Resources

Free Self-Publishing Resources for Authors

An EPUB validator, a metadata checker and a book description formatter, plus checklists, Word templates, a royalty calculator and a cover size guide. All free, with no account and no email required.

Free Online Tools

They run in your browser: nothing is uploaded, and there’s no sign-up.

Runs in your browser

EPUB Validator

Check your EPUB against EPUBCheck’s rules, see every error with its file and line, and find out whether the file was machine-converted.

Check your EPUB →
Results in seconds

EPUB Metadata Checker

See which metadata and book information your EPUB is missing: title, author, ISBN, cover, table of contents, NCX, start reading and accessibility.

Check your metadata →
Free online tool

Book Description Formatter

Format your Amazon book description with bold, headings and lists, check it against KDP’s rules, and copy clean HTML that KDP accepts.

Format your description →

Guides, Templates and Calculators

Printable checklists, Word templates and calculators to prepare your book before conversion.

Printable PDF

Kindle Formatting Checklist

25 things to fix in your Word manuscript before conversion — the errors behind most KDP rejections, caught before you upload.

Get the free checklist →
7 DOCX templates

Word Manuscript Templates

Seven free Word templates — fiction, non-fiction, poetry, academic, cookbook, and standard Kindle or ePub — with every style set up for conversion.

Choose your template →
Free online tool

KDP Royalty Calculator

Enter your list price and file size to compare your 35% and 70% Kindle royalties — updated for the $2.99–$12.99 band.

Use the calculator →
Printable PDF

eBook Cover Size Guide

Exact cover dimensions for Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital — plus the one size that works everywhere.

See the size guide →
35 terms

eBook Glossary

35 publishing terms explained in plain language — from bleed and gutter to KPF, EPUBCheck, and Region Magnification.

Browse the glossary →
27 answers

eBook Conversion FAQ

Honest answers to the questions authors ask most — pricing, file formats, turnaround, revisions, and file security.

Read the FAQ →

Use Them in Order: Write, Check, Price, Cover

A simple path from finished draft to a book that is ready to upload.
1

Write

Draft in Word using one of our templates, so your styles are right from the start.

Open →

2

Check

Run through the 25-point checklist to fix the errors that cause rejections.

Open →

3

Price

Model your royalty at different prices before you publish.

Open →

4

Cover

Size your cover correctly for every store you publish in.

Open →

Why We Give These Away

Most formatting problems start in the manuscript, not the conversion. A well-prepared Word file converts cleanly — whether you do it yourself, use another service, or hand it to us. These tools come from 18 years of fixing the same avoidable problems, and they are free because a better-prepared manuscript is better for everyone.

When you would rather hand the technical work to a specialist, our Kindle, ePub, and print formatting services start at $30.

Ready When You Are

These tools are free whether you order with us or not. New customer? Use FIRSTBOOK for 15% off your first order.

Browse Our Services