[HyChief]

Genres Explained
Fiction Genres

1. Fantasy — The fantasy genre involves world-building and characters who are supernatural, mythological, magical, or a combination of these.
2. Science Fiction — Similar to fantasy, this genre explores futuristic or technological themes and ideas to address scientific “what if” questions.
3. Dystopian — Sometimes considered a subgenre of fantasy or of science fiction, this genre is usually set in a bleak future (near or distant) to explore cultural or social issues.
4. Adventure — Any novel that focuses on an adventure undertaken by the main character (with or without help) falls under the adventure genre. This genre can easily be combined with others.
5. Romance — Any novel where the main storyline centers on a romantic relationship falls into this category, which has several subgenres.
6. Detective & Mystery — One of the toughest genres to write, this one centers on a mystery and involves either a professional or amateur sleuth. Examples: Murder on the the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.
7. Horror — The goal of this genre is to scare your readers and keep them that way until the hero vanquishes the threat. Example: The Shining by Stephen King
8. Thriller — This genre also has scary elements, but its main objective is to keep your reader in a state of suspense until the story’s resolution. Example: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
9. LGBTQ+ — Fiction with authentic LGBTQ+ representation falls into this category, which is sometimes considered a subgenre of contemporary fiction but can also be mixed with romance, fantasy, and other genres. Example: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
10. Historical Fiction — This genre covers fiction set in a specific time period and providing historically accurate detail relevant to the period and its characters. Examples: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
11. Young Adult (YA) (13-17 yrs) — This is fiction for readers aged 13 to 17 years. Example: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.
12. Children’s Fiction — Fiction in this genre is written for kids aged up to 13 and is further divided into smaller subgenres. Example: Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty.

Nonfiction Genres

1. Memoir & Autobiography — Each of the books in this genre is a true account of the author’s own life. Memoirs are typically related to a specific time in the author’s life or to a specific theme of the author’s choosing.
2. Biography — Biographies are books written on someone other than the author — generally someone well known or someone whose life and or death can teach the world something worth learning.
3. Cooking — In this genre, you’ll find books on every kind of cooking someone in the world took the time to write about, as well as cooking for different diets and nutritional needs.
4. Art & Photography — This genre includes books on artists of all kinds, as well as on each type of art and its history.
5. Self-Help / Personal Development — This genre is all about helping your reader realize their potential, develop their gifts, and live fulfilling lives.
6. Motivational / Inspirational — This genre’s main purpose is to get you to do something, to inspire you, or to challenge your perspective.
7. Health & Fitness — Here you’ll find books on both mental and physical health concerns as well as diets and weight loss.
8. History — This genre focuses on a specific time period or covers a broad span of time, often describing specific historical characters.
9. Crafts, Hobbies & Home — Look to this genre for topics related to creating a home and developing specific hobbies or crafts.
10. Families & Relationships — If it deals with family life, marriage, or any kind of interpersonal relationship, your book belongs in this genre.
11. Humor & Entertainment — Books in this genre are supposed to make you laugh or at least keep you entertained. Many also belong to the memoir genre.
12. Business & Money — If you’re writing a nonfiction book on business topics, wealth building, or managing your money, it probably belongs to this genre.
13. Law & Criminology — Books on the legal system, on laws, criminal justice, and related topics belong in this genre. E
14. Politics & Social Sciences —in this genre discuss politics or issues related to one or more of the social sciences (psychology, sociology, social work, etc.).
15. Religion & Spirituality — From personal guides to spiritual memoirs to histories, this genre covers religions of all kinds along with spiritual practices.
16. Education & Teaching — Any book that proposes to teach the reader how to do something — or how to do it better — belongs to this genre.
17. Travel — This genre includes travel guides and travel-heavy memoirs.
18. True Crime — These often read like well-crafted crime fiction but are true stories that chronicle real crimes, typically with exacting detail.

Most Popular Book Genres
the top ten most popular fiction genres:

1. Young Adult (YA)
2. Fantasy (including YA and Children’s)
3. Children’s
4. Literary Fiction
5. Science Fiction
6. Thrillers/Suspense
7. Middle Grade
8. Romance/Erotica
9. Picture Book
10. Historical

the top ten most popular nonfiction genres:

1. Memoir
2. Self-help
3. Narrative/Creative Nonfiction)
4. Religion/Spirituality
5. Biography
6. Cultural/Social Issues
7. Business/Finance
8. History
9. General Nonfiction
10. Health & Fitness

What is Book Trim Size?
Trim size is the height and width of your print book. Some books will be larger than others, some smaller.
If you publish through KDP or IngramSpark, they will present you with a list of possibilities, each with pros and cons, depending on what you want.

Other important terms to remember when dealing with trim size include the following:

• Font: The font choice and size will affect the page count of your book, which could influence your choice of trim size.
• Line spacing: Like font choice, the space between lines will affect the page count of the book.
• Margins (including Gutter Margins): The empty space that surrounds your text. Your gutter margin will be larger than the rest, so your text doesn’t get lost in the inside crease of your book.
• Bleed: A term that usually refers to images/illustrations that reach all the way to the edges of the page.
• Color: The thickness of the paper will vary depending on your choices of Black & White, Cream, or Color. IngramSpark, for example, offers fewer sizes for color print books.

Why Is Trim Size Important?
Readers tend to have different tastes. Some love the solid feel of the thick hardcover. Others love the uniform feel of smaller-sized paperbacks on the shelf.
What you choose will have an effect on the reader’s experience (assuming they are reading a print book). Depending on what you want for your reader, and the genre you write in, you will need to carefully consider what book size you choose.
You can download the KDP formatting templates here.

Industry Standard Trim Sizes
Generally speaking, there are three classes of the trim size that you should consider for your book. Each of these has several common sizes in each, so there is some flexibility. These are:

1. Hardcover
2. Paperback
3. Mass-market paperback

You may also hear terms like these thrown around, especially among libraries and publishers, to denote the general size of a book:

• Folio: the largest format
• Quarto: smaller but still large
• Octavo: even smaller

While these terms are handy to know, they are not as important when determining the size of your book, especially when using digital print-on-demand services like KDP Print or IngramSpark.

Hardcover
The hardcover is the industry standard, especially in traditional publishing, for new books released in book stores. They are the largest, the most durable, and take up the most real estate in a bookstore.
They are also the most expensive, and most traditionally published authors will make a lot more money from the sale of a hardcover than a paperback.
Until recently, IngramSpark was the best option for authors who wanted to make hardcovers of their book. But Amazon has launched a hardcover service, which is currently in beta at the time of this writing.

Paperback
For indie authors, paperbacks will make up the majority of the print books you sell.
Paperbacks likewise have more print size options than hardcover (on both KDP and IngramSpark), and they are cheaper to produce, which means they are less expensive for the reader.

Mass-market Paperback
Less common for self-published authors, mass-market paperbacks were originally designed to be the cheapest option for readers, using significantly less paper, and usually lower-quality paper as well.
Mass-market paperbacks are not as common ever since the ebook emerged and took their place in the affordability and convenience markets. However, they still exist, and IngramSpark even has some paperback printing options in their size. KDP does not.

Trim Sizes in KDP and IngramSpark

Paperback
Trim Size	Black ink and white paper	Black ink and cream paper	Standard color ink and white paper	Premium color ink and white paper
5″ x 8″ (12.7 x 20.32 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5.06″ x 7.81″ (12.85 x 19.84 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5.25″ x 8″ (13.34 x 20.32 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
6″ x 9″ (15.24 x 22.86 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
6.14″ x 9.21″ (15.6 x 23.39 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
6.69″ x 9.61″ (16.99 x 24.41 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
7″ x 10″ x (17.78 x 25.4 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
7.44″ x 9.69″ (18.9 x 24.61 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
7.5″ x 9.25″ (19.05 x 23.5 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
8″ x 10″ (20.32 x 25.4 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
8.25″ x 6″ (20.96 x 15.24 cm)	24 – 800	24 – 750	72 – 600	24 – 800
8.25″ x 8.25″ (20.96 x 20.96 cm)	24 – 800	24 – 750	72 – 600	24 – 800
8.5″ x 8.5″ (21.59 x 21.59 cm)	24 – 590	24 – 550	72 – 600	24 – 590
8.5″ x 11″ (21.59 x 27.94 cm)	24 – 590	24 – 550	72 – 600	24 – 590
8.27″ x 11.69″ (21 x 29.7 cm)	24 – 780	24 – 730	Not available	24 – 590
Hardcover
Trim Size	Black ink and white paper	Black ink and cream paper	Standard color ink and white paper	Premium color ink and white paper
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)	75 – 550	75 – 550	Not available	75 – 550
6″ x 9″ (15.24 x 22.86 cm)	75 – 550	75 – 550	Not available	75 – 550
6.14″ x 9.21″ (15.6 x 23.39 cm)	75 – 550	75 – 550	Not available	75 – 550
7″ x 10″ (17.78 x 25.4 cm)	75 – 550	75 – 550	Not available	75 – 550
8.25″ x 11″ (20.96 x 27.94 cm)	75 – 550	75 – 550	Not available	75 – 550

Trim size specifications (width x height) with minimum and maximum page counts(kdp.amazon.co.jp)

Paperback
Trim Size	Black ink and white paper	Black ink and cream paper	Standard color ink and white paper	Premium color ink and white paper
4.06″ x 7.17″ (10.3 x 18.2 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
4.13″ x 6.81″ (10.5 x 17.3 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
4.41″ x 6.85″ (11.2 x 17.4 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5″ x 7.4″ (12.7 x 18.8 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5.04″ x 7.17″ (12.8 x 18.2 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5.83″ x 8.27″ (14.8 x 21.0 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5.98″ x 8.58″ (15.2 x 21.8 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
5.98″ x 8.94″ (15.2 x 22.7 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
7.17″ x 10.12″ (18.2 x 25.7 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
7.17″ x 8.11″ (18.2 x 20.6 cm)	24 – 828	24 – 776	72 – 600	24 – 828
8.27″ x 10.12″ (21.0 x 25.7 cm)	24 – 780	24 – 730	72 – 600	24 – 780
8.27″ x 11.69″ (21.0 x 29.7 cm)	24 – 780	24 – 730	Not available	24 – 780

While there are other print-on-demand services, many if not most self-published authors use either KDP Print or IngramSpark. While this is not a review of either, the reasons for one or the other usually come down to the following:

• KDP is convenient and easily syncs up with your KDP ebook. There is also no setup fee required.
• IngramSpark has a larger variety of print options, a greater possibility of getting your books in bookstores, but also has a $50 setup fee for each book.

Industry Standard Trim Sizes
Generally speaking, there are three classes of trim size that you should consider for your book. Each of these has several common sizes in each, so there is some flexibility. These are:

1. Hardcover
2. Paperback
3. Mass-market paperback

You may also hear terms like these thrown around, especially among libraries and publishers, to denote the general size of a book:

• Folio: the largest format
• Quarto: smaller but still large
• Octavo: even smaller

While these terms are handy to know, they are not as important when determining the size of your book, especially when using digital print-on-demand services like KDP Print or IngramSpark.

Hardcover
The hardcover is the industry standard, especially in traditional publishing, for new books released in book stores. They are the largest, the most durable, and take up the most real estate in a bookstore.

They are also the most expensive, and most traditionally published authors will make a lot more money from the sale of a hardcover than a paperback.

Until recently, IngramSpark was the best option for authors who wanted to make hardcovers of their book. But Amazon has launched a hardcover service, which is currently in beta at the time of this writing.

Paperback
For indie authors, paperbacks will make up the majority of the print books you sell.

Paperbacks likewise have more print size options than hardcover (on both KDP and IngramSpark), and they are cheaper to produce, which means they are less expensive for the reader.

Mass-market Paperback
Less common for self-published authors, mass-market paperbacks were originally designed to be the cheapest option for readers, using significantly less paper, and usually lower-quality paper as well.

Mass-market paperbacks are not as common ever since the ebook emerged and took their place in the affordability and convenience markets. However, they still exist, and IngramSpark even has some paperback printing options in their size. KDP does not.

Trim Sizes in KDP and IngramSpark
many if not most self-published authors use either KDP Print or IngramSpark.

• KDP is convenient and easily syncs up with your KDP ebook. There is also no setup fee required.
• IngramSpark has a larger variety of print options, a greater possibility of getting your books in bookstores, but also has a $50 setup fee for each book.

Paperback and Hardcover Manuscript Templates
To help you format your manuscript, here are templates in Microsoft Word. For the best results, follow the instructions in this guide.
Depending on your book, some steps may be unnecessary (for example, if your book doesn’t have images).

Choose a template
Decide what kind of template you want and find your trim size. You can download blank templates or templates with sample content. The blank templates have the page size and margins set. The templates with sample content include formatted front matter (e.g., title page, table of contents) and chapters with placeholder text. Customize the parts you want to keep, and delete the sections you don’t.

The most common trim size for paperbacks in the US is 6″ x 9″ (15.24 x 22.86 cm), but you have several trim size options. If you’re unsure which size to pick, find books with content similar to yours to get an idea of what readers expect.

To find your template, click Download and open the ZIP folder. Choose your language and trim size.

Important: Make sure to remove any template sample text from your final manuscript. If there is remaining template text in your manuscript, you may receive an error on upload, or your manuscript may be rejected on review.

Download (Blank templates)

Download (Templates with sample content)

When to choose bleed for your interior
You should include bleed in your interior file if you have any images, backgrounds, or illustrations in your book that you want to reach the edge of the page.

Note: Even if just one page in your interior requires bleed, then your entire file should be set up with bleed.

Your paperback manuscript file must be sized correctly for bleed to prevent a white border from appearing at the edge of the page when the book is trimmed. To prevent the white border, increase your page size and ensure that the image extends beyond the trim line. This way, when the book is trimmed to size, the image will reach all the way to the edge. For help calculating your book dimensions, try our calculator. Alternatively, use the following formula to calculate your page width and height with bleed:

Inches		Centimeters
(Trim height) + (0.125″ x 2 (bleed)) = Page height with bleed (Trim width) +(0.125″ (bleed)) = Page width with bleed		(Trim Height) + (3.2 mm x 2 (bleed)) = Page height with bleed (Trim Width) + (3.2 mm (bleed)) = Page width with bleed

For example, if your trim size is 6 x 9 inches (15.24 x 22.86 cm), set the page size to 6.125 x 9.25 inches (15.54 x 23.46 cm).
Bleed manuscript layout for a 6 x 9 inch (15.24 x 22.86 cm) book:

Customize front matter
Tips for formatting front matter:

• Copy and paste. If you copy content from another document and paste it into the template, the formatting may transfer and recquire correction.
• ISBN. You can add an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to your copyright page if you want, but it’s not required. If you do add it, make sure it matches the number assigned to your book. If you add the number, format it like this: 978-X-XXXX-XXXX-X.
• Table of contents. Add the page numbers later. When you insert your book content into the chapters, the page numbers will shift.
• Placeholder text. Before you start customizing the chapter pages, check that there’s no placeholder text left in your front matter. If you don’t want to keep a front matter section, you’ll need to delete the placeholder text and the section itself:
  1. Go to the Home tab in Word.
  2. In the “Paragraph” section, turn on the Show/Hide button (¶). This will help you see where section breaks begin.
  3. Highlight the placeholder text in the section you want to remove.
  4. Hit the Delete key.
  5. Place your cursor in front of the Section Break marker.
  6. Hit the Delete key.

Customize chapter pages
Tips for formatting chapter pages:

1. Add or delete chapters. As a first step, we recommend that you update the template to include the numbers of chapters you want. To add chapters:
   1. Highlight and copy the last chapter.
   2. Put your cursor at the end of the last chapter.
   3. Hit the Enter key.
   4. Paste the copied text.
   5. Put your cursor at end of the second to last chapter.
   6. Go to the Insert tab.
   7. In the “Pages” section, click Page Break.
   8. Hit the Enter key to insert space above the last chapter title. Not sure how much space to insert? See the other chapters to compare.
      To delete chapters: Highlight the chapter you want to delete and hit the Backspace key.
2. Customize headers. After you add or delete chapters, update the headers. To replace the placeholder text for the book title (odd pages) and author name (even pages) with your information:
   1. Double-click on the header.
   2. Highlight the placeholder text and hit the Delete key.
   3. Add your information, including additional formatting (e.g., font). Make sure the title and author name match exactly what you enter during title setup.
   4. Double-click on the chapter text to leave the header.
   5. Copy and paste. Again, if you copy content from another document and paste it into the template, the formatting may transfer and recquire correction.
   6. Placeholder text. When you’re done formatting your chapters, check that there’s no placeholder text left. If there is, customize or remove it.
   7. “About the Author.” At the end of the template, there’s a formatted page for your author biography. If you want to keep it, customize it. If not, remove it.

Add page numbers to table of contents
After you finish customizing the rest of your book, find the page numbers on which each chapter begins. Then add them to the table of contents page.

Pre-publication checklist

1. Customize or remove all placeholders.Check one last time for remaining placeholder text. When you upload your book, it goes through our review process and may be rejected if it contains placeholder text.
2. Book details.Does the information in your file (e.g., book title, author name) exactly match the book details you entered during title setup? Check your title page and headers to see if your information matches.
3. Images. If you want to add images to your book, they should be high resolution. High resolution refers to the number of dots per inch (DPI) an image has. The more dots or pixels an image has, the clearer it will be. High-resolution images have at least 300 (DPI). Learn more about creating high-resolution images.
4. Legibility.Can customers easily read the text in your manuscript? Text should be at least 7-point font, not cut off, or overlapped by other elements. Also, make sure the text doesn’t blend into the background. This may happen if the text and background colors are too similar.
5. Save as PDF. For the best results, save your formatted manuscript as a PDF. When saving, make sure to embed the fonts.

Want to preview your paperback before making it available to customers? Order a proof copy.

Word Count by Genre: How Long Should a Book Be?
Literary / Commercial / Women’s: 80,000 to 110,000 – These genres vary greatly in how their stories are told, but not in how many words are used to tell them. There are few exceptions of published debut novels not falling between these strict markers. The adherence to this is never more tested than when a writer pushes the limit to the full 110k or beyond. The upper marker is still accepted but will almost certainly be cut by an editor should the writer secure a deal. A literary agent will always look more favourable on these genre submissions being around the 100k mark.

Crime Fiction: 90,000 to 100,000 – The page-turning demands and competitive market enforce a word count which it is advisable to comply to.

Mysteries / Thrillers / Suspense: 70,000 to 90,000 – The variation covers Cozy Mysteries which can clock in at just 70-75k, to noir and historical which are often published at 80-90k.

Romance: 40,000 to 100,000 – Since it has many sub-genres this genre can vary greatly depending on the story. Regency Romance, Inspirational Romance, Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance all have a minimum of 40k. But for mainstream romance novels the parameters are between 70K and 100K.

Fantasy: 90,000 to 100,000 – One of the few genres with some leeway in first approach submissions, since many literary agents know publishers who will happily accept 120K. This is not to say one should aim for that higher count. But if a writer queries with 110k it will not be rejected on word count alone.

Paranormal: 75,000 to 95,000 – Although commonly entwined with other genres, standalone fiction in this genre is best when it is concise. Literary agents and publishers will allow flexibility when the story merits it, but for debut manuscripts it is best to refrain from anything above the industry standard.

Horror: 80,000 to 100,000 – A writer must be as ruthless with their words, as their antagonist is with the lives within the story. For if a grip on the reader is lost by overly long descriptions and digressions, the very tension which drives this genre fizzles out. Never go beyond the 100k limit without first checking with a freelance editor for revisions.

Science-Fiction: 90,000 to 125,000 – Encompassing many sub-genres results in a flexibility across the genre that is not often given to the others. Many publishers will accept works in the higher bracket and even beyond. While literary agents are open to submissions far below 90K, they will usually lean more towards those within the requirements because they know the devoted readers of this genre do not mind an epic read.

Historical: 100,000 to 120,000 – A genre rich with historical events means writers are afforded the luxury of an extended word count. However, writers who edit down to a 100k submission increase their chances of being read beyond the partials.

Young Adult Fiction (YA): 50,000 to 80,000 – This particular genre has become one of the hardest for writers to grasp when deciding on their own word count. This is due in large part to the variety of sub-genres within it and the trend for a book series with an ever greater word count. But for mainstream YA it is always best to stick to under 80K.

New Adult Fiction: 60,000 to 85,000 – Coined by the industry for the industry meant the requirements could be defined from the outset. Going above 85K still happens, but those for that do, they are giving a literary agent an easy reason to reject them.

Middle Grade: 25,000 to 40,000 – Such a tight restraint can be beneficial to a writer because it allows them to demonstrate their ability to edit accordingly. For debut books in this field the average word count tends to be 35K and it has therefore become the marker many industry professionals look for in queries from new writers.

Picture Books: 500 to 700 – When this is applied it equates to one or two lines per page, for a 30 page book. The one main advantage this genre has over every other is that literary agents and publishers will accept the full text with the initial query. There is no need for partials.

Novella: 20,000 to 50,000 – A story can be written in any of the other genres, but if its word count falls within these parameters it is usually classified as a novella.

Non-Fiction: 70,000 to 110,000 – Covering a broad range of topics still sees little variation in the size of published books. Although there is not a requirement for the work to be complete before an initial query, this is the word count literary agents want projected and delivered.

Short Stories: 1000 to 8,000 – Many contests will advise on their own maximum word count, sometimes as high as 20K. But those requests are extremely rare, as the majority will set a limit of 8K.

Flash Fiction: 100 to 500 – There is no flexibility to this as the word count determines if it is Flash Fiction.

Adult Fiction
Literary and Commercial Fiction: 80,000-110,000 words
Romance: 80,000-100,000 words
Category Romance: 40,000-75,000 words
Mystery and Thriller: 70,000-110,000 words
Sci-Fi and Fantasy: 90,000-125,000 words
Historical Fiction: 80,000-120,000 words

Nonfiction
Standard Nonfiction: 50,000-80,000 words
Self-help/How-to: 40,000-50,000 words
Memoir: 80,000-100,000 words

Children’s Books
Young Adult: 45,000-80,000 words
Middle Grade: 20,000-50,000 words
Chapter Books: 4,000-10,000 words
Early Reader: 200-3,500 words
Picture Books: 400-700 words

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