KDP Book Sizes: How to Select the Right One

As a self-published author, there are many exciting decisions you get to make about your book including the cover design, content layout, length of your book, design of your interior file, trim size, and so much more. There are no strict rules when it comes to which KDP Book Sizes you should use for your books, but there are some book industry standards and best practices when it comes to how to best select the right trim size for your book.

What Does Trim Size Mean?

The size of your book is referred to as the trim size. It’s the actual size of the book once it has been trimmed and bound at the printer. Simply put, trim size is the height and width of your print book.

What are Common Trim Sizes Used by Authors?

The most common trim size for books in the U.S. is 6″ x 9″. This is the default option that pops up when you are setting up your book in Amazon KDP in the “Print Options” section of the middle Content tab. If you want a different trim size, click “select a different size.”

What Amazon KDP Book Sizes are Available?

Amazon KDP offers a variety of trim sizes to choose from depending if you opt for a paperback or hardback book.

Paperbacks

There are 16 different trim sizes available for paperbacks. Black ink books can be printed on white or cream paper. Color ink (standard or premium color) can only be printed on white paper.

Trim Sizes (Width x Height)	Notes
5″ x 8″	Common for nonfiction and fiction trade paperbacks, novels, general nonfiction, children’s picture books
5.06″ x 7.81″
5.25″ x 8″	Common for nonfiction and fiction trade paperbacks, memoirs
5.5″ x 8.5″	Common for nonfiction and fiction trade paperbacks, novels, general nonfiction, memoirs
6″ x 9″	Most common trim size in U.S. for nonfiction and fiction trade paperbacks, novels, general nonfiction, textbooks
6.14″ x 9.21″
6.69″ x 9.61″
7″ x 10″	Common for general nonfiction, children’s picture books
7.44″ x 9.69″
7.5″ x 9.25″
8″ x 10″	Commons for workbooks, coloring books, activity books, textbooks
8.25″ x 6″
8.25″ x 8.25″
8.5″ x 8.5″	Common for children’s picture books
8.5″ x 11″	Commons for workbooks, coloring books, activity books, textbooks
8.27″ x 11.69″

Hardbacks

There are 5 different trim sizes available for hardbacks. Black ink books can be printed on white or cream paper. For hardbacks, the only color ink option is premium color. Standard color ink is not available for hardbacks. And premium color can only be printed on white paper.

Also, it’s important to note that when it comes to Amazon KDP hardback books, these are printed as case laminate. This means your hardcover book will not have a dust jacket and the art is printed directly on the cover.

Since hardbacks are relatively new for Amazon KDP, I imagine they will roll out more trim sizes once they have had some time to evaluate the success of the hardback printing on demand service.

Trim Size (Width x Height)	Notes
5.5″ x 8.5″	Common for nonfiction and fiction trade paperbacks, novels, general nonfiction
6″ x 9″	Most common trim size in U.S. for nonfiction and fiction trade paperbacks, novels, general nonfiction, textbooks
6.14″ x 9.21″
7″ x 10″	Common for general nonfiction, children’s picture books
8.25″ x 11″

What is Bleed?

Bleed is a term in the book industry that refers to when printed items on a page (words, images, etc), reach all the way to the edge of the page.

All book covers on Amazon KDP require bleed. However, you can choose whether your interior file has bleed or not. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It’s personal preference depending on your type of book layout.

On Amazon KDP, bleed is only supported for print-ready PDFs. So your cover file for paperbacks or hardbacks will always be uploaded as a PDF.

What Does Bleed have to do with KDP Book Sizes?

When a book is printed, all of the pages are trimmed to the trim size you selected by cutting 0.125” (3.2 mm) from the top, bottom, and outside edges. In order for objects or elements on your page to reach all the way to the edge of the page, those objects must extend past where the page will be trimmed by 0.125” (3.2 mm). This means you need to increase your page size beyond where it will be trimmed.

So for the top and bottom of the page, a total of 0.5″ will be added to the height (0.125″ at the top + 0.125″ at the bottom = 0.5″) and 0.125″ will be added to the width, or outside margin.

Page Size without Bleed	Page Size with Bleed
5″ x 8″	5.125″ x 8.25″
5.06″ x 7.91″	5.185″ x 8.16″
5.25″ x 8″	5.375″ x 8.25″
5.5″ x 8.5″	5.626″ x 8.75″
6″ x 9″	6.125″ x 9.25″
6.14″ x 9.21″	6.265″ x 9.46″
6.69″ x 9.61″	6.815″ x 9.86″
7″ x 10″	7.125″ x 10.25″
7.44″ x 9.69″	7.565″ x 9.94″
7.5″ x 9.25″	7.625″ x 9.5″
8″ x 10″	8.125″ x 10.25″
8.5″ x 11″	8.625″ x 11.25″
8.25″ x 6″	8.375″ x 6.25″
8.25″ x 8.25″	8.375″ x 8.5″
8.25″ x 11″	8.375″ x 11.25″
8.27″ x 11.69″	8.395″ x 11.94″
8.5″ x 8.5″	8.625″ x 8.75″

Which KDP Book Sizes Should You Consider Using?

There are several factors to consider when deciding on your next book’s trim size, including:

–Genre or Book Type

–Printing Costs – trim size affects printing costs because it determines the number of pages your book will be

–Competition – do you want to have the same size book as your competition or a different size so it stands out a bit more on the bookshelf?

It’s up to you as an independent publisher of your book to decide what KDP Book Sizes best resonate with your book type, how it fits into your pricing strategy based on the printing costs, and how the competition stacks up to your book. Best of luck with your next book project!

Interested in Learning More About Self-Publishing on Amazon KDP?

Are you a dietitian that has self-publishing on your bucket list for 2023? Join the Click to Publish course today and make your dream a reality.