The Ultimate Guide: How to Format a Book in Microsoft Word for Amazon KDP
(eBook + Paperback)
Why This Guide?
Formatting your book the wrong way can lead to:
A frustrating reading experience
Rejection from Amazon KDP
Bad reviews
But with just Microsoft Word (no design skills or expensive software), you can create a beautiful, professional manuscript that’s ready to upload to Amazon — both as a Kindle eBook and a paperback.
This tutorial will take you from start to finish, explaining:
What to do
Why it matters
How to do it step by step
No fluff. No confusion. Just results.
What You’ll Need:
Microsoft Word (any recent version is fine)
Your completed manuscript (in a Word doc or plain text)
1 hour of focused time (less after your first try)
📘 PART 1: Formatting Your Kindle eBook with Microsoft Word
Kindle eBooks are reflowable — this means they adjust to screen size. So formatting should be clean, simple, and easy to read on any device.
✅ Step 1: Set Your Document Up Properly
1. Open your manuscript in Microsoft Word
If you wrote it in Google Docs or another app, save it as .docx and open it in Word.
2. Show all formatting marks
This helps you see line breaks, paragraph spacing, and hidden formatting.
Click on the ¶ icon in the Home toolbar (called “Show/Hide ¶”)
3. Set page size (Optional for eBook but recommended)
Even though Kindle ignores page dimensions, it’s helpful to format your book with print in mind too.
Click: File > Page Setup > Paper
Set paper size to: 6” x 9” (most common KDP size)
✅ Step 2: Clean Up Fonts and Text
1. Choose a clean, easy-to-read font
We recommend:
Garamond — Size 12
Georgia — Size 11
Times New Roman — Size 12
To change the entire document:
Press Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select all text
Then choose your font and size in the toolbar
✅ Step 3: Set Line Spacing and Paragraph Spacing
For Kindle eBooks:
Line spacing: 1.3 is ideal
Paragraph spacing: depends on your book type
To set line spacing:
Select all text again (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A)
Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > Line Spacing Options
Choose:
Line spacing: Multiple → 1.3
Spacing before/after paragraphs: 6 pt or 0 pt
Book type matters here:
Non-fiction: use space between paragraphs
Fiction: use first-line indentation instead (we’ll get to that below)
✅ Step 4: Add Page Breaks (Very Important)
Why?
A page break forces the next section to begin on a new page.
Don’t use the Enter key 20 times — use actual breaks.
Where should you add page breaks?
After each of the following “front matter” items:
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction / Preface
Each Chapter
How to insert a page break:
Click your cursor where you want the new page to begin
Click: Insert > Page Break
Now every section starts on a clean page, like a real book.
✅ Step 5: Format Your Chapter Titles Properly
Use Word’s Heading Styles.
Why? Because this helps you:
Build a clickable Table of Contents
Keep formatting consistent
Automate navigation for eBook readers
How to do it:
Highlight your chapter title (e.g., “Chapter 1: The Beginning”)
Click: Home > Styles > Heading 1
Customize it if you like:
Right-click “Heading 1” > Modify
Choose font (e.g., Garamond, Bold, 16 pt)
✅ Step 6: Justify the Body Text
Why?
Justified text aligns evenly on both left and right margins. It looks professional and neat.
How to apply:
Select all text (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A)
Click the Justify button in the Paragraph section
(It looks like four horizontal lines that are the same length)
✅ Step 7: Set Paragraph Style (Spacing or Indentation)
Non-fiction
Use spacing between paragraphs
(Already set in Step 3)
Fiction
Use first-line indentation instead of spacing
How to set indentation:
Select all body text
Right-click > Paragraph
Under Indentation > Special, choose First line
Set it to 0.3 inches
✅ Step 8: Add a Table of Contents (TOC)
What it does:
Creates a clickable index for Kindle readers to jump to chapters.
How to insert a TOC:
Go to the page after your copyright or title
Click: References > Table of Contents > Custom Table of Contents
Change settings:
Uncheck “Show page numbers”
Check “Use hyperlinks”
Set levels to 1 (only Heading 1 will show)
Click OK
Now you’ve got a live-linked Table of Contents!
✅ Step 9: Save Your File
Save this eBook version separately:
Click: File > Save As
Name it:
YourBookTitle_eBook.docx
You’re done with the eBook!
📕 PART 2: Formatting for KDP Paperback (Print Book)
Print books need more detailed layout and spacing, because the page size and layout will remain fixed.
✅ Step 1: Save a Copy of Your eBook File
Before making print changes, create a new copy:
File > Save As > YourBookTitle_Paperback.docx
Now you can format without affecting your eBook version.
✅ Step 2: Set Trim Size (Page Size)
This defines how big your printed book will be.
Common KDP sizes:
6” x 9” (most popular)
5” x 8”
5.5” x 8.5”
How to set it:
Click: File > Page Setup > Paper Size
Choose Custom Paper Size and enter width + height
✅ Step 3: Set Margins and Gutter
For print, margins must include space for the binding (gutter).
How to do it:
Click: Layout > Margins > Custom Margins
Under “Pages,” select: Mirror Margins
Set:
Top/Bottom: 0.75”
Outside: 0.6”
Gutter: 0.12”
Apply to: Whole document
Click Layout tab and enable:
“Different Odd and Even Pages”
“Different First Page”
✅ Step 4: Add Headers and Footers
This includes:
Author name on even pages
Book title on odd pages
To set:
Double-click in the top margin to open the header
Add author name (left side / even pages)
Add book title (right side / odd pages)
Use same font as body (e.g., Garamond, 11 pt)
✅ Step 5: Add Page Numbers
To insert:
Click: Insert > Page Number > Bottom of Page > Center
Match font and size with body (Garamond, 11 pt)
✅ Step 6: Update Table of Contents for Print
For print books, you want page numbers — not hyperlinks.
To update:
Click inside your Table of Contents
Go to: References > Table of Contents > Custom TOC
Check: Show Page Numbers
Uncheck: Use Hyperlinks
Set Levels: 1
Click OK
✅ Step 7: Final Review
Go through your book and check:
Page breaks after each chapter
Consistent headings
Clean paragraph spacing or indentation
No double spaces or strange characters
✅ Step 8: Save As PDF
KDP print books must be uploaded as PDFs.
To do this:
Click: File > Save As
Choose PDF from the file type options
Save it as
YourBookTitle_Paperback.pdf
This is the file you’ll upload to Amazon KDP for your print edition.
BONUS: Want to Skip All This?
If formatting feels overwhelming, you can outsource it:
Use Fiverr to hire a formatter (starting around $40)
Great for fiction, non-fiction, or premium layout design
🧠 Final Thoughts from EverBright Publishing
Formatting is a skill every self-publisher should learn — and with this guide, now you can.
✅ It’s free
✅ It’s professional
✅ It’s beginner-proof
No more paying for simple layouts. No more confusion. Just you, your manuscript, and Microsoft Word.
Now go publish with confidence — and let your book shine.