INTERIOR PDF FORMATTING GUIDE

They Can All Bird — KDP Print Specifications


DOCUMENT SPECIFICATIONS

Page Setup

SettingValue
Trim Size6” x 9”
Margins (Inside/Gutter)0.75”
Margins (Outside)0.5”
Margins (Top)0.75”
Margins (Bottom)0.75”
FontGaramond 11pt (body), Helvetica Bold (headers)
Line Spacing1.15 or 1.2
Paragraph Indent0.3”
Page NumbersBottom center, 9pt

Chapter Opening Pages

  • Chapter title: 24pt Helvetica Bold, all caps
  • No page number on chapter openers (or different footer)
  • Drop cap for first paragraph (optional)

DOCUMENT STRUCTURE

FRONT MATTER (Roman Numerals: i, ii, iii…)

PageContentNotes
iHalf Title PageTitle only, centered
iiBlankOr series info
iiiFull Title PageTitle, subtitle, author, publisher
ivCopyright PageISBNs, DOI, disclaimer
vEpigraphOptional quote
viBlank
viiEditor’s NoteThe framing device
viiiBlank
ixTable of ContentsAll 18 chapters
xBlank

MAIN CONTENT (Arabic Numerals: 1, 2, 3…)

PART I: THE DISCOVERY

  • Chapter 1: The Birdbath (starts page 1)
  • Chapter 2: Editor’s Note — Three Versions
  • Chapter 3: The Manuscript Begins
  • Chapter 4: Field Notebook — Pages 1–15
  • Chapter 5: Methods — Vector Design

PART II: THE EVIDENCE

  • Chapter 6: The Language-Accelerated Phenotype
  • Chapter 7: The Spatial-Architectural Phenotype
  • Chapter 8: The Social-Institutional Phenotype
  • Chapter 9: The Distributed-Optimization Phenotype
  • Chapter 10: Cross-Species Communication
  • Chapter 11: Field Notebook — Pages 16–42

PART III: THE IMPLICATIONS

  • Chapter 12: The Amplification Principle
  • Chapter 13: The Convergence Threshold
  • Chapter 14: Ethical Framework
  • Chapter 15: The “All Bird” Scenario
  • Chapter 16: What the Green One Saw
  • Chapter 17: Editor’s Note — Final Version

PART IV: THE PROTOCOLS

  • Chapter 18: The Convergence Protocol

BACK MATTER

  • About the Author (Dr. Voss)
  • About the Editor (M. Reyes)
  • For Further Reading
  • Convergence Protocol Quick Reference
  • Acknowledgments
  • Final Session Note

SPECIAL FORMATTING NOTES

Marginalia (M. Reyes notes)

Format options:

  1. Inline with brackets: [Marginalia: Blue ink — This is a note]
  2. Side margin: Boxed text in outer margin (requires professional layout)
  3. Footnotes: Numbered, at bottom of page
  4. Different font: Italic, smaller size, indented

Recommended for DIY: Option 1 (inline with [Marginalia: …] tags)

Field Notebook Pages

  • Use Courier or monospaced font for these sections
  • Smaller font size (10pt)
  • Add [Page X] markers
  • Consider adding sketch descriptions in brackets: [Sketch: bird silhouette]

Chapter 16 (Parakeet POV)

  • Consider different formatting to signal alien consciousness
  • Could use: Narrower margins, different font, or poetic line breaks
  • Or keep consistent — the content will signal the shift

Chapter 18 (Convergence Protocol)

  • Numbered list format for the 40 nodes
  • Bold headers for each node
  • Consistent structure: Activation phrase, Warning sign, Description

TOOLS TO CREATE THE PDF

Option 1: Microsoft Word (Easiest)

Steps:

  1. Create new document
  2. Page Setup → 6” x 9”, margins as specified
  3. Copy/paste each chapter
  4. Apply styles (Heading 1 for chapters, Normal for body)
  5. Insert page breaks between chapters
  6. Add headers/footers (page numbers)
  7. Save as PDF

Pros: Easy, familiar, handles formatting well Cons: Marginalia formatting limited

Option 2: Adobe InDesign (Professional)

Steps:

  1. Create new document: 6” x 9”, 300 pages, facing pages
  2. Set up master pages with margins, page numbers
  3. Import text, apply paragraph styles
  4. Add marginalia as side notes
  5. Export as PDF/X-4

Pros: Professional layout, handles marginalia perfectly Cons: Learning curve, expensive

Option 3: Markdown + Pandoc (Technical)

Steps:

  1. Combine all .md files into one master document
  2. Add YAML header with formatting specifications
  3. Run: pandoc book.md -o book.pdf --template=template.latex
  4. Adjust template for 6x9” format

Pros: Clean, version-controlled, reproducible Cons: Requires LaTeX knowledge

Option 4: Vellum (Mac only, $250)

Steps:

  1. Import Word document
  2. Select “Trade Paperback” template
  3. Customize headers, page numbers
  4. Export print-ready PDF

Pros: Beautiful output, easy to use Cons: Mac only, expensive

Option 5: Atticus (Web-based, $147)

Pros: Built for books, handles formatting automatically Cons: Subscription, less control


For Speed (This Weekend):

Microsoft Word

  • Use inline marginalia format
  • Simple but effective
  • Can be done in a day

For Quality (Next Week):

Adobe InDesign or hire formatter

  • Proper marginalia in margins
  • Professional typesetting
  • $200-500 for formatter

PAGE COUNT ESTIMATE

SectionEstimated Pages
Front Matter10
Part I (Ch 1-5)60
Part II (Ch 6-11)80
Part III (Ch 12-17)90
Part IV (Ch 18)40
Back Matter10
TOTAL~290-310 pages

Target: 300 pages (perfect for spine width calculations)


FINAL PDF CHECKLIST

Before uploading to KDP:

  • Page size: 6” x 9”
  • Margins correct (0.75” inside, 0.5” outside)
  • All fonts embedded
  • Page numbers sequential
  • Chapter titles on new pages
  • Marginalia formatted consistently
  • No widows/orphans (optional but nice)
  • Table of Contents page numbers match
  • Copyright page has correct ISBNs
  • Export as PDF (Print quality, not Compressed)

NEXT STEPS

  1. Choose your tool (Word recommended for DIY)
  2. Create master document with all chapters
  3. Apply formatting per this guide
  4. Generate PDF
  5. Upload to KDP!

“The interior should feel like a found academic manuscript. Clean, institutional, slightly unsettling.”