Article by EverBright Publishing.

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:

1. Title Page
2. Copyright Page
3. Table of Contents
4. Introduction / Preface
5. 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.