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Book Formatting – 6″ x 9″ Manuscripts

In the video below, I did an instructional about how to start out with a blank Microsoft Word document and build an eBook template and then after saving that template, to make a few changes and turn it into a template for the Paperback and Hardcover books.

What makes this possible is choosing the 6" x 9" print size for the paperback and hardcover.  At the present time, KDP only allows you to print a hardcover in the 6" x 9" size.  So if you choose to create your paperback in the same size, then you can use this same template to make all three books.

EASY FLOW EBOOKS:

iced-teaWhat makes it possible to use a 6" x 9" ebook template for the eBook is the easy flow settings that are needed so that eBooks can fit on any size eReader, tablet, or phone.

When you upload an eBook, you are really uploading a series of Chapter Headers and paragraphs.  It is converted behind the scenes into the computerized language of ePub, and then delivered like a pitcher pouring a glass of tea.  It is delivered one paragraph at a time.  Then the reader can adjust the text size and color, the background color and even the font style.  So as long as your paragraphs and headings are set up correctly, you won't have any trouble.

PAPERBACKS & HARDBACKS:

If you choose the same size, the manuscripts are the same.  The cover dimensions will be off and you will need a different sized book cover for each, but the manuscript will work for both.

SHOULD YOU MAKE THEM ALL THE SAME?

thinking women with question mark on white background

The paperback size should be guided by the genre you publish in.  If the books are around about the 6" x 9" size, then you're good to go, but if they are smaller, like 5.06 x 7.81 -- which is the size I use -- then you will have to make thee different templates.

But once you watch this video below, you will be a pro at making templates for whatever size you need.

HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE PAPERBACK & HARDCOVER MARGINS:

Below are the settings for the Paperback & Hardcover.

6x9-margin-settings

CHANGES FOR THE eBOOK:

Gutter: change from 0.13" to 0
Change mirror margins to normal margina
Change Section Start to "New Page" (or next page)
Change headers and footers from 0.35" to 0.5"

REMINDERS FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS:

Be sure to remember to embed fonts into your documents.  Go to File > Options > Save > Scroll down until you see this section about Embedding the fonts.  Only check the first box.  This information is from KDP.

Embedding-fonts-example



Below is the video where I go over all of the settings starting from a blank Word document:
Below that is a sign up form to get a formatting sheet for the 5.06 x 7.81 and creating an ebook using the 8.5" x 11" Word default size.

Book Formatting – Ebook, Paperback & Hardcover

3-Page-KDP-Formatting-Cheat-Sheet-Image

In this blog post I will explain how to go from an eBook template, to a Paperback Template and then to a Hardcover Template.  What is the benefit of this?  By doing it this way, you don't have to start over each time with a different template and redo all of your styles!

REMINDERS FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS:

Be sure to remember to embed fonts into your documents.  Go to File > Options > Save > Scroll down until you see this section about Embedding the fonts.  Only check the first box.  This information is from KDP.

Embedding-fonts-example

LET'S START WITH THE EBOOK MARGINS

EBOOK COVER SIZE:  1600 X 2560 – 300 dpi
If you will be using a cover on the web, make a copy of your eBook cover at 72 dpi.  This will make your cover images faster to upload and download on the web.

I use an 8.5 x 11 size paper but I have seen videos saying you can use the size of your paperback.  But I'm teaching people the way I do it.  To get to these settings, Click on the Layout Tab > Margins > Custom Margins.  Below is a picture of the settings that I start with.

This formatting has no gutter and the pages are completely centered.  That's why I use this formatting.

Ebook-FormattingFromWord



document-styles-and-headings

NEXT STEP:  Spend time changing your styles.  You will need the following:

Normal - with indent of .02" 
Normal-no-indent - for first paragraph after Chapter
Book Title
Book Subtltle
Book Author
Scene Ending, if applicable

I take away all of the styles that I won't be using.  This makes your template more sleek.  You don't have to comb through all of these styles that you will never use.  In order to delete them from the gallery, right click on the style and choose to remove from the gallery.

FORMATTING THE PAPERBACK:

KDP suggests you use Kindle Create to make the manuscript, but it was always too finicky for me.  I use the same manuscript size for the paperback, 5.81 x 7.81 and just use only page breaks, no headers and no page numbers.  I haven’t ever had a problem.

The following pictures are for the eBook and the Paperback.  I’ll write them below.

Paperback-Settings-in-word

FORMATTING FOR EBOOK SPECIFICALLY:

Use simple page breaks.  Don’t add page numbers or headers

FORMATTING FOR PAPERBACKS:

You need to use section breaks at the end of each chapter so that your chapter pages are on the right hand side in the real-world paperback.  That is considered an “odd page”  The book title is the first page and you want that on the right-hand side.

You need to put in page numbers and headers for the Paperback.

You need a full total of pages.  By skipping some even pages and numbering the first pages with Roman numerals, be sure you take the total page count from the bottom of your Word document.  It will be more than your pages in the book.  That is the number you will need to go to the Paperback book cover calculator



CHANGES FOR THE HARDCOVER MANUSCRIPT:

Hardcover-Settings-in-word

FORMATTING FOR BOOK COVERS:

EBOOK COVER SIZE:  1600 X 2560 – 300 dpi
If you will be using a cover on the web, make a copy of your eBook cover at 72 dpi.  This will make your cover images faster to upload and download on the web.

KDP-calculator
Paperback Hardcover Book Cover calculator: https://kdp.amazon.com/cover-calculator

Once you have the number of pages of your paperback, go to the calculator at the link above, and click through the calculator and choose what you want.
Then choose the proper trim size. I use Width: 5.06"
And Height: 7.81". The proper size for your Paperback and Hardcover should be determined by the average in the genre of books you are writing to.
If you use 6” x 9” for your paperback, then you can use the same manuscript for the Hardcover and only have to redo your Hardback Book cover
Tip if you are using Gimp: Once you create your book cover graphic in layers, save the Gimp file and export to a jpg. Then open the jpg separately and export and save a PDF. I say this because when I was new, I was hours and hours trying to figure out why my text kept getting thrown off-kilter.