https://publishing.co.uk/tags/fantasy/Recent content in Fantasy on publishing.co.uk — Professional KDP Book FormattingHugoen-gbSun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://publishing.co.uk/guides/fantasy-novel-kdp-formatting/Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://publishing.co.uk/guides/fantasy-novel-kdp-formatting/<h1 id="fantasy-novel-kdp-formatting-uk-authors-guide">Fantasy Novel KDP Formatting: UK Author's Guide</h1> <p>Self-publishing a fantasy on Amazon KDP requires layout decisions specific to the genre — decisions that affect spine math, royalty per copy, reader experience, and (most importantly) whether your file clears KDP's automated review on the first attempt. This guide gives the formatting recipe most fantasy authors should follow, plus the specific pitfall the genre is most likely to trip over.</p> <h2 id="tldr--the-fantasy-formatting-recipe">TL;DR — the Fantasy formatting recipe</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Trim:</strong> 6&quot; x 9&quot; (industry standard for trade fantasy)</li> <li><strong>Paper:</strong> Cream</li> <li><strong>Body font:</strong> Garamond, Sabon or Adobe Caslon Pro at 11-12pt</li> <li><strong>Chapter heading font:</strong> Display serif (Cinzel, Trajan Pro) or strong italics at 22-28pt</li> <li><strong>Spacing:</strong> 1.3 spacing, justified, with 0.3-0.35&quot; first-line indent</li> <li><strong>Typical page count:</strong> 350-550 pages (epic fantasy frequently 600-900)</li> </ul> <h2 id="why-these-defaults-are-the-right-starting-point">Why these defaults are the right starting point</h2> <p>The 6&quot; x 9&quot; trim is the fantasy industry standard for a reason — it's what trad-published fantasy books use, so it's what readers expect to feel in their hands. Deviating from the genre standard isn't always wrong, but it's a deliberate decision that needs a reason: maybe you're producing a limited-run hardcover with a different feel, or your book has unusual layout requirements. For 95% of authors in fantasy, the standard trim wins.</p>