Free tools for authors on pendrilo.com: KDP calculators, the keyword byte counter and the words-to-pages estimator

Pendrilo has five free tools for authors at pendrilo.com/tools. You don't need a Pendrilo account, a beta link or a copy of Studio to use them. Open the page in any browser, enter your numbers or text, and read the results.

The five tools

• KDP Cover Size Calculator: Enter your trim size, page count and paper type. The calculator gives you the spine width and the full-wrap cover size. You can also download a PDF template at the right size.
• KDP Royalty Calculator: Shows what you earn per sale. You can compare KDP's 70% and 35% ebook royalty plans, or see your paperback royalty after printing costs. It also shows the lowest list price KDP accepts.
• KDP Keyword Byte Counter: Counts your seven keyword boxes in bytes, the way Amazon counts them. It also flags banned claims, duplicate keywords and punctuation that wastes space.
• KDP Description Checker: Counts your book description the way KDP does, with a limit of 4,000 characters including any paragraph tags. It flags markup KDP doesn't support and can clean the text in one click.
• Words → Pages Estimator: Shows roughly how many printed pages your word count makes at each KDP trim size. It also gives the spine width and an estimated reading time.

Using the tools

Each tool works on the numbers or text you type in. Change a value and the result updates on the page. Try a few trim sizes in the Cover Size Calculator before you choose one, and try a few page counts in the Words → Pages Estimator to see how the spine width changes.

The Keyword Byte Counter and the Description Checker are most useful when you paste in the final text you plan to upload. KDP counts bytes and characters exactly, so a phrase that looks short can still push a keyword box over its limit. Check the count before you copy the text into KDP.

If you use Pendrilo Studio, the Publishing Desk also has a keyword section that counts each of your seven keyword boxes in bytes, and a description box with the same 4,000-character count. You can use those while you work on the book, then use the free tools to check the final text. For more on the Publishing Desk, see Pendrilo Studio's help center.

Before you upload

The tools give you the numbers, but they can't tell you whether your choices suit your book. Check these yourself:

• The cover size matches the trim size and page count of the printed edition you are uploading.
• The page count you enter is the one your finished book will have. Use the number from the print PDF that Pendrilo Formatter generates, if you're using Pendrilo.
• The description and keywords read well to a reader, not only to a counter.

Questions about the tools themselves can go to support. See contacting support in the help center.