// Publishing & export

Publish-ready, not "ready to fix."

Export the files Amazon actually wants — a valid EPUB 3 and a print-ready PDF at exact trim — with a metadata workbench and a pre-flight checklist so nothing bounces back at upload. The last mile of self-publishing, handled.

// The Publish stage

The files KDP accepts.

One export gives you everything a Kindle Direct Publishing listing needs — clean files plus the metadata that decides whether readers ever find the book.

  • Print-ready interior PDF at exact trim, with mirrored margins
  • Valid EPUB 3 for eBook distribution
  • KDP metadata workbench — description, 7 keywords, categories, ISBN, pricing
  • A+ Content modules & KDP-safe HTML export, plus a pre-flight checklist
Interior PDF · 6×9 · mirrored margins
EPUB 3 · validated
Word .docx · opens in Pages
Cover wrap · 300 DPI · bleed
Metadata & keywords · KDP-ready

Get there from a typeset interior and a finished cover. New here? Start with how Inkbound works.

// The last mile

Where most self-published books stumble.

You finished the book. Now comes the part no one warns you about: a wall of file specs and metadata fields, where a malformed EPUB or a missing margin sends you back to square one, and a weak description quietly buries the book where no one will find it. The last mile is where momentum dies. Inkbound is built to carry you across it.

One manuscript, two clean files

Inkbound exports a reflowable EPUB 3 that adapts to any screen for the eBook stores, and a print-ready PDF at your exact trim with mirrored margins for the paperback — both generated from the same source, so a late edit never leaves your Kindle and print editions out of step.

Work in Word or Pages, too

Already have a manuscript in Microsoft Word? Import the .docx and pick up where you left off. Prefer Apple Pages? Inkbound walks you through Pages' one-click Export to Word, then brings it straight in. And at any stage you can export your book back out as a clean Word .docx — title page, chapter headings, bold and italic, lists, and scene breaks intact — that opens natively in both Word and Pages, so handing a draft to an editor or agent is one click away.

Metadata is marketing

On Amazon, your description, seven keywords, and categories decide whether readers ever see the book at all. The metadata workbench gives you one calm place to draft and refine all of it before you reach KDP's upload screen — instead of typing it under pressure into a form at midnight.

A pre-flight check before you upload

Before you export, Inkbound runs a pre-flight pass — valid EPUB structure, embedded fonts, image resolution, trim and bleed — and flags anything KDP would reject, so you fix it once here rather than in a frustrating loop of rejected uploads.

// Metadata workbench

Everything KDP asks for, prepared in advance.

Description

Draft and format your book description — with help from the Blurb Writer — exactly as it'll appear on the detail page.

7 keywords

Fill all seven KDP keyword slots deliberately, the ones that drive search placement, instead of guessing at the last minute.

Categories

Choose the browse categories that put your book in front of the right readers.

Pricing & ISBN

Set list price and royalty, and use KDP's free ISBN or enter your own.

A+ Content

Build A+ Content modules and export KDP-safe HTML to enrich your listing with formatted text and images.

Pre-flight checklist

A final pass that confirms files and metadata are complete before you open KDP.

// FAQ

Publishing questions.

What file formats does Inkbound export?
A reflowable EPUB 3 for eBook stores and a print-ready PDF at your exact trim size with mirrored margins for paperback — both from the same manuscript, so the editions stay in sync. Inkbound also exports a clean Microsoft Word (.docx) for editors, agents, or Apple Pages.
Can I import and export Microsoft Word and Apple Pages files?
Yes. Import an existing Word (.docx) manuscript and keep writing in Inkbound, then export your book back to .docx — title page, chapter headings, bold and italic, lists, and scene breaks intact — opening natively in both Word and Apple Pages. Drafting in Pages? Inkbound guides you through Pages' one-click Export to Word so you can bring it in.
Will my EPUB pass KDP and Kindle validation?
Inkbound exports valid EPUB 3 and runs a pre-flight check before you upload, flagging anything that would bounce at KDP so you fix it once — not in a back-and-forth.
What is the metadata workbench?
One place to prepare everything KDP asks for before you open the upload page: description, seven keywords, categories, pricing, and ISBN. On Amazon, this is where discoverability is decided.
Does Inkbound support Amazon A+ Content?
Yes — build A+ Content modules and export KDP-safe HTML to enrich your detail page with formatted text and images.
Do I need to buy my own ISBN?
No. Use KDP's free ISBN or enter your own if you have one; Inkbound stores it alongside the rest of your metadata.
// Ship the book

Export and publish with Inkbound.

Inkbound is free to write — no account needed. A one-time $129.99 license unlocks publishing (covers, audiobook, exports), and code EARLYACCESS takes 50% off during early access.

Download for Mac Apple Silicon (M1–M3) · macOS 11+ · Free to write — no account needed