Choosing Your Book Size
Select the right trim size for your book to match your content and reader expectations.
What Is Book Size (Trim Size)?
Your book size, also called trim size, is the final physical size of your printed book.
🔹 Examples:
- 5″ x 8″
- 6″ x 9″
- 8.5″ x 11″
Your entire document must be formatted to match this size from the beginning.
Why It Matters
Your book size affects how your book looks, feels, and reads.
🔹 It impacts:
- readability
- page count
- printing cost
- overall presentation
Choosing the right size helps your book feel professional and appropriate for its genre.
Common Book Sizes
🔹 Most common choice:
6″ x 9″
This is the standard size for many fiction and nonfiction books.
🔹 Other common sizes:
- 5″ x 8″ → smaller, more compact books
- 8.5″ x 11″ → workbooks, manuals, or image-heavy content
If you’re unsure, 6″ x 9″ is the safest and most widely used option.
This size works well for most fiction and nonfiction books.
How to Choose the Right Size
Choosing your book size doesn’t have to be complicated.
🔹 Consider:
- your genre
- amount of content
- whether your book includes images
- how you want it to feel in the reader’s hands
Examples:
- novels → usually 5″x8″ or 6″x9″
- guides/manuals → often larger sizes
- image-heavy books → need more space
Start With One Size and Stick With It
This is important:
Once you choose your book size, your entire document should be built around it.
🔹 Why:
- changing size later can break formatting
- margins, spacing, and layout all depend on it
It’s best to decide your trim size before you begin formatting.
Keep It Simple
You don’t need to overthink this decision.
Focus on:
- choosing a standard size ✔
- matching your book’s purpose ✔
- staying consistent throughout your formatting ✔
When in doubt, 6″ x 9″ is a reliable starting point.