Touched by the Stars: Full KDP and IngramSpark Publishing Package

The author had a completed manuscript and needed one clear production path to turn it, together with low-resolution cover assets and each platform's requirements, into launch-ready files for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, paperback and ebook.

• Client goal: a professional-looking layout, similar to a book she had published before.
• Production question: how to turn 8.5 × 11 manuscript pages into a 6 × 9 book.
• Scope: KDP paperback, IngramSpark paperback and a Kindle ebook.
• Risks: low-resolution cover assets, spine sizing, margin control and platform rules.

Organised before production. The files were separated into manuscript, cover art, sample layout, proofing stages, print output, ebook output and final submission materials, and the work followed one sequence: audit, style, print, cover, EPUB.

Two layout options first. The author reviewed two interior directions before the whole book was formatted. She chose the second (“Both are very nice — Version 2 with the symbols is lovely — so that one is better. Nice touch!”), so every page was built to an approved style and rework was kept to a minimum.

A rebuilt print interior. The 6 × 9 interior was rebuilt for readability, chapter hierarchy and page rhythm, with consistent margins, running headers and page numbers, controlled chapter openers, a contents page updated after each revision, images prepared for black-and-white print, and print-ready PDFs exported for each platform.

A cover system from the author's artwork. The author supplied front and back artwork, then higher-resolution versions. The approved colour design was kept intact while full wraparound cover PDFs were produced for KDP and IngramSpark separately, with the spine sized to the final page count, and late cover issues were corrected before delivery.

A separate Kindle edition. The ebook had its own production path: a reflowable EPUB with checked chapter flow and a clickable contents page, delivered with a separate front cover for upload.

Proofing. Client review rounds covered typography, the title and subtitle, contents and page numbers, and cover clarity and spine corrections, with the final PDFs re-exported after every round.

The author approved every milestone, ended the contract with the final files delivered (“All looks good — I will send a review now.”) and left a written recommendation describing the finished package as professional-quality work for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, paperback and ebook.