Manuscript is finished. Now you need to turn it into a print-ready PDF and a Kindle EPUB that pass KDP review the first time. This is the densest stage in our guide library because so many KDP rejections happen at this stage.
Score your manuscript before you read another guide
The guides below cover everything that can go wrong. The score tells you specifically what’s wrong with your file – margins, gutter, DPI, fonts, bleed, EPUB validity – in a minute. Read whichever guides match your failure points after.
Or just send it to us and skip the work. Either way, run the score first.
Guides for this stage
Manuscript is done. Now format it to KDP’s exact spec. Work top-to-bottom – start with the general path, then any genre-specific notes that apply, then the rejection-fix tools if anything goes wrong.
Start here – score the file first
- KDP Readiness Score (interactive) – Score your PDF/EPUB free in 60 seconds. See exactly what KDP will flag – before you spend on formatting.
The main formatting path
- How to format a book for KDP – The complete UK guide – margins, fonts, chapter headings, TOC, and export settings.
- KDP formatting checklist – Interactive pre-upload checklist – tick off interior, cover, metadata, and quality controls.
- What file formats KDP accepts – DOCX, PDF, EPUB requirements for print and Kindle, with conversion notes.
- Choose your trim size – No-nonsense trim-size guide – costs, common mistakes, and what to pick.
- KDP trim-size guide (interactive) – Filterable comparison of every KDP trim – find the one that suits your genre.
- KDP margin calculator – Get the exact gutter + outside margins for your page count and trim.
- KDP spine-width calculator – Calculate the exact spine measurement – page count x paper type.
- White vs cream paper – Interactive visual comparison – see how text looks on each.
- Paper choice guide (white/cream/Premium Colour) – Which paper for fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, children’s books. Cost impact, spine width differences, retail price reality.
- Word to KDP – full workflow – Step-by-step formatting a Word doc for KDP paperback upload.
- Paperback interior – from scratch – Page size, margins, fonts, headers, footers, export settings.
- Kindle ebook – from scratch – Beginner’s guide to formatting an ebook for Kindle, UK-specific.
- EPUB vs MOBI (2026) – Amazon deprecated MOBI – what to upload now.
- Kindle formatting issues – Why they happen, how to diagnose, how to fix.
- EPUB validation errors – fixes – Identify and fix EPUBCheck errors so KDP doesn’t reject the file.
- Fix TOC issues – Common Table of Contents problems – and exact fixes.
- Fix blurry images – Diagnose and fix low-DPI / sized-up images in paperback interiors.
- Formatting services compared – Outsource option – every service compared on price, features, turnaround.
If KDP rejects the file
- KDP rejected my book – what now? – The most common rejection reasons and exactly how to fix each one.
- KDP quality check failed – Walkthrough for resolving quality-check failures with UK-specific notes.
- Common formatting errors – Margin violations, embedded fonts, and the other usual suspects.
- KDP technical setup – fix errors – File specs, cover spacing, series numbering – verified 2026 spec.
Get a human eye on it
- Self-edit first (30-point checklist) – Read aloud, cut chapter 1, kill filter words. Save 30-50% on editing costs by tightening the draft before paying anyone.
- Hiring an editor (UK rates) – Developmental vs line vs copy vs proofread – what each does, current UK rates (2026), where to find vetted editors, sample-edit first.
- Sensitivity readers (when to hire) – When you need one (writing outside your lived experience), how to brief, what it costs (£150-£500), how to integrate notes without losing your voice.
Format-specific notes (read only if it applies)
- Romance novel formatting
- Thriller novel formatting
- Fantasy novel formatting
- Sci-fi novel formatting
- Memoir formatting
- Biography formatting
- Business-book formatting
- Self-help formatting
- Cookbook formatting
- Children’s book – formatting
- Children’s chapter-book formatting
- Picture-book formatting
- Poetry – formatting
- Poetry collection formatting
We hand-format manuscripts to KDP spec and deliver a print-ready PDF + Kindle EPUB inside 24 hours. £69 for PDF, £119 for both. See pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What file format does KDP accept for paperback? PDF (preferred) or DOCX. PDF gives you exact layout control; DOCX is auto-converted by KDP and sometimes loses formatting. For Kindle ebook: DOCX, EPUB, or KPF (Kindle Create’s format).
Why did KDP reject my book? Most rejections fall into a few categories: margin or gutter too small, font not embedded, image resolution under 300 DPI, cover/interior trim mismatch, or AI-generated content not disclosed. Run the free 60-second KDP Readiness Score to find issues before submission.
Cream paper or white paper for my paperback? Cream for fiction (gentler on the eyes for long reads – matches traditional novels). White for non-fiction with diagrams, charts, or technical content. Premium Colour for cookbooks, children’s, and photography – but it pushes retail prices up.
Should I hire an editor or self-edit? Both. Self-edit first using a 30-point checklist (read aloud, cut filter words, kill adverbs). Then hire a professional editor. Self-editing first cuts the editor’s invoice because they’re not billing to find obvious issues.
What does professional editing cost in the UK? Developmental edit: £0.015-£0.035 per word (£1,350-£3,150 for a 90,000-word novel). Line edit: £0.012-£0.020/word. Copy edit: £0.008-£0.014/word. Proofread: £0.005-£0.010/word. Full pass on a debut novel typically £3,500-£7,000 in UK rates (2026).
