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Getting Started with Kindle Create
Use Kindle Create (PC or Mac) to turn your completed manuscript, of any trim size, into a beautiful book. You can make three types of books with Kindle Create: reflowable, interactive print replica, and comics with Guided View. Learn more about the book formats available in Kindle Create.
Contents
Download Kindle Create
(Windows 10 or later) |
(macOS 10.15 or later) |
Requirements and supported features
System requirements
- RAM - 8 GB recommended, 4 GB minimum
- Processor - 1.2 GHz minimum, 2 GHz recommended
- Windows 10 or later
- Intel Mac OSX 10.15 or later
- Apple M1 macOS 11 or later
Supported languages
- Kindle Create user interface is available in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Japanese.
- The tool supports eBooks written in Dutch, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Malayalam, Marathi, Portuguese, Spanish, and Tamil.
- Print books are not available in Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, or Tamil.
Supported features
This chart summarizes what Kindle Create does well and what we're working on to make the tool even better. Learn more about book types and pre-release features.Book type | Supported | Unsupported | Pre-release (beta) |
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All |
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Reflowable books |
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Print Replica eBooks |
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Comic eBooks |
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Install Kindle Create
Follow the step-by-step guide to install Kindle Create either on your Mac or PC.Windows | MacOS |
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Get started with the Kindle Create tutorial
Test out Kindle Create on a sample file. See what you can do with the tool and how to use it to prepare your own eBooks. Go to the tutorial.Choose your book type
This chart describes the book formats available in Kindle Create. Only one format can be used for each Kindle book.If your book is | Use this type of source file | To build this type of eBook | Detailed instructions here |
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Text-heavy book, such as a novel, essay, or memoir
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DOC or DOCX | Your DOC(x) file is converted into a "reflowable" eBook. Reflowable eBooks allow the reader to resize text and are available on all Kindle devices and free Kindle reading applications. You can also submit it as a print book and select the trim size on KDP. You can use Kindle Create to:
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Prepare Reflowable Books with Kindle Create |
Book with lots of images and complex formatting, such as a textbook, travel book, or cookbook
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Your PDF is converted into a Print Replica eBook. Print Replica eBooks maintain the look of their print editions and offer many of the advantages of standard Kindle eBooks, but they do not allow the reader to resize text and are only Fire Tablets
Free Kindle Reading Apps
You can use Kindle Create to:
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Prepare Print Replica Books with Kindle Create | |
Comic or graphic novel of low complexity
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Your PDF is converted into a comic eBook. Comic eBooks include Guided View, which animates panel-to-panel movement with each swipe to give a clear indication of how the story progresses across each page. You can use Kindle Create to:
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Prepare Comic eBooks with Kindle Create |
Having trouble importing a file?
If you have issues with Kindle Create, ensure that the software's lasts updated date is less than 3 months from the present date.To verify your version of Kindle Create:
- In Kindle Create, navigate to Help
- Select About Kindle Create and check the Last Updated date
You can update it to the latest version by downloading Kindle Create.
If you've verified your Kindle Create software is up to date and you continue to see error messages that stop you before you start editing, use the troubleshooting tips below.
Error message | Troubleshooting steps |
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Invalid source file | If you have a different version of the file that you can open, try importing that version. If you can open the file but Kindle Create cannot, please contact us. |
File name | If your file name has more than 250 characters in the name field it'll produce import error. To resolve this issue, rename the file, and save the file in a new location, namely desktop. Then attempt to import file on Kindle Create again. |
Password-protected file | Make sure the file doesn't require a password to open it. In the editing software (e.g., Microsoft Word) you used to open the file, remove the password requirement from the file. |
Empty file | The file you're trying to upload doesn't appear to have any content in it. Make sure you're uploading the complete version of your manuscript that's ready to prepare for publishing. |
Corrupt file | Something happened to the file that makes it impossible for Kindle Create (and maybe other programs) to open it.
Here is what we recommend so you can import your file:
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Unsupported file format | The file you're attempting to open is not in a format Kindle Create supports. If you open your file in Microsoft Word and Adobe software, among others, you can save it in one of the formats that Kindle Create supports: DOC, DOCX, PDF. |
Generic error | Refer to the information below for troubleshooting generic error messages. |
When importing the file, Kindle Create had an error it couldn't solve. Try importing the file one more time or saving a different version and importing it again. If that doesn't work, contact us. | You might be importing your file from an external source such as a pen drive, an external hard disk, or a cloud drive.
Here is what we recommend so you can import your file:
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When importing the file, Kindle Create had an error it couldn't solve. Try importing the file one more time or saving a different version and importing it again. If that doesn't work, contact us. | If you file contains special characters on the name you will receive this message. To resolve this issue please rename the file without special characters.
Special characters can be quotes, exclamation marks, pound symbols, percent symbols, asterisk, parenthesis, brackets, questions marks, and more. |
When importing the file, Kindle Create had an error it couldn't solve. Try importing the file one more time or saving a different version and importing it again. If that doesn't work, contact us. | You might be using styles. Styles in Microsoft Word are the ones used as "Heading 1,” "Heading 2,” "Heading 3," instead of "Normal."
Here is what we recommend so you can import your file:
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When importing the file, Kindle Create had an error it couldn't solve. Try importing the file one more time or saving a different version and importing it again. If that doesn't work, contact us. |
Your file might have a table embedded on it. Tables, lists, and footnotes cannot be edited in Kindle Create.
Here is what we recommend so you can import your file:
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Note: All KDP tools and software downloads go through a review process that includes virus and spyware scanning. If your download is flagged as harmful, you may need to contact your anti-virus software publisher to report the issue. In this case, we would also appreciate more information about where you saw this message so we can investigate. Contact us and tell us the operating system and anti-virus software you're using.
Available formats to export files
Image Bleeds | Drop Caps | Chapter start imagery |
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Image doesn’t extend to the edge of the viewable window. | Drop cap height over 3 lines doesn't render correctly. | Image placement at the beginning of each chapter is not available. |
Having trouble exporting a file?
When you export a file from Kindle Create, you may see error messages that will not allow you to save your file. Use the troubleshooting tips below.- Create a new folder on your desktop, you can name this folder "Book" for example.
- Open the KCB file in Kindle Create, and from the File tab click on Save Project As and save the book with a different file name, for example "Booktest" into the folder created in step 1.
- Now click the Export button and again change the file name to “Booktest" and save it into the folder created in step 1.
Pre-release features (beta)
With Early Access, you can choose to try pre-release (beta) features and provide feedback. Our current pre-release features are:- Preparing eBooks in Indian languages (Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, or Gujarati)
To contact us about your experience with this beta, select Help > Provide Feedback.
Update books prepared with Kindle Create
Amazon does not keep copies of your Kindle Create file. Please note, when you save your project, Kindle Create stores a work file (in KCB format) and other resources in the folder you choose. We recommend saving and backing up this folder (including the KCB file), which you need to update to your book.To update your book, open Kindle Create and click Open an Existing File and choose the relevant KCB file. You can also select the file from the Recents column or from File > Open Recent.
When you click Export, Kindle Create produces a publishable KPF file to submit to KDP. The KPF file is only used for publishing. The KCB file is used for updates. Kindle Create also allows you to export your reflowable files in EPUB format, but we recommend using KPF submit your files to KDP.