Free word count to pages calculator
KDP trim size recommender
Choose a KDP book size before margins and cover geometry.
Start from reading experience and content type, not the default in a design app. Then check whether the expected page count still feels practical.
✓Genre-aware starting point✓Page-count tradeoffs✓Direct cover-calculator handoff
KDP book size recommender
Common trim sizes and what they change
A 5 × 8 inch book feels compact and usually creates more pages. A 6 × 9 inch trim is a flexible starting point for general nonfiction and many novels. A 7 × 10 or 8.5 × 11 inch page gives workbooks, manuals, tables, and large print more breathing room.
Trim affects line length, page count, print cost, spine width, image placement, and the physical feel of the book. Choose it before fine typography, but expect to revisit the choice if pagination becomes uncomfortable.
| Book type | Starting trim | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Novel or memoir | 5.5 × 8.5 in | Compact feel with more pages |
| General nonfiction | 6 × 9 in | Flexible line length and cost |
| Workbook or manual | 8.5 × 11 in | More writing and visual space |
| Large print | 7 × 10 in | Larger text without extreme page growth |
Binding options, paper, and cover finish
Trim is only one production choice. Paperback covers print glossy or matte at 80 lb (220 GSM) white stock. Hardcover is a case laminate: the printed cover wraps around two millimetre board, the spine is flat, a headband appears above and below when the interior passes 120 pages, and the endsheets are white or cream to match your paper.
Paper type and ink also change cost and are not freely reversible: ink type locks after publication under the ISBN, while a black-and-white paperback can switch between cream, white, and groundwood. Groundwood prints at roughly 5% lower cost per page than cream or white.
- A large trim (wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in) costs more than a regular trim
- A paperback custom size must fall between 4–8.5 in wide and 6–11.69 in tall
- 6 × 9 in is KDP's default and the most common US trade size
Margins follow page count, not trim alone
Outside margins must be at least 0.25 in without bleed and 0.375 in with bleed. The inside gutter grows with page count because a thicker book folds harder: 0.375 in for 24–150 pages, then 0.5 in, 0.625 in, and 0.75 in, up to 0.875 in for 701–828 pages. Top, bottom, and outside margins do not have to match each other as long as each meets the minimum.
That is why a trim choice is not final until pagination is. Estimate pages first, confirm the gutter for the real count, and only then build the cover from the exported PDF.
Reusing an older CreateSpace template
CreateSpace's catalogue moved to KDP years ago, so a template inherited from that era may not match what Print Options offers today. Re-select the trim and paper inside the current KDP title setup rather than trusting the old page size, then re-export.
What this recommender does not decide
The table suggests a genre-based starting trim, not a KDP rule. Actual availability depends on marketplace, ink, paper, bleed, and page count, and KDP lists minimum and maximum page counts per trim. The recommender does not estimate the page count a manuscript will produce or compute cover dimensions. Use the word-count calculator to get a page range for the trim, then confirm the combination in KDP, then calculate the cover from the real exported page count.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common KDP book size?
Six by nine inches is a common trade format and a useful starting point, but the best choice depends on genre, page count, images, and desired reading experience.
Does trim size change printing cost?
It can. Trim changes page count and may change the production options available. Confirm the current calculator and marketplace terms before pricing the book.
Was this publishing guide or tool helpful?
Chosen the trim? Calculate the real full wrap.
Use the final page count and paper type to determine spine and bleed dimensions.