The numbers
| Trim | B&W, white paper | B&W, cream paper | B&W, groundwood paper | Standard color | Premium color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 × 8 to 8 × 10 in (11 trims) | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 | 72–600 | 24–828 |
| 8.25 × 6 and 8.25 × 8.25 in | 24–800 | 24–750 | 24–784 | 72–600 | 24–800 |
| 8.5 × 8.5 and 8.5 × 11 in | 24–590 | 24–550 | 24–578 | 72–600 | 24–590 |
| 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4) | 24–780 | 24–730 | 24–764 | Not offered | 24–590 |
| Hardcover (5 trims) | 75–550 | 75–550 | Not offered | Not offered | 75–550 |
How KDP counts pages
Every sheet of paper has a front and a back, so it counts as two pages, and an odd page count is rounded up to the next even number. Blank pages count toward the total, but KDP allows no more than 4 consecutive blank pages at the beginning or in the middle of the file, and no more than 10 at the end.
Page counts that change your book
- 79 pages: the minimum for text on the spine.
- 108 pages: on Amazon.com, black-and-white paperbacks up to this count pay a flat printing fee; above it a per-page rate applies. Premium color pays a flat fee up to 40 pages.
- 150, 300, 500 and 700 pages: past each of these, the minimum gutter steps up.
- 75 pages: the hardcover minimum, so short picture books can only be paperbacks.
- 120 pages: hardcovers above this count get headbands.
Example: counting a coloring book
A kids' coloring book with 50 designs printed on one side only (a blank back stops markers from bleeding through) uses 100 pages. Add a title page, a copyright page and a "this book belongs to" page, each with a blank back, and the book has 106 pages.
At 8.5 × 11 in in black and white, that is inside the flat-fee range on Amazon.com: $2.84 per copy, with a minimum list price of $5.68.
Common mistakes
- Inserting 5 or more blank pages in a row in the middle of the book, for example as spacers between sections.
- Counting sheets instead of pages: a 50-sheet book has 100 pages.
- Building the cover before the page count is final. The spine, and so the whole cover, changes with it.
- Planning a 24- or 32-page hardcover picture book. KDP hardcovers need at least 75 pages.
- Expecting cream paper to hold as many pages as white: 776 instead of 828 on most trims.
In kdpbook: kdpbook counts pages the way KDP does and sizes the spine and cover from the final count.