KDP tools for authors
Free book publishing tools
Free book publishing tools for the work between final draft and upload.
Choose the smallest check that answers the release question in front of you. Your recommendation may stay free, lead to paid repair, or point to another product that fits better.
Checked:
✓17 focused release tools✓No card before a result✓Honest free and paid boundaries
Find the smallest publishing path that solves the next job.
Answer four questions. The result can be a free tool, a ShipMyBook plan, or a competitor that fits better. No email is required.
Pick a free check by publishing job
Planning tools estimate page count, recommend trim size, calculate cover geometry, and work backward from a target publication date. File tools inspect DOCX structure, build a simple EPUB, validate EPUB package signals, check print PDF basics, preview ebook type, and test image DPI at its intended size.
Release tools decode a KDP failure, compare title and author metadata with the cover, provide Word templates, and walk through a dependency-ordered formatting checklist. Each result links to the next check for a reason instead of presenting an unrelated directory.
- Plan: timeline, words-to-pages, trim size, and cover dimensions
- Format: DOCX preflight, sample pages, DOCX to EPUB, and ebook type
- Validate: EPUB, print PDF, image DPI, upload errors, and metadata
- Prepare: manuscript templates and the final formatting checklist
Where established free products still win
ShipMyBook is not a blank-page writing editor and does not pretend that running a public validator is proprietary. Use the established product when its free workflow already solves the entire job; use ShipMyBook when you need the checks connected to one finished source or need a replacement file after a failure.
| Product | It wins when | ShipMyBook is useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Reedsy Studio | You want to write and perform basic formatting in a free browser editor, then its EPUB or PDF export passes your checks. | The manuscript is already finished and you want separate preflight, error explanation, or a reviewed replacement package. |
| Kindle Create | You publish a supported KDP-first book, accept its workflow, and need Amazon's free desktop tool. | An import changed the source, the upload failed, or you need files and release assets kept against one approved version. |
| EPUBCheck | You can run the authoritative open-source validator, interpret every code, and repair the package yourself. | You need plain-language impact, a repair, a second validation, and a replacement EPUB. |
| Calibre | You are comfortable converting, editing, and inspecting ebooks in a powerful free desktop application. | You prefer a task-specific browser path and do not want to learn a general-purpose ebook toolbox. |
The paid boundary is repair and delivery, not the check
The free layer calculates, inspects, and explains early signals. A $39 One Book Release is a human-reviewed pilot for a finished text-led manuscript. The order scope must be confirmed before work, and the useful output is the version-locked EPUB, print interior, cover check, metadata report, and release assets—not a prettier error screen.
Image-heavy books, workbooks, textbooks, and children's books move to a $99 scope review because visual judgment cannot be reduced to a safe one-click promise. Repeat-author workspaces store numbered sources and release status; they are not substitutes for Atticus or Vellum's full layout editors.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are all 17 book publishing tools free?
Yes. Their calculations, browser checks, previews, templates, and guidance are available without a card. Repair, human review, replacement files, and private multi-title capacity are paid work.
Does ShipMyBook replace Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy Studio, or Kindle Create?
No. Those products win when you want to write or control layout yourself. ShipMyBook starts with a finished source and focuses on preflight, repair, version alignment, and release delivery.
Do public tools upload my manuscript?
The image, DOCX, EPUB, and PDF checks state their handling at the point of use. Browser-only checks do not send private file contents through analytics; signed-in delivery workflows have separate storage terms.
Start with the exact publishing block you have.
Use the path selector above or browse all checks by job. Pay only when an actual source needs review, repair, and replacement delivery.