Everything you need to know
about formatting your book
Platform requirements, genre conventions, trim sizes, typography, and the pre-upload checks that prevent rejected files. Written for indie authors, not graphic designers.
What each store actually requires
Every retailer has different file specs, margin rules, and metadata requirements. These guides cover exactly what you need for each.
Amazon KDP Requirements
File specs, margins, trim sizes, and metadata requirements for publishing on KDP.
→IngramSpark Requirements
PDF specs, color spaces, and the stricter file requirements that trip up most authors.
→Apple Books Requirements
EPUB specs, metadata, and what Apple Books expects for ebook distribution.
→Kobo Requirements
Kobo Writing Life file specs, EPUB requirements, and distribution details.
→Barnes & Noble Requirements
B&N Press file specs, EPUB and PDF requirements for print and ebook.
→Which size for your book?
Each trim size has different margin requirements, page counts, and genre expectations. See the full comparison →
Format by genre
Every genre has its own typography conventions, trim size preferences, and reader expectations. These guides cover what readers in each genre expect.
How to Format a Book in Microsoft Word (Step-by-Step for Print)
A complete, honest guide to formatting a book for print in Microsoft Word — page setup, styles, headers, and where Word's limitations start to show.
How to Format a Nonfiction Book for Print: The Complete Guide
Nonfiction formatting has different rules than fiction — larger trim sizes, heading hierarchies, figures, tables, and a table of contents that actually matters. Here's how to get it right.
How to Format a Children's Book for Print (KDP & IngramSpark)
Children's books have unique formatting requirements — large trim sizes, full-color printing, illustration-heavy layouts, and age-specific typography. Here's how to handle all of it.
How to Format a Poetry Book for Print (KDP & IngramSpark)
Poetry formatting is fundamentally different from prose. Line breaks are structural, white space is intentional, and the page is a canvas. Here's how to format a poetry collection for print.
How to Format a Memoir for Print (KDP & IngramSpark)
Memoirs bridge fiction and nonfiction formatting. Trim size, typography, chapter style, and the front/back matter conventions specific to memoir and personal narrative.
How to Format a Mystery Novel for Print (KDP & IngramSpark)
Mystery and detective fiction has its own formatting conventions. Trim size, fonts, chapter structure, and the typography choices that match reader expectations.
How to Format a Thriller for Print (KDP & IngramSpark)
Thrillers move fast and your formatting should match. Trim size, fonts, pacing-driven chapter style, and scene breaks for thriller and suspense novels.
How to Format a Romance Novel for Print (KDP & IngramSpark)
Romance readers have specific expectations for how a book looks and feels. Here's how to format your romance novel interior to match — trim size, fonts, scene breaks, and chapter style.
How to Format a Fantasy Novel for Print: Maps, Glossaries & Chapter Art
Fantasy readers expect more from a book interior — maps, glossaries, pronunciation guides, and decorative chapter headings. Here's how to format all of it for KDP and IngramSpark.
Format for your platform
Step-by-step walkthroughs for formatting and uploading to specific retailers.
How to Format a Book for IngramSpark: The Complete Guide
IngramSpark has stricter PDF requirements than KDP. Here's everything you need to know — file specs, margins, color spaces, and how to avoid rejected uploads.
How to Format a Book for KDP: The Complete Guide for Indie Authors
Everything you need to know about formatting your book interior for Amazon KDP — trim sizes, margins, fonts, front matter, and how to avoid rejected PDFs.
Typography, checklists, and fundamentals
The formatting knowledge that applies to every book, regardless of genre or platform.
Best Fonts for Self-Published Books in 2026
The fonts that make your book look professionally typeset — body text, chapter headings, and the combinations that work. No design degree required.
Book Bleed Settings Explained: When You Need It and How to Set It Up
What bleed is, when your book needs it, and the exact settings for KDP and IngramSpark. Most novels don't need bleed — here's how to know.
Book Formatting Services vs DIY: Cost Comparison and When to Hire
Should you hire a book formatter or do it yourself? Real cost comparison across 1-10 books, plus when hiring makes sense and when DIY pays off.
Book Margins and Gutter Explained: A Practical Guide for Print Books
How to set book margins for printing — gutter margins, KDP minimums by page count, professional recommendations, and the mistakes that get PDFs rejected.
Chapter Opener Design: The Biggest Professional vs. Amateur Signal in Your Book
Chapter openers are the #1 formatting detail that separates professional-looking books from amateur ones. Here's how to design them right for your genre.
How to Create a Copyright Page for Your Book (With Examples)
What goes on a copyright page, what's legally required vs conventional, and ready-to-use templates for fiction and non-fiction. No lawyer needed.
Drop Caps in Book Formatting: When, How, and Why to Use Them
Everything you need to know about drop caps in book design — history, sizing, font choice, genre conventions, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
How to Format an Ebook: The Complete Guide for Self-Published Authors
Everything you need to know about ebook formatting — EPUB structure, reflowable layout, platform requirements, and the mistakes that break your ebook.
EPUB vs PDF: Which Format Do You Need for Your Book?
Print needs PDF. Ebooks need EPUB. But the details matter — reflowable vs fixed, EPUB 2 vs 3, and which stores accept what. Here's the complete breakdown.
Book Formatting Checklist: 35 Things to Check Before You Upload
The complete pre-upload checklist for indie authors. Catch the formatting mistakes that cause KDP rejections, bad reviews, and amateur-looking books.
12 Book Formatting Mistakes That Make Your Book Look Self-Published
The most common formatting mistakes that scream 'self-published' — and how to fix every one of them. Covers trim size, margins, fonts, and more.
Parts of a Book in Order: Front Matter and Back Matter Explained
Every part of a book listed in order — front matter, body, and back matter. What's required, what's optional, and how each affects your page count.
Book Page Numbering Rules: Roman Numerals, Arabic Numbers, and What Goes Where
The complete guide to book pagination — Roman numerals for front matter, Arabic for body text, and which pages get no numbers at all.
Paperback vs Hardcover Self-Publishing: Costs, Margins, and When Each Makes Sense
Paperback vs hardcover for self-published books: printing costs, pricing strategy, formatting differences, and when hardcover is worth it.
Running Headers and Footers in Books: The Complete Guide
How to set up running headers and footers for your book — conventions for verso/recto pages, when to suppress them, and how to get them right.
Scene Break Formatting: Dinkuses, Ornaments, and How to Handle Them Right
How to format scene breaks in your book so they survive page breaks, look professional, and match your genre. Covers dinkuses, ornaments, and blank lines.
The Complete Self-Publishing Checklist for 2026: Every Step from Manuscript to Launch
A step-by-step self-publishing checklist covering editing, formatting, uploading, and launching your book in 2026. Nothing skipped, nothing vague.
How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book in 2026? Honest Breakdown
Real self-publishing costs: editing, cover design, formatting, ISBNs, marketing. Budget to premium ranges with specific numbers. No fluff.
KDP Trim Sizes Explained: Which Size Is Right for Your Book?
Every KDP trim size compared — dimensions, margins, page counts, costs, and which genres use which. Stop guessing and pick the right size for your book.
What Is Widow and Orphan Control? (And Why It Matters for Your Book)
Widows and orphans are the single most common typesetting problem in self-published books. Here's what they are, why they matter, and how to fix them.
Word to EPUB Conversion: Why It Breaks and How to Do It Right
Converting Word to EPUB? Direct conversion usually fails. Learn why, how to fix common problems, and the approach that actually produces clean ebooks.
"Your Interior File Does Not Meet Our Requirements" — How to Fix Every Common KDP Rejection
KDP rejected your PDF with no useful details. Here's a checklist of every reason this happens and exactly how to fix each one.
These guides teach you the rules.
Cambric applies them automatically.
Margins, typography, front matter, retailer specs — handled by the desktop app, not by you checking a PDF page by page.