How to Format Your Book for Amazon KDP

To format your book for Amazon KDP, you need an EPUB, KPF or DOCX file for the ebook and a print-ready file, which I make as a PDF, for the paperback. Format with styles in a tool like Atticus, check the result in a previewer, and keep the source file. Below is what I do and what KDP says. I have formatted a lot of books, and I recorded the video below some time ago to show the process.

The tool in the video is one I used at the time. These days I recommend Atticus for formatting, and the advice below applies whichever tool you use. The ideas about files and styles do not change.

Which files does KDP need?

KDP’s ebook help page lists what it accepts:

For the paperback and hardcover I upload a PDF. KDP’s pages say a trim size, margins and bleed must be set up first, so read its trim size help. Check the page for the margin values that apply to your page count.

If you also publish on other platforms, they will ask for their own versions, often an EPUB again. A good formatting tool can produce all of them from one source file, which saves a lot of time. See What Is the Correct Format for Kindle Books? for more.

Kindle Create, Word or Atticus: what should I format with?

For most authors I recommend Atticus. Atticus is my top pick. Kindle Create is made by Amazon and Word is what most people already have, so here is what each one does and where it falls short.

• Kindle Create: KDP’s help says it “helps you prepare your book for both digital and print publishing with the same project file”, imports DOC or DOCX, and produces a KPF file to submit to KDP. It runs on Windows and Mac. KDP lists limits: tables, lists and footnotes can’t be edited inside it, and images must be JPG or PNG (Prepare Reflowable and Print Books with Kindle Create). The KPF is only for publishing, so keep the project file for updates.
• Word: KDP says “Most DOC/DOCX files convert well to eBooks. However, some files with complex formatting may not convert as well” (KDP ebook formats). That fits my own experience below: fine for a plain book, risky with lots of images, lists or hand-made styling.
• Atticus: it formats ebooks and print books from one manuscript, offers 17 templates and a custom theme builder, previews your book on different devices, and runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook (atticus.io). In October 2026 the site showed a $147 one-time price. Prices change, so check the page before you buy.

If you are stuck choosing or your file keeps coming out wrong, I help authors with formatting questions on a free 25-minute discovery call.

Why is a Word file not always enough?

KDP says most DOC and DOCX files convert well to ebooks. In my experience it doesn’t always go well when I import a Word document straight into KDP. Word adds many invisible symbols and settings behind the scenes. In an ebook they can show up as odd spacing, bullet points that do not look right, or text that breaks in strange places.

I have also tried converting with Calibre. The files it made did not come out right either. A dedicated formatting tool cleans out that extra material when you import your document.

One more problem: colours. A formatter I once hired hard-coded the colours into my Kindle file. When I changed the colours on my own Kindle device, the layout broke. A good tool avoids that by keeping colour and layout out of the text itself.

How do I format with styles?

The method I like works like this:

1. Import your manuscript and let the tool clean it up.
2. Set your styles. Your chapter titles use a first-level heading, sub-headings use a second-level heading, and so on. Change how a style looks once and every heading of that type changes. That includes indents, spacing before and after paragraphs, and the font.
3. Split the book into chapters. Each chapter is its own section in the tool.
4. Build the table of contents. The tool takes it from your headings, so you never type it by hand.
5. Export the files. EPUB for the ebook. For the paperback, export to a document or PDF and check each page.

A consistent look is what makes a book feel professional. If you want it to look like a book from a traditional publisher, use a simple, readable font and keep the spacing the same throughout.

How do I check the file before I upload?

Open the EPUB in Kindle Previewer, which KDP recommends, or in Calibre, which is a free viewer, before you upload it. Check that the table of contents works, that images sit in the right places and that nothing looks off.

Remember that an ebook has no fixed pages. One client of mine told me the formatting was broken because the text was split in different places on different screens. It was not broken. When a reader changes the font size, the text and the images move. That is how ebooks work.

What about links in a paperback?

A link works well in the Kindle version. A reader holding a paperback cannot click it. Add a footnote or print the web address in the text, so print readers can still reach your free gift or your other books.

Will I need to change the file later?

Formatting is not one and done. After you publish, you will find mistakes to fix. You will also learn things about your readers and want to change the back of the book. For example:

• Offer a free gift in exchange for an email address, so you can stay in touch with your readers.
• Ask readers to leave a review.
• List your other books, with links that make it easy to click straight to them.

Keep your formatting file so you can update the book and upload it again.

Where do I start?

If you are brand new, read why you should format your book yourself. For the whole process from first draft to publish, see how to self-publish a book step by step.

If you would like a template first, read book templates for self-publishing. You can also start with my free 12-step self-publishing checklist.

Free 25-minute self-publishing call with Chris Baird

Tell me where your book is now. You leave the call with a clear next step for publishing it.

Book your free call

Free, 25 minutes on Zoom, no card needed.