP to do it for you.

If creating your book cover sounds too hard, you can always hire a professional book cover designer.

Need Help with Your Book’s KDP Files?

Meeting KDP guidelines requires careful attention to formatting and design. NEK Editing’s services include professional editing to polish your manuscript, interior formatting to fit KDP’s trim sizes, and cover formatting that meets specific file and size requirements.

While you can use KDP’s free tools like Cover Creator, a professional cover formatter can provide added quality. With these services in place, your book will be ready to meet KDP’s standards and appeal to readers on Amazon.

Let’s work together to meet KDP guidelines. Contact NEK Editing to format your book files!