What File Formats are Accepted by Kindle Direct Publishing?
Ollie Ander
Is probably just a couple cats in a trench-coat—the hair shedding and sunlight napping are highly suspect.
There are few things that can bring your book release to a grinding halt quite like logging onto KDP, hitting the +Create button and realizing…you don’t have the proper file formats. Here’s a list of all the file formats Kindle Direct Publishing accepts—and for which release types—so you don’t get held up at the finish line!
eBooks
eBooks are the easiest form of book release for self-publishing authors. Since eBooks have reflowable text, they don’t require internal formatting, and have more file format options for uploading your novel.
eBook Manuscripts
The most popular formats for uploading eBook Manuscripts to KDP are the following:
DOC (.doc) & DOCX (.docx) — short for DOCument file, the default document format.
EPUB (.ePUB) — abbreviation for "electronic publication."
KPF — Kindle Package Format, only downloadable through Kindle Create.
You can also upload an eBook Manuscript in:
HTML (.zip, ,htm, or .html) — Hypertext Markup Language
RTF (.rtf) — Rich Text Format
TXT (.txt) — Plain Text
PDF (.pdf) — Portable Document Format
As of August 1, 2021, MOBI formats are no longer supported as a reflowable eBook option on KDP.
Which Manuscript file format should you use?
You should pick your file format according to the content of your book. For example, DOC, RTF, and TXT are perfectly suitable for publishing a novel in which the book’s text placement does not affect its delivery. However, if you are publishing poetry or a type of writing that relies on specific spacing or formatting, you should choose a fixed layout format like PDF.
eBook Covers
Covers for eBooks are the easiest to make, as they’re only meant to be viewed as a small thumbnail on eReader stores. Kindle Direct Publishing recommends 2,560 pixels high by 1,600 pixels wide, setting the golden ratio at 1.6:1. KDP eBook covers can only be uploaded in JPG and TIFF format. Unfortunately, Kindle Direct Publishing has not upgraded to support PNGs yet.
Paperbacks and Hardcovers
Not every self-publishing author chooses to take the extra step to provide print versions of their novels, but for those of you that want to hold your book physically in your hand someday, here’s what file formats you’ll need to make that happen.
Paperback and Hardcover Manuscripts
Paperback and hardcover manuscripts can be uploaded as DOC/DOCX, PDF, HTML, or RTF file formats.
As mentioned in the eBook section, PDFs are a static file format, meaning that when you upload it to KDP, your manuscript will appear exactly as shown, in print. Otherwise, since only eBooks can utilize reflowable text, KDP will format your paperback/hardback manuscript for you, into a specified font and trim size for print.
Paperback and Hardcover Covers
KDP only accepts cover file uploads in Print-Ready PDF format. However, if you use their Cover Creator, that program will take and convert JPG, PNG, or TIFF file formats. You can use the $ KDP Cover Calculator$ to get a template for your covers.
The template above was made with KDP Cover Creator for a 6"x9" trim size, 200 page paperback.
Please note: When using the KDP Cover Calculator, you do need to know the finished page count of your print book. Every page counts toward the pixels in the spine width. If you adjust the manuscript’s interior enough to alter the page count, you may have to resize your cover too, as to prevent cut-offs, unwanted white borders, or misalignments.
Kindle Direct Publishing’s hardcover option is still in beta. Their hardcovers are only available as case-bound, which means you don’t have to include a dust jacket in your cover design. This makes the process for paperbacks and hardbacks the same (although, if you plan to re-use your paperback cover for your hardcover as well, you may have to resize it, even if it shares a trim size across versions).
You are now well-versed enough to publish your book in all of the formats available on Kindle Direct Publishing: digital and print! But do you know about Kindle Unlimited and the benefits of enrolling your eBook in it? Here is a $ Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide on How to Publish on KU$ , which you can add your eBook to anytime after publication!
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