To format a memoir for KDP, use a 5.5”×8.5” trim on cream paper, 11–12pt Garamond or Palatino, and export as PDF with fonts embedded. Memoir is one of the top-selling nonfiction categories on Amazon — readers search for memoir by topic (addiction recovery, immigration, grief, military) and KDP’s category system makes discoverability straightforward. A 70,000-word memoir runs ~260 pages at 5.5×8.5, costing about $4.48 to print on KDP.

Trim size

Memoir TypeRecommended TrimWhy
Narrative memoir5.5” × 8.5”Reads like a novel, intimate
Essay-based memoir5.5” × 8.5”Standard trade paperback
Celebrity / public figure6” × 9”More substantial, prestige
Memoir with photos6” × 9”Room for image placement
Travel memoir5.5” × 8.5”Compact, portable
Short memoir (under 50K)5” × 8”Adds physical heft to thin books

Most memoirs work at 5.5×8.5 — it feels personal and reads like a novel, which is what memoir should feel like. Check page counts with the KDP Book Calculator.

Handling photographs

Many memoirs include a photo section. KDP handles this differently than offset printing:

Black and white photos

  • Convert to grayscale before building your PDF
  • Minimum 300 DPI at print size
  • On cream paper, B&W photos take on a warm sepia tone — this works well for vintage family photos
  • Place photos in a dedicated photo section (typically 8–16 pages in the center of the book) or interspersed at relevant chapters

Color photos

  • KDP offers color interior at ~$0.07/page (vs ~$0.012/page for B&W)
  • A 250-page memoir with color interior costs ~$17.50 to print vs ~$3.00 for B&W
  • Hybrid approach: keep interior B&W, add a QR code linking to color photos online
  • If using color, images must be RGB (not CMYK — that’s IngramSpark’s requirement, not KDP’s)

Photo placement

  • Full-page photos: center vertically with generous margins
  • Photo captions: italic, 9–10pt, centered below image
  • Photo credits: if using others’ photos, credit on the copyright page
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Front matter for memoir

Memoir front matter is specific to the genre:

  • Half-title page
  • Title page — include subtitle (it tells readers what the memoir is about)
  • Copyright page — include “Some names and identifying details have been changed” if applicable
  • Dedication
  • Epigraph — a quote that sets the emotional tone (memoirs use epigraphs more than any other genre)
  • Author’s note — if the memoir covers sensitive topics, explains composite characters, or compresses timelines
  • Table of contents — optional for narrative memoir, useful for thematic chapters

Back matter

  • Acknowledgments
  • Resources (if memoir covers mental health, addiction, or social issues — include helplines and organizations)
  • Reading group guide (if targeting book clubs — memoir is a top book club genre)
  • About the Author
  • Also By

Chapter structure

Memoir chapters are typically:

  • Titled, not numbered — “The Summer We Left” not “Chapter 4” (though numbered chapters work too)
  • 12–20 pages each — longer than fiction chapters
  • Chronological or thematic — not both in the same book
  • Scene breaks within chapters — three asterisks or thin rule, same as fiction

KDP PDF settings

  • Page size: 5.5” × 8.5” (or 6” × 9” for photo-heavy memoirs)
  • Fonts: all embedded
  • Color: B&W interior (unless using color photos)
  • Paper: cream (standard) or white (for photo-heavy memoirs)
  • Bleed: no (text-only) or yes (if full-bleed photos)
  • Page count: must be even

Pricing

Word CountPages (5.5×8.5)Print CostPriceRoyalty
50,000~195~$3.24$14.99$3.76
60,000~230~$3.66$15.99$4.14
70,000~260~$4.02$15.99$3.78
80,000~290~$4.38$16.99$4.02

Memoir prices $14.99–$17.99 for paperback on KDP. Book club picks and memoirs on trending topics (grief, identity, immigration) can command $16.99+.