Chapter formatting guide
KDP chapter formatting requirements and professional chapter openings
KDP does not prescribe a single decorative chapter style, but the interior still needs dependable structure. A chapter heading should remain separate from its subtitle and opening paragraph, and a new chapter should never be buried at the bottom of the previous chapter’s last page.
Put every chapter heading in its own manuscript paragraph, keep an optional subtitle on a separate line, insert a real chapter page break, and leave clear space before the opening paragraph. Begin Chapter 1 on a right-facing page and review later chapter starts in the final PDF.
Prepare detectable headings
Use consistent labels such as Chapter 1, Chapter One, Prologue, Epilogue, or Part One. Place the heading and subtitle in separate paragraphs. Avoid building a chapter opener with manual spaces, repeated returns, a text box, or a decorative image if the formatter does not support those elements.
- One chapter label per paragraph
- One optional subtitle per paragraph
- Opening prose begins in the following paragraph
- Consistent spelling and numbering
- No running header on the chapter-opening page
Start chapters deliberately
Chapter 1 is conventionally placed on a right-facing recto page. Later chapters may begin on the next available page unless the book’s design intentionally requires recto-only starts. In either approach, a chapter should begin on a fresh page and not beneath the last lines of the previous chapter.
Control the vertical opening
Professional chapter pages often begin lower than ordinary body pages, but the opening should remain consistent. Keep the label, subtitle, and first paragraph together. Avoid opening so low that a small amount of prose creates an awkward near-empty page.
- Use consistent top space
- Center or align headings according to the chosen style
- Separate subtitle from opening prose
- Remove page furniture when the design calls for it
- Inspect short chapters and chapter endings
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Must every chapter begin on a right-hand page?
No. Chapter 1 commonly begins on the right. Later chapters may begin on the next available page unless you deliberately choose recto-only chapter starts.
Can a chapter begin on the previous chapter’s last page?
That is generally undesirable for a professionally typeset novel. Use a true page break before every chapter.
Should chapter-opening pages show running headers?
Many book designs suppress running headers on chapter-opening pages. Typeset Ready uses centered page numbers without title or author running headers.