scbe-bookforge

Markdown to KDP-ready paperback, hardcover, and Kindle EPUB. XeLaTeX-driven interior typography with a ReportLab fallback, plus a calibrated cover-wrap PDF that gets the spine math right.

Built because we got tired of Word templates and Vellum subscriptions for self-publishing on Amazon KDP.

What it does

manuscript.md  ─►  bookforge build  ─►  interior.pdf  +  cover-wrap.pdf  +  book.epub  +  book.docx

• Interior PDF: real book typography via XeLaTeX (hyphenation, microtype, widow/orphan control). Falls back to ReportLab if XeLaTeX isn't installed.
• Cover wrap PDF: full back + spine + front with bleed. Spine width is computed from page count and paper type using the actual KDP formula (pages × 0.0025 in for cream B&W).
• EPUB: pandoc-native, with title/subtitle/author/identifier metadata.
• DOCX: pandoc-native, with TOC.

Install

pip install scbe-bookforge

For the better-typography path, also install:

• pandoc — https://pandoc.org/installing.html
• MiKTeX (Windows) or TeX Live (macOS/Linux) — provides xelatex

If xelatex is missing, bookforge automatically uses its ReportLab fallback.

Quick start

Drop a bookforge.json next to your manuscript:

{
  "title": "Your Book Title",
  "subtitle": "An Optional Subtitle",
  "author": "Your Name",
  "copyright_year": 2026,
  "publisher": "Your Name",
  "isbn": "Print ISBN: printed on back cover (free KDP ISBN)",
  "edition_statement": "First edition",
  "source": "manuscript.md",
  "output_dir": "build",
  "trim": "5.5x8.5",
  "page_count": 320,
  "print": {
    "paper": "cream",
    "ink": "bw",
    "cover_finish": "matte"
  },
  "epigraph": {
    "enabled": true,
    "text": "Your epigraph text.",
    "attribution": "Source"
  },
  "dedication": "To whoever this is for."
}

Build everything:

bookforge build

Or one at a time:

bookforge interior
bookforge cover
bookforge epub
bookforge docx
bookforge info       # show resolved profile + spine width

Outputs land in output_dir.

Profile reference

Back-cover blurb

The cover wrap defaults are intentionally bland. Pass --blurb path/to/blurb.json to populate them, or put the fields directly into your profile:

{
  "hook": "Single line at the top of the back.",
  "blurb_paragraphs": [
    "First paragraph.",
    "Second paragraph.",
    "Third paragraph."
  ],
  "author_bio": "Optional bio.",
  "bottom_left_caption": "A WORK OF CREATIVE NONFICTION"
}

Manuscript conventions

• One # H1 line at the top of the file is treated as the book title and skipped (the title page comes from the profile).
• ## Chapter N. Title → typeset chapter; gets its own page break + recto opening.
• ## Part N. Title → typeset part heading.
• --- on its own line → typeset scene break (* * *).
• *italic* and **bold** work as expected.
• Smart quotes are produced automatically (pandoc's markdown+smart).

Spine math

Bookforge uses the KDP formulas:

spine_width = page_count × per_page. Cover wrap dimensions = (0.125 + trim_w + spine + trim_w + 0.125) × (0.125 + trim_h + 0.125).

If KDP's previewer flags your cover by more than ~0.05", regenerate using the page count KDP reports for the interior you uploaded.

Programmatic use

from scbe_bookforge import load_profile, build_all

profile = load_profile("my-book/bookforge.json")
artifacts = build_all(profile)
print(artifacts)
# {"interior_pdf": ..., "cover_pdf": ..., "epub": ..., "docx": ...}

License

MIT or Apache 2.0, at your option.