Is there a decent instructional for doing paperback covers in KDP?

[TimothyEllis]

Is there a decent instructional for doing paperback covers in KDP?

I'm looking at this yet again, and it just looks too hard.

The KDP Creator is just crap. D2D's doesn't appear to be much better.

I can see there's a downloadable template to use in Photoshop, but it needs the number of pages. Where the hell do find that out from?

I really need a simple set of how to instructions for the whole process.

Can anyone point me to such a thing?

[Al Stevens]

You'll know the number of pages when you build the .pdf content file to upload for the paperback book. The last physical page number, adjusted for front matter is that number.

[TimothyEllis]

You'll know the number of pages when you build the .pdf content file to upload for the paperback book. The last physical page number, adjusted for front matter is that number.

 

I'd forgotten all about that.

[DmGuay]

I create my interior PDF file first. Upload it, then download the cover template. You'll have the page number range, and that's all you need. The template is super easy to use if you have basic design software. Just keep all the words and important images inside the guidelines.

After I arrange the cover image, the spine, the back image, I then use a single color "fill" layer behind everything, just so no guidelines or spaces accidentally appear on the final. Save as PDF, then upload.

What design software do you have access to? Maybe someone here can give you tips based on what you use.

[TimothyEllis]

What design software do you have access to? Maybe someone here can give you tips based on what you use.

Using Photoshop for covers.

[DmGuay]

Oh. That should be straightforward then.

If you have any questions after you download your template, please post. Maybe we can guide you through.

[TimothyEllis]

What the easiest way of doing the print pdf?

And what is normal in the eBook, but is left off in the Paperback? (Thinking mainly front and backmatter.)

[DmGuay]

I do all the same front and back matter in my print book as in my ebook, except instead of hot links, I type out the web addresses for things like social media and newsletter sign up.

What program do you use for word processing and formatting your paperback interior file?

[TimothyEllis]

What program do you use for word processing and formatting your paperback interior file?

Word for the eBook. 2013 version.

I've only done one paperback in the past, and I had someone on fiverr do the formatting at great expense.

No idea how to do it myself, but I know I can upload it to D2D and download the PDF version formatted. Just wondering if there's an easier way.

[DmGuay]

Unless you want to hand format it, or have software like Vellum, the D2D way might be the easiest way.

[TimothyEllis]

Unless you want to hand format it, or have software like Vellum, the D2D way might be the easiest way.

I don't have a Mac, and never will.

PC alternative?

[idontknowyet]

there's mac in cloud or atticus or people on fb that do it for $20-30

ihavent tried kindle create for pb yet but they are super simple for ebooks

[TimothyEllis]

there's mac in cloud or atticus or people on fb that do it for $20-30

ihavent tried kindle create for pb yet but they are super simple for ebooks

I've got 42 books to do at this point, and that's still climbing. I was thinking of just doing bundles, but the pages maximums cut out too short for where I'd need them to be.

Sp I'd prefer not to pay anyone if I can avoid it.

Kindle Create on the net is a load of crap. I've not tried the PC version, so I guess I should. But I'm not expecting anything different.

[idontknowyet]

there's mac in cloud or atticus or people on fb that do it for $20-30

ihavent tried kindle create for pb yet but they are super simple for ebooks

I've got 42 books to do at this point, and that's still climbing. I was thinking of just doing bundles, but the pages maximums cut out too short for where I'd need them to be.

Sp I'd prefer not to pay anyone if I can avoid it.

Kindle Create on the net is a load of crap. I've not tried the PC version, so I guess I should. But I'm not expecting anything different.

if you can get atticus a friend just re did all her pb it took like 20min a book and atticus costs like 100-150 right now i think

[TimothyEllis]

if you can get atticus a friend just re did all her pb it took like 20min a book and atticus costs like 100-150 right now i think

It doesn't look like it's available at all.

No download button, just a join the waiting list button.

[Vijaya]

What the easiest way of doing the print pdf?

And what is normal in the eBook, but is left off in the Paperback? (Thinking mainly front and backmatter.)

Tim, I download the template from KDP. I like 5.25" x 8" (13.34 x 20.32 cm) and copied my ms into the template. I use styles to format and went through and checked every page, esp. the beginnings and endings of chapters. Would revise my text if there were widows/orphans. Once the front matter and back were added and I was happy with everything, save it as a pdf and upload. I use Canva for making covers.

Good luck! You have lots of paperbacks to do. I found that the first one took me the longest. After that, it became easier.

[TimothyEllis]

Tim, I download the template from KDP. I like 5.25" x 8" (13.34 x 20.32 cm) and copied my ms into the template.

What template is that? Where do you get it?

[Post-Crisis D]

What the easiest way of doing the print pdf?

And what is normal in the eBook, but is left off in the Paperback? (Thinking mainly front and backmatter.)

Tim, I download the template from KDP. I like 5.25" x 8" (13.34 x 20.32 cm) and copied my ms into the template. I use styles to format and went through and checked every page, esp. the beginnings and endings of chapters. Would revise my text if there were widows/orphans. Once the front matter and back were added and I was happy with everything, save it as a pdf and upload.

I don't like Word or use Word, but, for Word users, this would seem to be the way to go. 

[Vijaya]

Tim, I download the template from KDP. I like 5.25" x 8" (13.34 x 20.32 cm) and copied my ms into the template.

What template is that? Where do you get it?

https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834230

I first downloaded the one with the sample because the front/back are already formatted for the non-numbering of pages and but now I use my own revised one as a template.

[RPatton]

You need to build a template for a print file in Word (it's not that difficult to do, just time consuming) and then it's just a matter of popping your MS into the template.

Right now, the only windows option is either using InDesign, Atticus, or Mac in Air or whatever that cloud thing is called with Vellum.

As far as the cover goes, once you have your final page count, I recommend using bookow.com for their cover template (they'll generate a png, idml, and pdf file for you and they'll even add your barcode). For whatever reason, KDPs cover template is always slightly off (I think it's because it doesn't calculate spine width to the leaf, but to every 10 leafs).

[TimothyEllis]

Just playing around with D2D's formatter.

Next Question:

Is it necessary to put the book title and author name on the top of every page?

I was thinking of doing a single generic book on D2D, from which I can do all the books, without needing to create every single one there. Especially since for now, I'm only thinking of having them in KDP, given that is where all my readers are.

But to do that, I need to suppress printing the book title on every other page, which also suppresses the author name. Is this bad?

I'm not sure I understood why they do that anyway.

[TimothyEllis]

This is just too hard. 

So I get the cover all set up, and get told the size was different. Somehow the D2D end changed the size on me before I downloaded the inside, so I was 40 pages short for the middle.

Go back to Photoshop after resizing on D2D, and the new template adjusts to the existing size when you copy it over, so I can't change the look correctly to fit the slightly larger size.

Which implies you can't do a template for a series, and simply adjust by overlaying a new KDP template and replacing the front cover image and title. They all need to be done from scratch. And that takes too long, and will result in nothing matching up from book to book.

What am I missing?

[TimothyEllis]

Okay, second attempt went better.

I did a template for the left side and the spine. So all left sides in the series will be the same. And I have a guide to assembling the spine for each book, which can be deleted before completion.

Ordered my first proof.

[Vijaya]

Tim, that's great. I've not used the D2D conversion but no, you don't have to have your name and title on each page. I actually find those things distracting when I read so I only keep page numbers at the bottom. My goal is for the pages to disappear when people read.

[TimothyEllis]

I managed to get into a rhythm of sorts today.

Not exactly motoring, but motoring on a bumpy dirt road.

Until that is I found a bridge out, and fell in.

It seems that with the new series mechanism, all my books from book 8 onwards in my first series got renumbered. I was never able to get this done in the old system, but it happened when I did it in the new one, and I didn't notice all the covers and front matter are wrong now. Bit of a dog's breakfast in fact.

So before I can go to paperback 9, I'm going to have to do surgery on the rest of the covers, and update the front and backmatter in the books.

Oh well, it needed doing sometime.

On the bright side, I've got 8 proofs on their way now. 

[Vijaya]

  You're on a roll Tim. 

[TimothyEllis]

Marathon 4 day effort completed.

47 paperbacks completed. Waiting now for the proofs, and hoping I didn't stuff up something really basic.

First box should be arriving friday.

Thanks for all the help. In this thread and all my previous ones.

[TimothyEllis]

I couldn't stop.

I went on today and did the other 9 non-fiction books I wrote. (One was a bundle of 5 others).

I worked a full on normal week, and I'm exhausted!

Not long now, and for the first time since I started writing in 2006, I'll have all my own books on my bookshelves. 

[Vijaya]

Not long now, and for the first time since I started writing in 2006, I'll have all my own books on my bookshelves. 

It'll be impressive. You've have to take a picture and post it here. Some of my books are e-editions only and I miss having them on my shelf.

[TimothyEllis]

It'll be impressive. You've have to take a picture and post it here. Some of my books are e-editions only and I miss having them on my shelf.

I definitely will.

None of my fans know I'm doing them yet, but I wanted to make sure the proofs are good, before announcing it. Pics will be a good announcement method.

[TimothyEllis]

First 8 arrived today, much to my surprise. 

So, any comments on them?

It looks like the spines are all slightly left of center, which is most obvious on book 8, but it looks like centering wasn't the right thing to do. They need to go to the hard right of where the line is, not centered inside the lines. Is this normal for amazon books?

The other question is, with the exception of 8, which needs changing, do the rest need the spine adjusted? Or not? Or is it a case of no-one will care, or everyone will care?

Anything else wrong you can spot?

[Vijaya]

They look great! I wouldn't worry about the absolute centering on the spine. Maybe add a couple of blank pages to the end to rectify if it bothers you. But no need.
You need a minimum of 100 pages for a spine so your Christmas mightn't be fat enough.

[TimothyEllis]

They look great! I wouldn't worry about the absolute centering on the spine. Maybe add a couple of blank pages to the end to rectify if it bothers you. But no need.
You need a minimum of 100 pages for a spine so your Christmas mightn't be fat enough.

It's not. Only 52 pages. I centered the spine image as best I could, but it seems it needs to adjoin the box for the front image. I'm going to fix that and get another proof if I can.

I've got 2 others with 64 pages. With luck, that will be enough that the 'not-spine' will be centered better.

[TimothyEllis]

Next question.

I'm working on a new companion book which is mainly colour images. And realized that Amazon does do colour, and I've already got a book which would be much better in colour.

The problem is, how do you get a colour interior?

D2D doesn't appear to have a colour option, and that's where I'm generating the pdf interior from.

Is there an alternative to D2D which does the same thing, only in colour?

[Vijaya]

Amazon does do color printing, but it's more expensive and it's only available for certain sizes.
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834180

[TimothyEllis]

Amazon does do color printing, but it's more expensive and it's only available for certain sizes.
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834180

I found that, but how do you get a colour pdf to upload to them?

As far as I can see, D2D only does black and white. And Kindle Create is just bad.

[Eric Thomson]

Amazon does do color printing, but it's more expensive and it's only available for certain sizes.
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834180

I found that, but how do you get a colour pdf to upload to them?

As far as I can see, D2D only does black and white. And Kindle Create is just bad.

I've created colour pdfs via MS Word.

[TimothyEllis]

I've created colour pdfs via MS Word.

Is there a short cut for print ready pdfs?

I don't know word enough to convert it to do the page on each side thing, or the print to a trim size thing.

Last time I looked at that, it was way too complicated. So unless there's a one press button to do it? Using Word 2013.

ETA: I guess that goes back to my initial request.

Is there a set of instructions?

[Eric Thomson]

I've created colour pdfs via MS Word.

Is there a short cut for print ready pdfs?

I don't know word enough to convert it to do the page on each side thing, or the print to a trim size thing.

Last time I looked at that, it was way too complicated. So unless there's a one press button to do it? Using Word 2013.

ETA: I guess that goes back to my initial request.

Is there a set of instructions?

Sorry. Don't know of any short cuts or instructions. I had to teach myself how to prepare print-ready interiors in MS Word. I've attached a copy of a pre-formatted 6x9 doc to this post. Maybe it'll help

[TimothyEllis]

Odd. That attachment isn't being recognized as a file, and when you click on it, it crashes the board.

Right click on it, and there is no save file option, only save link.

[Eric Thomson]

Hmm. Not a clue what the issue might be. Should I email you a copy?

[TimothyEllis]

Hmm. Not a clue what the issue might be. Should I email you a copy?

Please.

[Eric Thomson]

Check your PM

[TimothyEllis]

Check your PM

Got it this time.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Bookmarking this as I will be attempting a paperback shortly. Have only previously used CreateSpace.

[Eric Thomson]

Bookmarking this as I will be attempting a paperback shortly. Have only previously used CreateSpace.

If you'd like the template I shared with Tim, let me know.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Bookmarking this as I will be attempting a paperback shortly. Have only previously used CreateSpace.

If you'd like the template I shared with Tim, let me know.

Thanks so much.  I will come back to you when I am ready for the print version. I'm busy organising illustrations, which adds another dimension of potential problems. 

[LilyBLily]

Re the spines, Amazon insists it has the right to a certain amount of variance. The result is not the precision the big trad pubs get from the same printers, you can be sure. However, you were smart not to have a hard break in art or color between front and spine or back and spine. Most people will not notice the words on the spine are off center. These days I tell my cover designers to make sure the art (or at least the background color) bleeds from front to spine to back. That helps.

If the variance is so bad that the spine copy is wrapping around to front or back, you should take a photo and email Amazon support and get it reprinted at their expense. Many times, I've had to tell Amazon about manufacturing errors. Their printers are lazy and sloppy because these are short runs. On a long run, a printer knows that the files must be in perfect register or they'll have to eat hundreds if not thousands of unacceptable copies. So they're more careful with those orders.   

[TimothyEllis]

The rest turned up today.

Looks like Amazon Australia only prints on demand on sundays, and they arrive on tuesday.

Only 1 goof. Somehow managed to put the wrong cover on 1 book. 

Still, no problems with the rest, so now I start pricing and releasing.

The 2 games ones are David and Goliath. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Hope you get lots of sales after all the hard work