NEW KINDLE TYPESETTING

Amazon has introduced new typesetting features for about 500,000 Kindle e-books (for devices and apps that support the new typesetting features). This number will rise to about 3,000,000 over the course of the next year.

For example, Kindle Paperwhite’s latest update now supports new typesetting features for Kindle e-books that have this enabled.

The new Kindle typesetting features include, for example:

• automatic hyphenation
• the new Bookerly font
• improved justification

I’m a big fan of the new Bookerly font. Just switching the font to Bookerly on my Kindle Paperwhite makes a significant difference.

Not all Kindle e-books support enhanced typesetting presently, but there is a way to tell. Here is how to determine whether or not a Kindle e-book supports the new typesetting features:

• If you’re shopping on the Amazon.com full site, look just below the book description. In very small print, look for Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled.
• If you’re shopping from a Kindle device, look just above the book description. Look for Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled.

Note: If you already have a Kindle e-book that supports enhanced typesetting, but you downloaded the book before this feature was enabled on your device, you will need to re-download the book before the enhanced typesetting will take effect.

I was surprised to discover that the new enhanced typesetting was available on some of my books, such as my detailed guide to self-publishing. That was a pleasant surprise. Amazon never informed me about it. (Click the image for this post above to zoom in for a better look.)

I recently downloaded a novel that supported this new feature and was quite pleased with how it looked. The automatic hyphenation feature worked correctly in the instances I have come across thus far.

If you’re an author, check out your Kindle e-books and see if this has been added yet. Only 500,000 Kindle e-books support the new typesetting features presently, but since they will expand this to 3,000,000 in the next year, if your e-book doesn’t support it yet, it probably will in the coming months.

(Authors don’t do anything to have this enabled. It will be done automatically. Don’t enable hyphenation in Word. Let Amazon KDP take care of everything from their end.)

If you’re a reader, when browsing for Kindle e-books, on the book’s product page you will find Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled near the description if the book supports the new typesetting. (Then you must also have a device that supports this new feature before it will work.)

Write happy, be happy. 🙂

Chris McMullen

Copyright © 2015

Chris McMullen, Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers

• Volume 1 on formatting and publishing
• Volume 2 on marketability and marketing
• 4-in-1 Boxed set includes both volumes and more
• Kindle Formatting Magic (coming soon)

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