# Ebook Mastermind

> A practical self-publishing checklist from real KDP launches: ISBNs, interiors, spine width, covers, listings and keywords.

The checklist we use for our own paperbacks, ebooks and puzzle books, from ISBN to live listing.

## The launch checklist
- 1. ISBN & imprint: Decide whether to use your own ISBNs (Bowker in the US) and imprint name. The copyright page and the KDP Publisher field must match exactly.
- 2. Interior: Pick the trim size first. Respect KDP's minimum margins: the gutter grows with page count (0.5 in. at 151-300 pages). Embed every font.
- 3. Page count, then spine: Final page count sets the spine. For cream paper KDP uses 0.0025 in. per page, so 190 pages = 0.475 in. Add 0.125 in. bleed on every side of the wrap.
- 4. Cover: Build the full wrap at the exact size, keep text off the spine edges, and leave the back cover's lower-right clear for the barcode.
- 5. Proof copy: Order a printed proof before you publish. Holding the book catches what the screen doesn't.
- 6. Listing & keywords: Title and subtitle exactly as on the cover. Seven keyword slots: no words already in the title, and no word repeated across slots.

## Books we've published this way
- [ALL HANDS — The Only Conclusion #1](https://theonlyconclusion.com): An interactive mystery novel set in the Great Storm of 1913. Twenty-six went out. Only twenty-five were ever named.
- [MITCH McCONNELL: The Unmaking of American Democracy](https://mcconnellbook.com): How lawful Senate power built a 6-3 Court, and what it cost. Publishing before the 3 Nov 2026 midterms.
- [The P2E Bible](https://p2ebible.com): An applied textbook on Web3 gaming economies: analytical, evenhanded, built for courses.
- [Brain Focus Calcudoku](https://brainfocusbooks.com): Large-print logic puzzle books: 500+ verified puzzles per book, answers included.

## Questions
### How do I calculate the spine width for a KDP paperback?
Multiply the final page count by the paper's thickness. For cream paper KDP uses 0.0025 inches per page, so a 190-page book has a 0.475-inch spine. Add 0.125 inches of bleed on every side of the cover wrap.

### How big should the gutter margin be?
It grows with page count. For 151 to 300 pages KDP's minimum inside margin is 0.5 inches.

### How many keywords does a KDP listing get?
Seven keyword slots. Don't repeat words already in the title, and don't repeat a word across slots.

### Should I order a proof copy?
Yes. Order a printed proof before you publish. Holding the book catches what the screen doesn't.

### Do the copyright page and the KDP Publisher field need to match?
Yes. If you use your own ISBNs and imprint, the copyright page and the KDP Publisher field must match exactly.

## About
- Website: https://ebookmastermind.com/
- Publisher: Buy One Media LLC (https://buyonemedia.com)
- Founder and author: Sean Sandoval (https://seansandoval.com)
- All Buy One Media sites: https://by1.net