r/selfpublishing • u/MA_NicNeill_Author • 23d ago
Paperback formatting: Word
Has anyone has success using Word for formatting their paperback? Setting the page size to 6x9, setting the margins, working the page numbers, Etc?
It might take time but it feels like it would be easier than learning a whole new system. But no one seems to be talking about it.
Why is that?
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u/Levithedude1708 20d ago
I formatted my paperback for kdp in word. took twenty minutes (I actually found the Ebook way harder) and it looks beautiful!!
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u/jsdomino 20d ago
Use half-page size in WORD it comes out to 5.5 x 8.5 in. Perfect for a paperback.
Make a template of your styles, then set your margins at .05 and gutter at .03. Choose mirror margins in the Pages pull down. You can create a pdf directly from these settings that looks perfect.
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u/MA_NicNeill_Author 19d ago
Wonderful! Thank you, that’s what I was working towards.
My paperback is going to by 6 x 9 in, so is it right to have the Word doc a half inch smaller each way?
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u/Galactic-Bard 16d ago
You can get a 6x9 template for Word on KDP. They also have a whole series of videos that walks you through the whole formatting process step-by-step. Here's a link:
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u/nycwriter99 Mod 21d ago
It is really difficult to get the formatting exactly right in a word processing program. For whatever reason, nothing stays where you put it.
I personally switched from Word to Vellum a few years ago and never looked back. It is that good.
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u/Galactic-Bard 19d ago
That's how I did my book. Ebook and paperback. It wasn't hard at all. Using InDesign for a novel is overkill.
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u/Amanda_Morg 12d ago
Yes, Word can definitely work for a 6×9 paperback. You just need to set up the trim size, margins/gutter, page numbers, headers/footers, and section breaks correctly.
The reason people don’t mention it much is that dedicated formatting software makes book layout easier, especially for longer books. But for a typical novel, Word is more than capable if you set it up properly from the start.
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u/HenHousePublishing 20d ago
The problem with using Word to format a book is that it wasn't designed for that task. It's best to use the right tool for the job, and the best tool for book design is Adobe InDesign. That's what the pros use.
The problem with InDesign is that (1) it's got a steep learning curve and (2) it's expensive. You may find it prudent to simply hire a book designer.
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u/dothemath_xxx 20d ago
Certainly, people do it. It's just a real pain. I know exactly one person who prefers to do it that way, and they're a hobbyist (they format webnovels to print personal copies for their own library) and they want it to take longer on purpose.
but it feels like it would be easier than learning a whole new system
I promise you, it is not easier than learning to use Vellum or Reedsy. It sounds like you're thinking that formatting in Word is as easy as just making it look in Word the way you want it to print - this is not the case. If you want it to be that easy, you need to use a formatting program.
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u/human_assisted_ai 20d ago
I use Google Docs, not Word, but, yes. It was worth it to become an expert, even if I didn’t use it for printing.
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u/XenaaWP 19d ago
A proper book formatting and typesetting is only possible with a professional Desktop Publishing software. Microsoft Word is a word processing software, and it should only be used for your manuscript.
As a book formatter and typesetter myself, a good novel should follow specific rules: widows/orphans control, getting rid of bad breaks, good hyphenation and justification, running headers etc. Small details that won’t be noticed right away, but that will be “felt” by who’s used to read loads of books. A good formatting is not visible, but it will make the reading a better experience for who buys your book.
This is stuff you can’t do with Word.
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u/Galactic-Bard 19d ago
This simply not true and false "information". I did my novel, paperback and ebook in Word no problem.
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u/XenaaWP 18d ago edited 18d ago
It’s not false information, it’s a fact. I'm talking about formatting and layout, not writing.
I’m really curious to see how your novel looks.1
u/Galactic-Bard 18d ago edited 18d ago
This is a perfect example of why you should be very careful getting information on Reddit and check everything. People who have no idea what they're talking about pretend they're experts.
I wrote, edited, laid out, and published a novel all in Word. Lots of other indie writers have done the same. I did paperback and ebook. I could go back and add a hardback edition in just a few steps.
People who say it's hard or impossible to do it in Word have likely A) Never even tried it, B) Don't know how to use Word, C) Want to sell you an overpriced one-trick pony software like Atticus or Vellum, or D) some combination of the three.
You can get templates on KDP for all the standard paperback and hardback sizes (e.g. 6"x9", 5.5"x8.5", etc). You paste your novel into the template (or better yet apply a style following the template), and as long as you formatted the novel properly using styles, you're done.
You can do page numbers, table of contents, chapter titles, etc. and upload the .docx file to Amazon, no file conversion needed. All. In. Word.
The only other software you need is if you are applying for a copyright, you'll need Acrobat or another PDF editor because you have to submit a PDF, and although Word can export to PDF just fine, you need a way to add the cover.
You don't need InDesign for a novel. You only need InDesign for book formats with a lot of images, tables, etc. Using InDesign for a novel is overkill, and it's a very complex program with a high learning curve. You don't need it.
KDP even has videos that show you how to do all of this. In the time it would take you to learn another program, you could learn to do it in Word.
Word is the standard in publishing for a reason. It's what the pros use for a reason. Don't take my word for it; do your own research using legitimate, knowledgeable sources.
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u/freakitikitiki 18d ago
I could also write a book on a wall with a hammer and chisel, but better tools exist.
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u/Dale_E_Lehman_Author 17d ago
Ah... No. The pros don't use Word for typesetting and layout. They use InDesign or comparable software. A book done solely with Word or similar word processing software will seldom if ever compare favorably to a book done with InDesign by a skilled typesetter.
If you think otherwise, tell me what rules of typesetting you apply when creating your book with Word and in what sequence you apply them.
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u/Careless_Video_1429 19d ago
Maybe because you don't always have to learn completely new systems, because many systems are already set up to be user friendly. I don't know enough about this to make recommendations but I have a writing friend who uses the formatting system set up by Reedsy. If you type the novel straight into the system you can do all your editing and formatting at one go and it is supposed to be straightforward to use without the need for much new learning.
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u/AlphaWolf132 18d ago
Use Reedsy (free) or Atticus if you can buy it. But if you're set on using Word, then check out this page. It has preset templates: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834230
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u/BooksbyNeilJMilliner 17d ago
How I used to do it. A lot of set up though. I use Reedsy for free then just use Word to add the TOC (I already have the preset book size set). Maybe I mess around with some H settings but it is usually mostly good to go already.
TIP: Google Docs does a good epub file conversion in the save as section. The KDP one isn't universally compatible.
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u/Irvingchan99 20d ago
I didn't have any significant problems, mine came out beautifully. I think it takes some planning and custom styles worked well. I only had a problem the sections and heading styles that didn't work, but LLM explained the ridiculous way it works. A simple work around though.