From manuscript to book, without missing a step
What the Studio produces for you (EPUB, DOCX, print-ready PDF, cover spread) and what you do yourself (ISBN, printer, platform accounts). Numbers change — re-check each platform's guide before you submit.
What the Studio exports
- EPUB
The ebook file for Kindle (KDP), Google Play Books and Apple Books. Export menu.
→ - Print-ready interior PDF
KDP 6×9 / 5×8, A5 and Korean trims with margins, page numbers and running heads. Export menu → Print-ready book PDF.
→ - Cover spread PDF
Back cover, spine and front cover on one sheet with 3 mm bleed. Enter page count and paper and the spine width is calculated.
→ - AI cover
A front-cover illustration in your genre's style (2D, webtoon, realistic, watercolor). Studio Cover tab, credits.
→
Ebook (EPUB)
The fastest route. ISBN is optional on KDP and free where required.
- 1Finish and revise → clean chapter titles and table of contents
- 2Export EPUB from the Studio
- 3Cover image (portrait 2:3, at least 1,600×2,560 px recommended — check KDP's current guide)
- 4KDP: account and tax info → new Kindle ebook → ISBN optional
- 5Set price, categories and 7 keywords → check the previewer → publish
Amazon KDP paperback
Two files: the interior PDF and the cover spread PDF.
KDP places its own barcode on the cover. Leave the barcode area empty.
- 1Pick a trim (6×9 or 5×8) → choose the same trim in the Studio print layout
- 2Save the interior PDF (Chrome/Edge: Save as PDF, no margins, headers/footers off)
- 3Confirm the page count → enter pages and paper (white/cream) in the cover spread → spine calculated
- 4Save the cover spread PDF (3 mm bleed included; keep the barcode area white)
- 5KDP paperback setup: free KDP ISBN or your own → upload both files → run the previewer for margin and bleed errors
- 6Order a proof copy, then publish
Print-on-demand and small-run printing
Short-run printers usually take a minimum of 4 copies in multiples of 4; offset runs (300+) want page counts in multiples of 32.
- 1Register as a publisher or self-publish → obtain your ISBN from your national agency
- 2Fix trim and page count → same trim in the Studio print layout
- 3Interior: if black only, text must be K100 single black; keep grey tints within 10–20 % (ask the printer)
- 4Cover: paper, 4-colour, coating → get spine width and spread size from the printer → cover spread PDF
- 5If the printer wants CMYK, convert as below (barcode in K100)
- 6Order a 4-copy sample first, then the full run
- 7Retail: print-on-demand marketplaces or distributors; supply rates around 60–70 %; bookstore shelf placement is a separate negotiation
CMYK conversion — browser PDFs are RGB
PDFs from the Studio are RGB. Digital short-run printers usually accept them, but if a printer asks for CMYK, converting it yourself keeps the colour decision in your hands.
Convert the interior (black only) to DeviceGray and the cover to DeviceCMYK. Embed fonts and do not recompress images. Drop the barcode and pure-black text to K100.
With Ghostscript installed, the commands below do it. Always check a printed sample — golds and skin tones shift.
# Interior (black only) gs -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dSAFER -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dCompatibilityLevel=1.4 -dProcessColorModel=/DeviceGray -sColorConversionStrategy=Gray -dEmbedAllFonts=true -dSubsetFonts=true -dDownsampleColorImages=false -sOutputFile=body-print.pdf body.pdf # Cover (4-colour) gs -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dSAFER -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dCompatibilityLevel=1.4 -dProcessColorModel=/DeviceCMYK -sColorConversionStrategy=CMYK -dEmbedAllFonts=true -dSubsetFonts=true -dDownsampleColorImages=false -sOutputFile=cover-print.pdf cover.pdf
Platform AI policies — check before you submit
No platform welcomes manuscripts written wholesale by AI. Author-written, AI-polished text is mostly fine, but the rules differ by platform and change often. Below is what public sources showed as of September 2026.
| Platform | Stance | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| KakaoPage | No separate rule | Re-checks copyright when a work looks suspicious. Reader ratings are the de facto regulator. |
| Naver Series | No separate rule | Naver Webtoon contests disqualify AI use (webtoon only). |
| Munpia | Banned in contests | No generative AI in contest entries (text and art); awards revoked if found. AI images not accepted for official covers. |
| Novelpia | AI-only works rejected | Plus review rejects works written with AI alone; repeated resubmissions get limited. AI covers banned in contests. |
| Ridi | Does not carry AI works | The strictest. Reviews with its own monitoring. Do not submit AI-written manuscripts. |
| Amazon KDP | Disclosure required | Declare AI-generated text, images or translations at publish time (not shown to readers). AI-assisted editing needs no disclosure. Undisclosed AI content gets removed and accounts suspended. |
| Royal Road | Allowed with a tag | Must tag 'AI-Assisted' or 'AI-Generated'. No AI in comments or reviews. |
| Wattpad | Discouraged | 'Strongly discouraged' but no penalty rule. The Wattys require declaring AI use. |
| Tapas | Banned | No AI-generated novel episodes, covers or banners (since 2023). |
Korea's AI Basic Act (in force since January 2026) puts the labeling duty on AI service providers such as SparkLore, not on authors posting to platforms. Copyright registration requires human creative contribution, so keep your bible and revision history. Re-check each platform's own notices before submitting.
Checked 2026-09-26