To format a romance novel for KDP, use a 5×8 or 5.25×8 trim on cream paper, 11pt Garamond or Baskerville, 1.3–1.4× line spacing, and export as PDF with fonts embedded. Romance is the #1 bestselling fiction genre on Amazon — over 30% of all Kindle Unlimited reads are romance. KDP is where most romance readers shop, making your KDP paperback formatting as important as your ebook. A typical 80,000-word contemporary romance runs ~310 pages at 5×8 or ~280 pages at 5.25×8.
Trim size by subgenre
| Subgenre | Recommended Trim | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary romance | 5” × 8” | Mass-market feel, readers expect it |
| Romantic suspense | 5.25” × 8” | Slightly wider, matches thriller energy |
| Historical romance | 5.5” × 8.5” | Trade paperback, prestige feel |
| Paranormal / fantasy romance | 5.5” × 8.5” | Longer books need room |
| Regency | 5” × 8” | Compact, classic |
| Dark romance | 5” × 8” | Tight, intimate format |
| Sweet / clean romance | 5” × 8” | Mass-market standard |
The 5×8 trim is the romance industry default because it mimics mass-market paperbacks — the format romance readers have held for decades. Use the KDP Book Calculator to check page counts.
KDP margins for romance
| Page Count | Inside Margin | Outside Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Under 150 | 0.375” | 0.25” |
| 150–300 | 0.625” | 0.25” |
| 301–500 | 0.75” | 0.25” |
| 501–700 | 0.875” | 0.25” |
| 701+ | 1.0” | 0.25” |
Top and bottom: 0.25” minimum. These are KDP minimums — add 0.05–0.1” to inside margins for more comfortable reading.
Scene breaks
Romance uses more scene breaks than most genres — POV switches between hero and heroine, time jumps, and location changes. Keep them consistent:
- Three centered asterisks ( * * * ) — the standard
- Ornamental divider — small flourish or decorative element (popular in historical and fantasy romance)
- Extra white space — 2–3 blank lines (clean, modern)
- Never use different break styles for different POVs — that’s what chapter breaks are for
Series formatting on KDP
Romance series are the backbone of the genre. For KDP paperbacks:
- Consistent trim size across all books in the series
- Series name on title page — “Book Three in the Lakewood Series”
- Also By page — list all books in the series, in order, in front matter
- Preview chapter — include the first chapter of the next book in back matter (this is the single most effective series sell-through tactic)
- Back matter order: Epilogue → Author’s Note → Preview of Next Book → Also By → About the Author
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KDP PDF settings for romance
- Page size: match your trim exactly (5×8, 5.25×8, or 5.5×8.5)
- Fonts: all embedded
- Color: black and white interior
- Paper: cream (standard for fiction)
- Bleed: no bleed (text-only interior)
- Page count: must be even, minimum 24 pages
Pricing on KDP
Romance readers are price-sensitive for paperbacks. KDP economics:
| Word Count | Pages (5×8) | Print Cost | Price | Royalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60,000 | ~260 | ~$4.24 | $13.99 | $1.96 |
| 70,000 | ~290 | ~$4.60 | $14.99 | $2.40 |
| 80,000 | ~310 | ~$4.84 | $14.99 | $2.16 |
| 90,000 | ~350 | ~$5.32 | $15.99 | $2.28 |
| 100,000 | ~390 | ~$5.80 | $16.99 | $2.40 |
Contemporary romance paperbacks typically price $13.99–$15.99. Historical and fantasy romance (longer books) price $15.99–$17.99.
Common KDP rejections for romance
- Margins too small — the #1 issue. Romance novels are long, pushing you into higher page-count margin tiers. See KDP margins guide.
- Odd page count — must be even. See odd page count fix.
- Cover dimensions wrong — thick romance novels have wide spines. Use the Cover Size Calculator.
Related guides
- Format a romance novel — genre conventions
- Romance on IngramSpark — bookstore distribution
- 5×8 KDP specs — full trim specifications
- Scene breaks guide — break styles
- KDP Book Calculator — page count and cost