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Your book's trim size, paper & finish
The right trim size, the right paper and the right cover finish for your genre and your word count. Works for Amazon KDP as well as other printers and platforms.
Refines the trim size (and estimates the page count).
Cream to rest the eyes over long reading sessions, a matte finish for a velvety, literary feel.
🔒 Computed in your browser, nothing is sent. Indicative recommendation — works with Amazon KDP as well as other printers and platforms.
① Trim size
5″ × 8″ — short reads, poetry, small guides.
5.5″ × 8.5″ — the fiction standard (novels, thrillers, romance).
6″ × 9″ — the most versatile: non-fiction and very long novels (> 100k words → fewer pages, cheaper printing).
8.5″ × 11″ — workbooks, technical manuals, journals.
② Paper & ink
Cream — fiction and narrative non-fiction: softer contrast, easier on the eyes over long reading sessions.
White — how-to, business, tech: makes tables, diagrams, lists and callouts pop.
In black & white, cream and white cost the same — it's purely an editorial choice. Only color drives the cost up: save it for books that truly need it.
③ Cover finish
Matte — premium, velvety look (literary fiction, serious non-fiction). Very dark colors show fingerprints more.
Glossy — vivid colors and good protection (how-to guides, children's books, cookbooks, very visual designs).
The cheat sheet at a glance
| Project type | Trim size | Paper | Cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average novel (60k–90k words) | 5.5″ × 8.5″ | Cream | Matte |
| Long novel (> 100k words) | 6″ × 9″ | Cream | Matte |
| Finance / business / tech | 6″ × 9″ | White | Matte or glossy |
| Relationships / psychology | 6″ × 9″ | Cream or white | Matte |
| Workbook / practical guide | 8.5″ × 11″ | White | Glossy |
Industry-wide conventions (inch-based trim sizes, cream/white paper, matte/glossy finishes) — valid on Amazon KDP as well as IngramSpark, Lulu, BoD…
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