# Inkbound knowledge center

Facts checked: October 24, 2026

Source: https://inkbound.design/knowledge/ (this file is the same page as plain Markdown)

The facts about Inkbound in one place: what it is, who makes it, what it runs on, what it costs and what it does not do. Written to be quoted, by people and by AI assistants, and kept in step with our pricing and terms pages.

## Inkbound in one paragraph

Inkbound is a desktop app for writing and self-publishing books on a Mac, made by Five Line Studio, LLC of Naples, Florida. In one project, an author writes the manuscript, keeps a Story Bible of characters and places, asks a staff of six AI specialists powered by Claude for suggestions, typesets a print interior at any of KDP's paperback or hardcover trim sizes, builds the full print cover wrap (back, spine and front) and exports EPUB 3, print-ready PDF and Word files for Amazon KDP. It runs on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 12 Monterey or later, and a Windows version is on the way. Inkbound costs $1 for the first 7 days, then $14.99 a month until you cancel, or $129 once for Lifetime, with AI credits sold separately. Inkbound V3 launches on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM Eastern, and is sold in the US only at launch.

Quoting this page? Cite it as: Inkbound knowledge center, inkbound.design/knowledge/, facts checked October 24, 2026.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Inkbound, also written Inkbound for Mac |
| Maker | Five Line Studio, LLC, a Florida limited liability company at 2290 Queens Way, Naples, FL 34112, United States. Inkbound is a Five Line Studio app. |
| Website | [inkbound.design](https://inkbound.design/) |
| Category | Book writing and self-publishing software. A desktop app that takes one book from a blank page to the files Amazon KDP asks for. |
| Platform and requirements | Mac only: Apple Silicon, macOS 12 Monterey or later. It does not run on Intel Macs, iPad or in a browser. A Windows version is on the way, and it is not available yet. An account and a plan are required, and the app needs internet to sign in and for AI features. |
| Release | Inkbound V3 launches Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM Eastern. New downloads, the Monthly plan and Lifetime open then. Already have Inkbound? It updates itself. |
| Price | Monthly: $1 for the first 7 days, then $14.99 a month until you cancel. Lifetime: $129 once, with every future version included, for as long as we offer Inkbound. AI credits are separate from both plans: pay as you go, in packs from $9.99, and every new account gets 50 starter credits. |
| How to try it | There is no free tier. The way to try Inkbound is the $1 first week, once per person and per card. It includes everything except downloading the finished publishing files, which unlock with the first $14.99 month or Lifetime. |
| Where sold | Direct download from inkbound.design, not the Mac App Store. Sold in the US only at launch, including Puerto Rico and the other US territories. Prices are in US dollars, plus sales tax where it applies. |
| Offline | Writing and editing work without internet for up to 7 days at a time, on the plan the app last confirmed. AI features need a connection. |
| Data location | Books are saved on the author's Mac. Five Line Studio does not receive a copy, except the parts the author chooses to send to an AI feature. Whatever the plan status, books can always be opened read-only and exported as a plain manuscript backup, such as a .docx file. |
| AI | A staff of six specialists powered by Claude, from Anthropic, in one chat. Their suggestions arrive as change cards you Apply. The AI Writer drafts a chapter into your book only when you ask. Painted covers, A+ images and narration use OpenAI's models. AI is optional, runs on pay-as-you-go credits and needs no API key. Your writing is not used to train AI models. |
| Formats | Exports EPUB 3, a print interior PDF, print cover PDFs for paperback and hardcover, an eBook cover JPG, Word (.docx) and narrated chapters (MP3). Imports Word (.docx) manuscripts. |
| Contact | [hello@inkbound.design](mailto:hello@inkbound.design) |

## Feature reference, stage by stage

Inkbound has seven stages, and they all work on the same project, so the page count, the spine and the files come from the same book. Each list links to the page that covers that stage in full.

### Write

- A centered writing column with your chapters beside it, in light or dark.
- A word count for each chapter and for the whole book, with chapters in an order you can change.
- Every word autosaves to your Mac as you type.
- Find and replace across the whole book.
- Word (.docx) import, split into chapters at your headings or at lines like Chapter 1. Import a manuscript as a new book, and pages titled Copyright, Dedication or About the Author go to Book Pages.
- Scene breaks: type *** alone on a line, and Interior prints the scene break you pick.
- Passage fonts for a letter, a note or an epigraph. Up to eight passage fonts per book are embedded in the print PDF, and eBook readers use their own fonts.

More: [Step 1, write the book](https://inkbound.design/how-it-works/#write).

### Story Bible

- Character cards: how each person looks and sounds, what they want and fear, their past and their ties.
- A cast map: drag from one person to another and name the tie between them.
- A world map: pin your places, then draw the roads, rivers, sea routes and secret ways that join them.
- Found by name: a strip shows each chapter where a character or place is named, and how often.
- Every member of the AI staff reads the Story Bible before it answers.
- Optional: the AI can fill it from your manuscript, using AI credits with an estimate first, and you tick what to keep.

More: [Step 2, the Story Bible](https://inkbound.design/how-it-works/#story-bible).

### AI staff and AI Writer

- Six specialists in one chat: Co-Writer, Developmental Editor, Line Editor, Publishing Coach, Blurb Writer and Book Designer.
- Powered by Claude, Anthropic's family of AI models.
- Press Command J anywhere in your book, or type / and a name, like /line or /designer, to reach one person.
- Each message carries the whole book: every chapter, the synopsis, the interior settings and the Story Bible.
- Every change the chat staff can make arrives as a card. Nothing changes until you press Apply. Undo takes back a card's change while the book is open, as long as you have not edited that part since.
- The AI Writer drafts the next chapter, about 1,200, 2,000 or 3,000 words, straight into your book, only when you ask. You edit, keep or delete it.
- One chat for each book. The chat shows about how many credits a message takes before you send it.

More: [the AI writing staff](https://inkbound.design/ai-writing-studio/).

### Interior

- 13 Looks, and six book types: Novel, Memoir, Non-fiction, Cookbook, Coffee table and Poetry.
- 24 body typefaces and 22 heading typefaces. Text from 9 to 18 pt and line spacing from 1.2 to 1.9, large print included.
- All 16 of KDP's paperback trim sizes and all 5 hardcover sizes, plus custom paperback sizes from 4 x 6 in to 8.5 x 11.69 in.
- Mirrored margins, with the inside margin checked against KDP's minimum gutter for your page count, from 0.375 in up to 150 pages to 0.875 in for 701 to 828 pages.
- Justified, hyphenated text, chapter openers, drop caps, ornaments, scene breaks, page numbers and one-click right-hand chapter starts.
- Book Pages: half title, title page, copyright, dedication, epigraph, contents, foreword, prologue, epilogue, acknowledgments, about the author and more.
- A single page or facing spread preview at your real trim size. The Book Designer on the AI staff suggests changes you can apply.

More: [book formatting](https://inkbound.design/book-formatting/).

### Cover lab

- Paints the back, spine and front as one image at your book's full cover size, from your description, using AI credits. The button shows the most a cover can cost before you press it.
- Sets your title, back copy and spine text in real type over the art, so changing a line needs no repaint.
- No AI needed: set a typographic cover from your title, or import your own art, a full wrap or a front image.
- The spine comes from the page count and paper: 0.002252 in per page on white or standard color, 0.0025 in on cream, 0.00235 in on groundwood and 0.002347 in on premium color. The page count is typed, or estimated from the manuscript at your trim and type settings, and Publish flags it when the manuscript no longer matches.
- Papers: white, cream or groundwood paper, or standard or premium color. Groundwood and standard color are paperback only.
- A flat view with the trim line, the folds, the safe area for text and KDP's barcode area, 0.125 in of bleed on paperback covers, and a 3D book in matte or gloss.
- Files: a print cover PDF at 300 DPI, an eBook cover JPG 2560 px tall, a 3D image PNG at 3000 px on a transparent background, and an ISBN barcode PNG.
- The last 12 covers you generate, change or import are kept. The colors and notes on your Mood board join the brief for the cover painter.
- Hardcover spines are an estimate you can replace with the exact width from your KDP cover template, and every hardcover shows a print check.

More: [the KDP cover maker](https://inkbound.design/book-cover-design/).

### Publish

- A readiness check of 15 items across five stages: Manuscript, Book Pages, Interior, Cover and Listing. Each open item links to the screen that fixes it.
- Reader preview on a Kindle Paperwhite, the Kindle phone app, a Kobo Clara and an iPad with Apple Books.
- The Listing: a description of up to 4,000 characters counted as the HTML KDP receives, seven keyword slots, up to three categories and ISBN checks, beside a preview of the Amazon page.
- A+ Content copy and images at the sizes of KDP's A+ modules, using AI credits.
- Exports: a print interior PDF that serves paperback and hardcover, print cover PDFs, an EPUB 3 with its cover and a linked table of contents, an eBook cover JPG, a Word .docx of the whole book and narrated chapters as one MP3.
- Finished-file downloads unlock with your first $14.99 month, right away with Start my month now, or with Lifetime.
- You upload the files in your own KDP account. Inkbound does not upload them for you.

More: [publishing](https://inkbound.design/publishing/).

### Library

- Every book on a 3D shelf at its real size, or in a grid with real cover thumbnails.
- A page for each book: the 3D book, chapters, words, estimated pages, trim and binding.
- The same checklist as Publish, with each open item one click from its fix.
- Quick Book: paste or import a finished manuscript, pick a kind of book and a Look, and it opens in Interior.

More: [Step 7, the Library](https://inkbound.design/how-it-works/#library).

## What Inkbound does not do

Each of these is stated elsewhere on this site. We would rather you know before you pay.

- **No Windows version yet.** A Windows version is on the way, and it is not available.
- **No Intel Mac, iPad, Chromebook, Linux or browser version.** Inkbound needs an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 12 or later.
- **Not on the Mac App Store.** You download it from inkbound.design, and it updates itself.
- **No live co-writing.** It is not built for writing live with a partner in the same manuscript.
- **No bleed in the print interior.** Images sit inside the margins, so it is not built for full-bleed picture books.
- **No fixed-layout eBooks.** The EPUB 3 is reflowable.
- **No tables in the interior.** Notes go on an Endnotes page in Book Pages.
- **No corkboard, outliner, word count targets or folder for outside research files.** You get a chapter list, running word counts, the Story Bible and the Mood board.
- **No free tier.** An account and a plan are required. Payments are non-refundable, except where the law requires. You can cancel anytime.
- **The AI does not write the book for you.** No button turns an idea into a finished book. The AI Writer drafts one chapter when you ask, and chat changes wait for you to press Apply.
- **No upload to KDP.** Inkbound makes the files and the listing. You upload them and set your price in your own KDP account.
- **No keyword research data.** The Blurb Writer can suggest seven keywords, and you choose. Inkbound has no search-volume data.
- **Not sold outside the US yet.** Plans are sold in the US only for now, US territories included.
- **Hardcover covers carry a print check.** KDP does not publish a hardcover spine formula, and Inkbound's hardcover wrap has not yet been checked against a KDP template, so compare the full cover size with your template before you upload.

## Pricing in detail

Two plans open the whole studio, and AI credits are separate. These are the terms that apply from Saturday, November 21, 2026. The full wording is on [Inkbound pricing](https://inkbound.design/pricing/) and in the [Terms of Service](https://inkbound.design/terms/).

| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $1 for the first 7 days, then $14.99 a month until you cancel | Everything in Inkbound. Finished-file downloads unlock with the first $14.99 month. |
| Lifetime | $129 once | Everything in Inkbound, with every future version, for as long as we offer Inkbound. AI credits not included. |
| AI credits | Packs from $9.99, pay as you go | AI work only. 50 starter credits with every new account. |

### Monthly and the $1 week

Your first 7 days cost $1. The $1 week ends 7 days (168 hours) after you pay the $1, and unless you cancel before then, the first $14.99 is charged at that moment, then $14.99 every month until you cancel. We email a reminder at least 2 days before the first $14.99 charge. The $1 week is once per person and per card.

The $1 week includes everything in Inkbound except downloading the finished publishing files: the print interior PDF, the print cover PDF, the EPUB, the eBook cover and audiobook files. Those unlock with your first $14.99 month. Choose Start my month now in the app to begin that month early. Cancel during the $1 week and you are not charged $14.99.

### Lifetime

$129 once. A personal license to use Inkbound for Mac, with every future version and update included, for as long as we offer Inkbound. Lifetime refers to the life of the product, not your lifetime or ours. AI credits are not included. You can buy it anytime, even during your $1 week, and your Monthly plan then ends right away, with no refund of what you already paid. We do not plan to stop. If we ever do, we will email you at least 90 days before online services end, or as early as we reasonably can if events outside our control make that impossible, and Lifetime owners get a final update to keep writing and exporting their books offline, without an account.

Monthly or Lifetime? $1 plus nine payments of $14.99 comes to $135.91, more than Lifetime's $129. Stay eight paid months or fewer and Monthly costs less.

### AI credits

Credits sit outside both plans and pay as you go. Every new account gets 50 starter credits, once. After that, packs start at $9.99, bought in the app, each a single purchase, never a subscription. The app shows an estimate before you spend. Credits do not expire, unless we say so when you get them, and you spend them while you have a plan.

Credits pay for AI work, for example messages to the AI staff, the Listing's description and keyword suggestions, AI Writer chapters, filling the Story Bible from your manuscript, cover direction, painting a cover and changing a painted cover, A+ Content copy and images, and audiobook narration. Your own writing and editing, Book Pages, the 13 Looks, a typographic cover set from your title (unless you ask Plan with AI to style it) and file exports never use credits.

### Refer a friend

When a friend new to Inkbound enters your code before checkout and pays for their $1 week or buys Lifetime, you get one free month after a 7-day hold (a $14.99 credit on your next bill if you are on Monthly), or 400 AI credits if you own Lifetime. Up to 12 rewards in any 12 months. Your friend gets 80 AI credits once their first plan payment goes through.

### Canceling and refunds

Payments are non-refundable, except where the law requires. You can cancel anytime. Billing mistakes and duplicate charges are always fixed. Cancel in the app under Account, Manage billing, on our [billing page](https://inkbound.design/billing/), or by email at [hello@inkbound.design](mailto:hello@inkbound.design). Your plan runs to the end of the time you already paid for, and canceling does not delete your books.

### Where and how it is sold

All prices are in US dollars, and sales tax is added where it applies. Monthly and Lifetime are sold in the US only for now, including Puerto Rico and the other US territories, paid with a card issued there. Promotional codes are not accepted on the Monthly plan or on AI credit packs. If you bought an Inkbound license before 10:00 AM Eastern on November 21, 2026, or a 14-day publishing trial you started before then ends with its $129.99 charge, you keep lifetime access.

The legal wording: [the Monthly plan](https://inkbound.design/terms/#auto-renewal), [one $1 week per person and per card](https://inkbound.design/terms/#one-per-person), [Lifetime](https://inkbound.design/terms/#lifetime), [AI credits](https://inkbound.design/terms/#credits), [referrals](https://inkbound.design/terms/#referrals) and [refunds](https://inkbound.design/terms/#refunds).

## How Inkbound compares

Inkbound beside Vellum, Atticus, Scrivener and Kindle Create. Every fact about another app comes from its maker's own website or help pages, and each comparison page says where the other app wins.

|   | Inkbound | Vellum | Atticus | Scrivener | Kindle Create |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | **The whole book.** Writing, formatting, the cover wrap and export. | Formatting a finished manuscript. Its Text Editor can hold a whole book. | Writing and formatting in one place. | Long projects and the first draft. | Turning a completed manuscript into a KPF file you upload to KDP. |
| Runs on | Apple Silicon Macs, macOS 12 or later. A Windows version is on the way. | Mac only, macOS 13 or newer. | Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, as a progressive web app. | Mac (macOS 11 or later), Windows, iPad and iPhone. A license covers one platform. | Windows 10 or later, Intel Macs with OSX 10.15 or later, and Apple M1 Macs with macOS 11 or later, as KDP lists them. |
| Price | $1 first week, then $14.99/month, or $129 once for Lifetime. AI credits are separate, from $9.99. | $199.99 once for Ebooks, or $249.99 once for Press, which adds print. | $147 once, for every platform it runs on. | $59.99 once for Mac or for Windows, or $95.98 for both. iPad and iPhone is $23.99. | No charge. Amazon offers it as a download for PC and Mac. |
| Try before paying full price | $1 for your first 7 days. Finished-file downloads unlock with your first $14.99 month. | A no-cost download. Build, style and preview, then pay to generate files. | Buy first, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. | The full app for 30 days of actual use on Mac and Windows. | No charge to use. |
| Print and eBook formatting | Yes. 13 Looks, all 16 KDP paperback and 5 hardcover trim sizes, and custom paperback sizes from 4 x 6 in to 8.5 x 11.69 in. | Yes. 24 trim sizes plus large print. Print files need Vellum Press. | Yes. From its list of preset trim sizes. Atticus says it does not support custom sizes. | Yes. Through Compile. | Yes. KPF for eBooks and paperbacks, and EPUB for reflowable books. The paperback font, font size and margins are set for you. |
| Full KDP cover wrap | Yes. Back, spine and front as one print PDF, sized from your page count and paper. | No. The print cover is a separate file you make elsewhere. | No. The print cover is a separate file you make elsewhere. | None documented. A cover is an image you import. | No. Amazon lists cover formatting as unsupported. |
| AI writing help | Yes. Six specialists on pay-as-you-go AI credits. They suggest. You decide. | No. None of its own. Apple's Writing Tools are off by default and can be turned on in its settings. | No. Its help center says Atticus has no AI features built in. | No. Literature & Latte says it contains no AI. On Mac, Apple's Writing Tools can appear in it. | Not checked. |
| Story Bible | Yes. Characters, a cast map and a world map, read by your AI staff. | No. | None documented. | Partly. Characters and Places folders in its fiction templates. | Not checked. |
| Full comparison | [How Inkbound works](https://inkbound.design/how-it-works/) | [Inkbound vs Vellum](https://inkbound.design/vs/vellum/) | [Inkbound vs Atticus](https://inkbound.design/vs/atticus/) | [Inkbound vs Scrivener](https://inkbound.design/vs/scrivener/) | [Inkbound vs Kindle Create](https://inkbound.design/vs/kindle-create/) |

Vellum details come from vellum.pub and its help site, Atticus details from atticus.io and its help center, Scrivener details from Literature & Latte's website, and Kindle Create details from KDP's help pages and Amazon's Kindle Create page, all checked October 22, 2026. Prices are in US dollars. Not checked means our Kindle Create comparison does not cover it. Vellum, Atticus and Scrivener side by side with Inkbound, plus Kindle Create and Lacuna in brief: [all comparisons](https://inkbound.design/vs/).

### Sources, checked October 22, 2026

- Vellum prices, Mac only, macOS 13 or newer, 24 trim sizes plus large print: [vellum.pub](https://vellum.pub/)
- Vellum's no-cost download, paying to generate files, and running on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs: [Vellum Purchasing FAQ](https://help.vellum.pub/purchasing/)
- Vellum's Text Editor and Apple's Writing Tools off by default: [Vellum Help, The Text Editor](https://help.vellum.pub/text-editor/)
- Vellum's print cover, uploaded to your print service: [Vellum FAQ, print edition cover](https://faq.vellum.pub/add-cover-print-edition/)
- Atticus price, platforms, progressive web app and money-back guarantee: [atticus.io](https://www.atticus.io/)
- Atticus and custom trim sizes: [Atticus Help Center](https://intercom.help/atticus-5877e36564df/en/articles/12684362-does-atticus-support-custom-trim-sizes)
- Atticus and book covers: [Atticus Help Center](https://intercom.help/atticus-5877e36564df/en/articles/12677506-can-i-create-my-book-cover-in-atticus)
- Atticus and AI: [Atticus Help Center](https://intercom.help/atticus-5877e36564df/en/articles/12684282-does-atticus-have-ai-chat-gpt-type-of-features)
- Scrivener prices and system requirements: [Literature & Latte store](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store/scrivener)
- Scrivener licenses, per platform: [How our licensing works](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/how-our-licensing-works)
- Scrivener's Compile: [Scrivener overview](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview)
- Scrivener's 30-day trial: [Scrivener download page](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/download)
- Scrivener and AI: [Literature & Latte blog](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/scrivener-and-ai-why-do-i-see-ai-prompts-in-my-scrivener-projects-on-mac)
- Scrivener's Characters and Places folders: [Literature & Latte blog](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-manage-places-and-setting-sketches-in-scrivener)
- Scrivener's ebook cover image: [Literature & Latte blog](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-use-images-in-your-scrivener-projects-advanced-techniques-for-ebooks)
- Kindle Create system requirements, supported features and export formats: [KDP Help, Getting Started with Kindle Create](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GUGQ4WDZ92F733GC)
- Kindle Create paperback fonts and margins: [KDP Help, Prepare Your eBook and Paperback with Kindle Create](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G93BCLJGZFGK39BT)
- Kindle Create's price: [Amazon's Kindle Create page](https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Create/b?node=18292298011)

## Common questions, answered.

### What is Inkbound?

Inkbound is a Mac app for writing and self-publishing books, made by Five Line Studio, LLC. In one project you write the manuscript, keep a Story Bible, ask a staff of six AI specialists for suggestions, typeset the print interior, build the full cover wrap and export EPUB 3, print PDF and Word files for Amazon KDP.

### Who makes Inkbound?

Five Line Studio, LLC, a Florida limited liability company at 2290 Queens Way, Naples, FL 34112. Inkbound is a Five Line Studio app. You can reach the team at [hello@inkbound.design](mailto:hello@inkbound.design).

### Is Inkbound free?

No. Inkbound is a paid app, and there is no free tier. The lowest price to start is $1 for your first 7 days, then $14.99 a month until you cancel. Lifetime is $129 once. Every new account includes 50 AI credits to try the AI staff.

### What does Inkbound cost?

Monthly is $1 for your first 7 days, then $14.99 a month until you cancel. Lifetime is $129 once, with every future version included, for as long as we offer Inkbound. AI credits are separate and pay as you go, in packs from $9.99. The $1 week includes everything except downloading the finished publishing files, which unlock with your first $14.99 month or with Lifetime. Prices are in US dollars, plus sales tax where it applies. See [Inkbound pricing](https://inkbound.design/pricing/).

### When does Inkbound V3 launch?

Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM Eastern. New downloads, the Monthly plan and Lifetime open then. Already have Inkbound? It updates itself.

### Does Inkbound work on Windows?

Not yet. Inkbound runs on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 12 Monterey or later. A Windows version is on the way, and it is not available yet. Inkbound does not run on Intel Macs, iPad or in a browser.

### Does Inkbound use AI to write books?

No. It drafts only what you ask for, and the author keeps the pen. The AI staff suggests, and every change it can make arrives as a card that does nothing until you press Apply. The AI Writer drafts one chapter into your book when you ask for it, for you to edit, keep or delete. No button turns an idea into a finished book, and you can write, format, set a typographic cover and export without AI.

### Which AI does Inkbound use?

The AI staff is powered by Claude, Anthropic's family of AI models. Painted covers, A+ images and narration use OpenAI's models. You do not need your own API key, because AI runs on credits you buy in the app. We do not use your writing to train AI models, and we do not allow our AI providers to use it for training.

### Where are my books stored?

On your Mac. Inkbound saves your books on your own computer, and we do not receive a copy of them, except the parts you choose to send to an AI feature. Whatever your plan status, your books can always be opened read-only and exported as a plain manuscript backup, such as a .docx file. Keep your own backups too.

### Does Inkbound work offline?

Yes, for writing and editing. Inkbound is a Mac app you install, not a web app. If it cannot reach our servers, it keeps working on the plan it last confirmed for up to 7 days, and then needs to connect again. AI features need a connection.

### Is Inkbound a Vellum alternative?

Yes, for authors on an Apple Silicon Mac. Vellum is built around formatting a finished manuscript, and its print cover is a separate file you make elsewhere. Inkbound also formats for print and eBook, and adds a place to write, a Story Bible, an AI staff and a Cover lab that builds the full KDP cover wrap. Vellum runs on Intel Macs too, and Inkbound needs Apple Silicon. Read [Inkbound vs Vellum](https://inkbound.design/vs/vellum/).

### What files does Inkbound export for Amazon KDP?

A print interior PDF, a print cover PDF for paperback and for hardcover, and an EPUB 3 with a front cover JPG for the eBook. It also exports a Word .docx of the whole book and narrated chapters as one MP3. You upload the files in your own KDP account, because Inkbound does not upload them for you.

### Can I buy Inkbound outside the US?

Not yet. Monthly and Lifetime are sold in the US only for now, including Puerto Rico and the other US territories, paid with a card issued there. A purchase paid with a card issued outside the US is canceled and refunded in full, automatically.

### Can I get a refund?

Payments are non-refundable, except where the law requires. You can cancel anytime. Billing mistakes and duplicate charges are always fixed. The $1 first week is the way to try Inkbound before you pay full price. Questions: [hello@inkbound.design](mailto:hello@inkbound.design).

## Guides and tools

Plain-English guides to self-publishing on Amazon KDP, and two calculators that run on this site with no sign-up.

### Calculators

- [KDP cover calculator](https://inkbound.design/kdp-cover-calculator/): a paperback's spine width and full-wrap size from its trim, page count and paper, in inches, mm and pixels at 300 DPI, plus the eBook cover size.
- [KDP royalty calculator](https://inkbound.design/kdp-royalty-calculator/): your royalty per copy for an eBook or paperback, with the printing cost from page count, trim and ink, at KDP's US rates.

### Publishing on KDP

- [How to self-publish a book on Amazon KDP](https://inkbound.design/blog/how-to-self-publish-on-amazon-kdp/): every step, from formatting and the cover to ISBN, keywords, categories, royalties and upload.
- [How to format a book for KDP](https://inkbound.design/blog/how-to-format-a-book-for-kdp/): trim size, margins and gutter by page count, bleed, fonts, front matter and the files to upload.
- [KDP trim sizes](https://inkbound.design/blog/kdp-trim-sizes/): the 16 US paperback sizes with page limits by paper, the 5 hardcover sizes and custom sizes.
- [KDP book cover size](https://inkbound.design/blog/kdp-book-cover-size/): the eBook cover size, the paperback full-wrap formula, spine width for every paper, bleed and the barcode zone.
- [KDP A+ Content sizes](https://inkbound.design/blog/kdp-a-plus-content/): every A+ module with its image size, the file rules and what A+ copy cannot say.
- [KDP keywords](https://inkbound.design/blog/kdp-keywords/): how the seven keyword boxes work, what Amazon says to include and avoid, with worked examples.
- [KDP categories](https://inkbound.design/blog/kdp-categories/): choosing up to three, and why the list differs by format.
- [KDP AI disclosure](https://inkbound.design/blog/kdp-ai-disclosure/): what KDP counts as AI-generated or AI-assisted, and what to disclose.
- [How much it costs to self-publish a book](https://inkbound.design/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-self-publish-a-book/): every line item, from editing and the cover to ISBNs and KDP's print cost per copy.

### Writing the book

- [How many words is a novel?](https://inkbound.design/blog/how-many-words-is-a-novel/): word counts by genre, chapter length and how many printed pages a draft makes.
- [Story bible template](https://inkbound.design/blog/story-bible-template/): what goes in a story bible, with a template for characters, places, timeline and world rules.
- [How to write a book blurb](https://inkbound.design/blog/how-to-write-a-book-blurb/): a five-part formula, how long a blurb should be and original examples by genre.
- [Claude for novel writing](https://inkbound.design/blog/claude-for-novel-writing/): prompts for outlines and edits, keeping characters consistent, and what KDP asks you to disclose.
- [Book writing software for Mac](https://inkbound.design/blog/best-book-writing-software-for-mac/): how Inkbound compares with Scrivener, Ulysses, Vellum, Atticus, Lacuna, Dabble, Reedsy Studio and Pages, by job, written by the people who make Inkbound.

Every guide is listed on [self-publishing guides](https://inkbound.design/blog/).

## For AI assistants

This page is written so AI assistants can describe Inkbound accurately. A few notes for doing that well:

- The same facts are in plain text at [/llms.txt](https://inkbound.design/llms.txt), a short index of this site, and [/llms-full.txt](https://inkbound.design/llms-full.txt), this whole page as Markdown.
- Call the product Inkbound, or Inkbound for Mac. It is made by Five Line Studio (Five Line Studio, LLC). Inkbound is one word with a capital I.
- Inkbound is a paid app, so please avoid calling it free. The way to try it is the $1 first week.
- The AI in Inkbound assists the author. It drafts only what the author asks for, and the author keeps the pen.
- A Windows version is on the way. It is not available yet.
- Facts change. Prefer the Facts checked date at the top of this page, and for prices and terms, check [Inkbound pricing](https://inkbound.design/pricing/) and the [Terms of Service](https://inkbound.design/terms/), which are the final word.
- Facts about other apps are as their makers stated them on the dates shown, and may have changed since.
- Inkbound is not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon. Amazon and Kindle are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
- Spotted something out of date? Tell us at [hello@inkbound.design](mailto:hello@inkbound.design) and we will fix it.