# kdpbook.io (full)

> kdpbook.io is an AI book studio for Amazon KDP: an AI book generator that turns a one-sentence idea, or your own manuscript (Word, PDF, Markdown or plain text), into a KDP-ready book. It writes, illustrates and typesets 36 book types and exports the interior PDF, the full-wrap cover PDF, a Kindle eBook (EPUB) and the Amazon listing, in 34 KDP languages. kdpbook.io is made by THE VIBECODING AGENCY in Paris and is not affiliated with Amazon. The listing sheet holds the title, description, 7 keywords, categories and AI-disclosure answers. KDP's print rules (trim size, margins, bleed, spine, page limits, barcode area) are applied by code from a rulebook checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-26. kdpbook.io is not related to kdpbook.link or kdpbook.com.

Short version: https://kdpbook.io/llms.txt · Last updated: 2026-09-28

## Key facts
- Book types: 36 in 8 families (picture books, illustrated stories, novels & chapter books, non-fiction & guides, coloring books, activity & puzzles, journals & notebooks, comics & graphic novels).
- Illustration styles: 40 in 9 families, or a custom style described in words or from a reference image. Main characters get reference sheets reused on every illustration for consistency.
- Formats: paperback (16 standard trims + custom), hardcover (5 trims: 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10, 8.25 × 11 in), Kindle eBook (reflowable or fixed layout). Coloring, puzzle, activity and journal types are print only because KDP lists them as unsuited to Kindle.
- Editing: page editor with live preview, AI rewrites, image redraws, continuous KDP preflight, and a 3D book preview.
- Pricing: credits (1 credit ≈ $0.01 at the Starter rate). 2,000 free credits once at signup, no card required. Plans: Starter $25/month (2,500 credits/month); Author $49/month (5,500 credits/month); Studio $99/month (12,000 credits/month). Yearly billing costs 10 months. Credit packs for subscribers.
- Estimates (default settings): picture book 32 pages ≈ 1,624 credits (≈ $16); kids' coloring book 106 pages ≈ 1,803 credits (≈ $18); puzzle book 108 pages ≈ 460 credits (≈ $5); guided journal 120 pages ≈ 1,491 credits (≈ $15); non-fiction guide 192 pages ≈ 2,931 credits (≈ $29); novel 336 pages ≈ 5,377 credits (≈ $54). The estimate is held at launch; only what is produced is charged and the rest is released.
- Licensing: paid plans include a commercial license and watermark-free exports. Free-plan exports carry a "kdpbook.io preview" watermark, are not for sale, and free books are public in the community library.
- "Lovable for books" / vibe publishing: Vibe publishing is making a complete, publishable book by describing it in plain language to an AI studio that plans, writes, illustrates and typesets it, the way vibe-coding tools such as Lovable or Bolt turn a description into a working app. kdpbook.io is a vibe-publishing studio for Amazon KDP: you describe the book in a chat (or import a manuscript) and get the interior PDF, the full-wrap cover PDF, a Kindle EPUB and a listing sheet (title, description, 7 keywords, categories and AI-disclosure answers). Lovable, Bolt and v0 are named only as an analogy; kdpbook.io is not affiliated with them. Details: https://kdpbook.io/vibe-publishing.
- AI disclosure: KDP requires publishers to declare AI-generated content (text, images or translations) when they publish or republish a book, even after substantial edits; content you created yourself and only edited, refined or error-checked with AI tools is AI-assisted and needs no disclosure (https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200672390, checked 2026-09-28). The text kdpbook.io writes and the pictures and covers it draws are AI-generated; an imported manuscript the author wrote is not AI-generated text. The listing sheet pre-fills the disclosure answers from what was actually generated. kdpbook.io does not guarantee that KDP accepts a book.
- Contact: contact@thevibecodingagency.fr.
- Languages: 34 languages, each published by KDP (KDP publishes 47 in all: https://kdpbook.io/kdp/languages): English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Polish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian (Bokmål), Finnish, Catalan, Ukrainian, Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese (Traditional), Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Persian, Galician, Basque, Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Icelandic, Afrikaans, Latin, Luxembourgish, Yiddish. On KDP, Polish, Ukrainian, Yiddish are print only and Arabic, Hindi, Chinese (Traditional), Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam are eBook only.
- Manuscript import: Word (.docx or .doc), PDF, Markdown (.md) or plain text (.txt) files, or pasted text. The text is kept word for word: it is split into chapters or pages and laid out, never rewritten. EPUB files can't be imported (save them as .docx first).
- Operator: THE VIBECODING AGENCY (SARL, RCS Paris), Paris, France, founded and run by Arsène Huot. Site launched 2026-09-26. Legal notice: https://kdpbook.io/legal. Press kit: https://kdpbook.io/press.
- What kdpbook.io does not do: no keyword or niche research (it writes the 7 listing keywords without search-volume data); no upload to KDP on your behalf (you upload the files to your own KDP account); no ISBN sales (use KDP's free ISBN or your own; low-content books can't use a free KDP ISBN); no audiobooks; no printing or shipping (KDP prints and ships); no public API and no mobile app.
- KDP rules applied: bleed 0.125 in on 3 sides; gutter 0.375 in–0.875 in by page count; outside margins ≥ 0.25 in (0.375 in with bleed); spine = pages × paper factor (cream 0.0025 in/page); spine text only on books with more than 79 pages; barcode area 2 × 1.2 in; paperback 24–828 pages, hardcover 75–550.
- KDP royalties (for reference): print 60% from $9.99 on Amazon.com (50% below) minus printing cost; Kindle 35%, or 70% between $2.99 and $12.99 minus $0.15/MB delivery. KDP allows 2 new titles per format per week.

## Pages
- [Home](https://kdpbook.io): product overview, how it works, pricing, FAQ
- [Pricing](https://kdpbook.io/pricing): plans, credit packs, what credits buy, unit prices
- [Book types](https://kdpbook.io/book-types): all 36 book types
- [Community library](https://kdpbook.io/community): public books made with kdpbook.io
- [Example books](https://kdpbook.io/examples): real books made with kdpbook.io, grouped by book family, each with its cover, book type, trim size, page count, art style and a link to the free 3D reader
- [KDP tools](https://kdpbook.io/kdp): free calculators, printable puzzle makers and KDP numbers at a glance
- [Guides](https://kdpbook.io/guides): KDP publishing guides
- [Glossary](https://kdpbook.io/glossary): KDP and printing terms
- [Vibe publishing](https://kdpbook.io/vibe-publishing): the definition, how a book described in a chat becomes KDP-ready files, vibe coding vs vibe publishing
- [Book ideas](https://kdpbook.io/ideas): 160 original one-sentence book ideas in 8 families, each with its book type and a link that starts it in kdpbook.io
- [AI content policy](https://kdpbook.io/ai-content-policy): AI use, KDP disclosure, commercial rights, community publication
- [About](https://kdpbook.io/about): who runs kdpbook.io, how its KDP rules, guides and comparisons are checked and dated
- [Press kit](https://kdpbook.io/press): fast facts, founder, logos, boilerplate and the 70-second demo video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDslUtlPK34)
- [Atom feed](https://kdpbook.io/feed.xml): new guides and community books

## Free KDP tools and references
- [KDP spine width calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/spine-width-calculator): Spine width from page count and paper, with the spine-text rule.
- [KDP cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator): Full-wrap cover size and a downloadable template with every guide.
- [KDP printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator): Printing cost and minimum list price on all 14 print marketplaces.
- [KDP royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator): Royalty per sale for print (50/60%) and Kindle (35/70% with delivery).
- [KDP trim sizes](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes): All standard trims to scale, with page limits per ink and paper.
- [KDP margins and bleed](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed): Gutter by page count, outside margins and the page size with bleed.
- [KDP rejection decoder](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/rejection-decoder): Paste KDP's email and see each issue it reports, with the fix.
- [KDP rejection messages: what each one means and how to fix it](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/errors): What 26 KDP messages mean and how to fix each one.
- [Amazon KDP rule changes: a dated timeline (2023–2026)](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/changes): 16 dated, sourced KDP rule changes since 2023, newest first.
- [KDP supported languages (47): eBook, paperback and hardcover](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/languages): All 47 KDP languages, by eBook, paperback and hardcover.
- [KDP specs as open data](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/data): The KDP rulebook as JSON and CSV, free to reuse with credit.
- [Word count to page count calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-count-to-page-count): Pages from a word count, trim and font size, with spine and print cost.
- [Amazon book description formatter](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/amazon-book-description-formatter): Bold, italics, headings and lists in the HTML KDP accepts, with a live character count.
- [Free word search maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-search-maker): A printable word search from your own words, with its answer key.
- [Free sudoku maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/sudoku-maker): Printable sudoku from easy to expert, each with one solution.
- [Free maze maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/maze-maker): Printable rectangular or circular mazes, with the solution.
- KDP trim size pages: https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/<size>, one per standard size (5x8, 5-06x7-81, 5-25x8, 5-5x8-5, 6x9, 6-14x9-21, 6-69x9-61, 7x10, 7-44x9-69, 7-5x9-25, 8x10, 8-25x6, 8-25x8-25, 8-5x8-5, 8-5x11, 8-27x11-69, 8-25x11): page limits per paper, margins, cover size and printing cost. Summary table under "KDP trim sizes" in https://kdpbook.io/llms-full.txt.

## Guides
- [How to write and publish a book with AI (step by step, 2026)](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-write-and-publish-a-book-with-ai): From idea to Amazon KDP with AI: outline, draft, edit, illustrations, formatting, cover, Kindle eBook, listing, AI disclosure and royalties, DIY or with kdpbook.
- [Can you publish AI-generated books on Amazon KDP? The 2026 rules](https://kdpbook.io/guides/can-you-publish-ai-generated-books-on-kdp): Yes, with a disclosure. KDP’s 2026 rules for AI books: what to declare, the 2-titles-per-format weekly limit, what KDP removes and what gets books rejected.
- [The KDP publishing checklist: every check before you hit Publish](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist): A step-by-step preflight for Amazon KDP: interior PDF, cover PDF, Kindle file and listing checks that catch the most common rejections before you publish.
- [KDP royalties explained: paperback, hardcover and Kindle rates in 2026](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-royalties-explained): How KDP pays in 2026: 60% or 50% of list price minus printing for print books, 35% or 70% minus delivery for Kindle ($2.99–$12.99 band), with worked examples.
- [KDP title limit: 2 new titles per format per week (since September 21, 2026)](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-title-creation-limit): Since September 21, 2026, KDP lets you create 2 new titles per format each week (it was 10). What counts, when it resets, and how to plan a series around it.
- [How to make a puzzle book for Amazon KDP (word search, sudoku, mazes)](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-puzzle-book-for-kdp): How to make a puzzle book for KDP: trim size and large print, puzzles per page, answer keys, ISBN, why it isn't low-content, Expanded Distribution and cost.
- [KDP keywords, categories and book description: how to fill them in](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-keywords-categories-and-description): How to fill in KDP's 7 keyword boxes, pick 3 categories and write a book description of up to 4,000 characters with the HTML KDP accepts.
- [How to publish a children’s picture book on KDP with AI](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-publish-a-childrens-picture-book-on-kdp): From idea to Amazon: trim size, premium color, bleed, page count, consistent characters, Kindle edition and AI disclosure for an AI-illustrated picture book.
- [How to make a coloring book for KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-coloring-book-for-kdp): Trim size, paper, single-sided pages, line weight, page count, ISBN and pricing for a KDP coloring book, and why it is print only and not low-content.
- [How to make a journal for KDP: guided journals, planners and notebooks](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-journal-for-kdp): Low-content rules, trim sizes, paper, page counts and interiors for KDP journals, planners and notebooks, and what a guided journal adds to a plain notebook.
- [KDP AI content disclosure, explained](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure): What Amazon KDP means by AI-generated and AI-assisted content, what to declare for text, images and translations, and how to answer for an AI-made book.
- [Can you copyright or sell an AI-generated book? (2026)](https://kdpbook.io/guides/ai-generated-book-copyright): US copyright doesn’t cover purely AI-generated text or images, but you can sell them on KDP with disclosure: what’s protected, Thaler v. Perlmutter, UK and EU.
- [How to choose a KDP trim size and paper for your book](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-trim-sizes-and-paper-types): How to pick the trim size and the ink and paper for a KDP print book: page limits, spine width and printing cost of each choice, with picks by genre.
- [KDP premium color vs standard color: cost, quality and when to use each](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-premium-color-vs-standard-color): Premium vs standard color on KDP: paper, print quality, page limits and printing cost, with worked examples for a 32-page picture book and a 100-page coloring book.
- [How to format a book for a KDP paperback (novel and non-fiction)](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-format-a-novel-for-kdp-paperback): Trim size, margins, gutter, fonts, chapter openers, front matter, page numbers and PDF settings for a KDP paperback novel or non-fiction book, with numbers.
- [KDP cover requirements: how to make a paperback cover that passes review](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-cover-dimensions-and-spine-width): KDP cover requirements for paperbacks and hardcovers: one full-wrap PDF, bleed, spine width, spine text, safe areas, the barcode box and the Kindle cover.
- [What are low-content books on KDP? Low vs medium content](https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp): What KDP counts as a low-content book, why coloring and puzzle books aren't, and what the low-content box changes for ISBNs, distribution and Kindle.
- [How many words in a children’s book? Word count by age and format](https://kdpbook.io/guides/childrens-book-word-count-by-age): Word counts for board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade and young adult, from agents and editors, with the page counts KDP allows.
- [Kindle Kids’ Book Creator is gone: how to make a fixed-layout Kindle picture book in 2026](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kindle-kids-book-creator-alternative): Amazon retired Kindle Kids’ Book Creator in 2025. What to use now for a fixed-layout Kindle picture book (Kindle Create or EPUB), with KDP’s rules.
- [KDP paperback vs hardcover: trims, page counts, printing cost and royalties](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-paperback-vs-hardcover): KDP paperback vs hardcover: trim sizes, page limits, paper, marketplaces, printing cost, minimum price and royalty per copy, with worked examples.
- [Free KDP ISBN vs your own ISBN: what changes and which to choose](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-isbn-free-vs-your-own): The free KDP ISBN vs one you buy: the “Independently published” imprint, KDP-only use, one ISBN per format, eBooks, low-content books and what an ISBN costs.
- [How to price a book on KDP: minimum prices, royalty bands and worked examples](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp): KDP pricing with real numbers: minimum list price, the 50% to 60% jump at $9.99, Kindle’s 35% and 70% bands, delivery costs, KDP Select and three worked examples.
- [How to make a children’s book with AI and keep the characters consistent](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-childrens-book-with-ai-and-keep-characters-consistent): Why AI characters change from page to page and how to stop it: reference sheets, a locked style, prompt tips, DIY methods and limits, print specs and AI disclosure.

## Glossary: key KDP terms
- [What is bleed in KDP printing?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/bleed)
- [What is trim size in KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/trim-size)
- [What is the gutter margin in KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/gutter)
- [What is the live area (safe area) on a KDP page?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/live-area)
- [What are KDP's page count limits?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/page-count)
- [What DPI does KDP require?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/dpi)
- [What is PDF/X-1a, and does KDP require it?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/pdf-x-1a)
- [How is spine width calculated on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/spine)
- [What is a full-wrap cover on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/full-wrap-cover)
- [What is the barcode area on a KDP cover?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/barcode-area)
- [What is a case laminate hardcover on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/case-laminate)
- [What size is a Kindle eBook cover?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/kindle-cover)
- [What is premium color on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/premium-color)
- [What is standard color on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/standard-color)
- [Cream vs white paper on KDP: what's the difference?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/cream-paper)
- [What is a fixed-layout eBook on Kindle?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/fixed-layout)
- [What is EPUB, and which eBook files does KDP accept?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/epub)
- [What is a low-content book on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/low-content)
- [Do you need an ISBN for KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/isbn)
- [What counts as AI-generated content on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/ai-generated)
- [What is KDP Select?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/kdp-select)
- [What is KDP Expanded Distribution?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/expanded-distribution)
- [How do KDP royalties work?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/royalty)
- [How is KDP printing cost calculated?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/printing-cost)
- [How does KDP list price work?](https://kdpbook.io/glossary/list-price)

## Comparisons
- [All comparisons](https://kdpbook.io/compare): one-to-one comparisons, each built from the other tool's own pages and dated
- [kdpbook.io vs LowContent.ai: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/lowcontent-ai-alternative): LowContent.ai is a chat-based toolbox that generates individual images, texts and puzzle grids for low-content books. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs KDP Builder: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/kdp-builder-alternative): KDP Builder and kdpbook.io are the closest tools on the market: both turn a brief into a complete book with interior, cover and eBook files, and both keep characters consistent with a reference sheet per character. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Book Bolt: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/book-bolt-alternative): Book Bolt is best known for KDP niche and keyword research, plus a drag-and-drop studio for covers and interiors, puzzle generators and, per its home page, generators for complete story, puzzle, coloring and journal books. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Childbook.ai: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/childbook-ai-alternative): Childbook.ai writes and illustrates children’s books with consistent characters, up to 32 pages on Hobby or 40 on Premium, and can print a softcover for you. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Story.com Storybook Publisher: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/storybook-publisher-alternative): Story.com’s Storybook Publisher creates 8- to 48-page children’s picture books, free to start with pay-per-use credits for regenerations, and gives you paperback files with KDP instructions or publishes the book for you. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs C2Story: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/c2story-alternative): C2Story is an AI picture-book studio with 50+ art styles, bilingual books and story videos, from $10.99/month. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Atticus: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/atticus-alternative): Atticus is a writing and formatting app sold for $147 once: it turns a manuscript you wrote into EPUB, PDF and DOCX files, but it doesn't write, illustrate or make the print cover. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Vellum: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/vellum-alternative): Vellum is a Mac-only formatter, $199.99 for ebooks or $249.99 with print, paid once. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Kindle Create: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/kindle-create-alternative): Kindle Create is Amazon's free desktop app for Windows and Mac: it formats a finished manuscript into a Kindle eBook (KPF) and, for text-first books, a paperback without bleed. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Canva for KDP books: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/canva-kdp-alternative): Canva is a general design tool, free or $144 a year for Pro, with book cover templates, AI image tools and a print PDF export. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Librava (ex-BooksGenie): an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/librava-alternative): Librava, formerly BooksGenie, is a low- and medium-content suite: 11 puzzle generators, coloring, journal and planner interiors, a children's story designer and a full-wrap cover maker, from $11.99/month (Basic exports PNG only; vector 300 DPI book exports start on the $16.99 Pro plan). Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs KDPEasy: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/kdpeasy-alternative): KDPEasy is a KDP production kit built around covers: AI full-wrap covers, coloring, puzzle and journal interiors, keyword research and a Chrome extension that saves KDP drafts, from $19/month or 10 free credits. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs ChatGPT for making a KDP book](https://kdpbook.io/compare/chatgpt-kdp-alternative): Yes, you can make a KDP book with ChatGPT: it writes and draws, then you assemble the pages in Canva, Word or Kindle Create and apply KDP's trim, 0.125 in bleed, margins, spine width and cover size yourself. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Sudowrite: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/sudowrite-alternative): Sudowrite is an AI writing partner for fiction, from $10/month billed yearly ($19 monthly): Story Bible, Write, Describe and Rewrite help you draft in your own voice. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Squibler: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/squibler-alternative): Squibler is an AI book and screenplay writer: it generates a full-length draft from a prompt and exports PDF, Word or ePub, with a free tier of 1,000 credits and Plus at $15.83/month billed yearly ($29.99 monthly). Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs BookAutoAI: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/bookautoai-alternative): BookAutoAI is an AI studio for non-fiction books (25,000+ words) and full-picture cookbooks, from $12/month: it plans, writes, formats and makes cover concepts, then exports a formatted paperback file and an EPUB, with a sales page for each book. Checked 2026-09-28.
- [kdpbook.io vs Reedsy Studio: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/reedsy-studio-alternative): Reedsy Studio is free: you write or import a manuscript and it typesets a reflowable EPUB 3 and a print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a) in 4 trim sizes with 3 themes. Checked 2026-09-28.

## Roundups
- [All roundups](https://kdpbook.io/best): dated lists of AI book tools for KDP, each described from its own pages
- [AI book generators for Amazon KDP (2026): what each one actually outputs](https://kdpbook.io/best/ai-book-generators-for-kdp): 11 tools, checked 2026-09-28
- [AI children's book generators compared (2026)](https://kdpbook.io/best/ai-childrens-book-generators): 8 tools, checked 2026-09-28

## Landing pages
- [Format your manuscript for Amazon KDP](https://kdpbook.io/kdp-formatting): Upload a Word, PDF, Markdown or plain text manuscript and get a KDP print PDF, a full-wrap cover and a Kindle EPUB, with trim, margins and bleed applied.
- [Illustrate your children’s book with AI](https://kdpbook.io/illustrate-my-childrens-book): Paste or upload your story: kdpbook.io plans the pages, draws the same characters on every page in 21 styles, and exports KDP-ready print and Kindle files.
- [AI book cover creator for KDP: full wrap, spine and barcode sized for you](https://kdpbook.io/kdp-cover-creator): kdpbook.io designs your KDP cover inside your book project and sizes the full wrap from trim, paper and page count, with bleed, spine and barcode area.
- [Low-content book generator for KDP](https://kdpbook.io/low-content-book-generator): Make KDP notebooks, planners, logbooks, sketchbooks and password books: kdpbook.io generates the interior pages in code and designs the cover.

## Examples
- [Little Wolf and the Friendly Dark](https://kdpbook.io/books/little-wolf-and-the-friendly-dark): Picture book, 32 pages, by kdpbook Studio, made with kdpbook.io, free to read
- [Inka and the Sea Glass Reef](https://kdpbook.io/books/inka-and-the-sea-glass-reef): Picture book, 32 pages, by kdpbook Studio, made with kdpbook.io, free to read
- [Botanical Mandalas](https://kdpbook.io/books/botanical-mandalas): Adult coloring book, 42 pages, by kdpbook Studio, made with kdpbook.io, free to read
- [Dinosaur Picnic](https://kdpbook.io/books/dinosaur-picnic): Kids' coloring book, 42 pages, by kdpbook Studio, made with kdpbook.io, free to read
- [Ammar’s Big Red Truck](https://kdpbook.io/books/ammars-big-red-truck): Counting book, 24 pages, made with kdpbook.io, free to read

## Data
- [KDP specs (JSON)](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/data/kdp-specs.json): the KDP rulebook as open data
- [KDP specs (CSV)](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/data/kdp-specs.csv)

## Book types in detail
### Baby & toddler book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-baby-book-generator)
A first book for babies and toddlers: one big, bright picture and a few words per page (first words, colors, animals, bedtime). Printed as a square premium-color paperback.
Default: 8.5 × 8.5 in, Premium color · white paper, bleed, 24 pages (template 24–32). Formats: Paperback, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 1,692 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.20; minimum list price $8.40.

### Picture book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator)
The classic 32-page picture book for ages 3–6: full-page or double-page illustrations with a short read-aloud text and characters that stay consistent on every page.
Default: 8.5 × 8.5 in, Premium color · white paper, bleed, 32 pages (template 24–48). Formats: Paperback, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 1,624 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.20; minimum list price $8.40.

### ABC book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-alphabet-book-generator)
An alphabet book for ages 2–6: one letter per page from A to Z, each with a big, bright picture of something that starts with it and a short line to read aloud.
Default: 8.5 × 8.5 in, Premium color · white paper, bleed, 32 pages (template 32–40). Formats: Paperback, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,257 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.20; minimum list price $8.40.

### Counting book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-counting-book-generator)
A first counting book for ages 1–5: the numbers 1 to 10, one per spread, each with a picture of that many friendly things to point at and count, and a short line to read aloud.
Default: 8.5 × 8.5 in, Premium color · white paper, bleed, 24 pages (template 24–28). Formats: Paperback, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 1,039 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.20; minimum list price $8.40.

### Illustrated storybook (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-storybook-generator)
A longer illustrated story for ages 5–8 with a picture above and a paragraph below on every page, and full-page art at the key moments.
Default: 8 × 10 in, Premium color · white paper, bleed, 40 pages (template 24–96). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 3,020 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.20; minimum list price $8.40.

### Early reader (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-early-reader-book-generator)
A leveled 'I can read' book for ages 5–7: controlled vocabulary, short sentences, big type and a picture on every page that shows exactly what the text says.
Default: 6 × 9 in, Premium color · white paper, 32 pages (template 24–64). Formats: Paperback, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,237 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $3.60; minimum list price $7.20.

### Bedtime story collection (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-bedtime-story-book-generator)
A treasury of 5–20 short, calming bedtime stories. Each story opens with a full-page illustration and carries a few small spot illustrations.
Default: 8 × 10 in, Standard color · white paper, bleed, 96 pages (template 48–200). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,613 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.86; minimum list price $9.72.

### Kids' fact book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-kids-fact-book-generator)
Illustrated non-fiction for curious kids (dinosaurs, space, animals, the human body): one topic per spread with a big picture and short, checked fact blocks.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Premium color · white paper, bleed, 48 pages (template 24–120). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,940 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.84; minimum list price $9.68.

### Early chapter book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-chapter-book-generator)
A first chapter book for ages 6–9: short chapters, big type and black-and-white spot illustrations every few pages.
Default: 5.5 × 8.5 in, Black & white · white paper, 96 pages (template 48–160). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,142 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.30; minimum list price $4.60.

### Middle-grade novel (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-middle-grade-novel-writer)
An adventure, fantasy or mystery novel for ages 8–12 (30k–55k words), with optional chapter-opener vignettes.
Default: 5.5 × 8.5 in, Black & white · cream paper, 208 pages (template 120–360). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,990 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $3.50; minimum list price $6.99.

### Young adult novel (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-young-adult-novel-writer)
A YA fantasy, romance, dystopian or contemporary novel for ages 13–18 (50k–90k words).
Default: 5.5 × 8.5 in, Black & white · cream paper, 320 pages (template 180–500). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 4,838 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.84; minimum list price $9.68.

### Novel (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-novel-writer)
Adult fiction in any genre (romance, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, literary), 60k–110k words, formatted for paperback, hardcover and Kindle.
Default: 5.5 × 8.5 in, Black & white · cream paper, 336 pages (template 200–700). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 5,377 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $5.03; minimum list price $9.99.

### Novella & short stories (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-short-story-collection-generator)
A novella or short-story collection (20k–50k words): ideal for series starters, reader magnets and themed anthologies.
Default: 5 × 8 in, Black & white · cream paper, 144 pages (template 80–260). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,516 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.73; minimum list price $5.46.

### Poetry collection (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-poetry-book-generator)
A poetry collection for adults or children, laid out with generous white space, section dividers and optional spot illustrations.
Default: 5.5 × 8.5 in, Black & white · cream paper, 96 pages (template 48–200). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 1,187 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.30; minimum list price $4.60.

### Non-fiction guide (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-nonfiction-book-writer)
A how-to, self-help, business or hobby guide with clear chapters, key-takeaway callouts, checklists and optional diagrams.
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · white paper, 192 pages (template 80–400). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,931 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $3.30; minimum list price $6.61.

### Self-help book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-self-help-book-writer)
A self-help book (confidence, habits, calm, relationships, productivity) with one clear promise: chapters that mix a relatable story, a plain explanation and a practical exercise, each ending with key takeaways.
Default: 5.5 × 8.5 in, Black & white · cream paper, 176 pages (template 96–320). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,777 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $3.11; minimum list price $6.22.

### Business book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-business-book-writer)
A business or professional book (marketing, leadership, sales, a consultant's method or a lead-magnet book) built around one clear framework, worked examples, checklists and chapter summaries.
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · white paper, 160 pages (template 80–320). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 2,526 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.92; minimum list price $5.84.

### Devotional (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-devotional-book-writer)
A daily devotional (30 to 90 days): each day pairs a Bible verse with a short reflection, a prayer and a question to carry through the day, one reading per page or two.
Default: 5.5 × 8.5 in, Black & white · cream paper, 120 pages (template 60–240). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 1,996 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.44; minimum list price $4.88.

### Cookbook (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-cookbook-maker)
A recipe book with a hero photo per recipe, an ingredient list and step-by-step method, organized by chapter.
Default: 8 × 10 in, Standard color · white paper, bleed, 120 pages (template 72–300). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 3,460 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $5.82; minimum list price $9.99.

### Memoir & family history (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-memoir-writer)
A life story, biography or family history: your memories and notes shaped into chapters, or your own draft laid out word for word. Text written from notes is a draft for you to check, because only you know what happened.
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · cream paper, 208 pages (template 80–500). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 3,470 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $3.50; minimum list price $6.99.

### Kids' coloring book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-coloring-book-generator)
A themed coloring book for ages 2–8: bold outlines, big shapes, one design per page, printed on one side by default so markers never bleed through.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 106 pages (template 24–220). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 1,803 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Adult coloring book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-adult-coloring-book-generator)
Relaxing coloring for teens, adults and seniors: bold & easy designs, cozy scenes, mandalas or intricate patterns, printed on one side by default.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 106 pages (template 24–220). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 1,803 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Kids' activity book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-activity-book-generator)
Mixed activities for kids: mazes, tracing, word searches and tic-tac-toe or dots-and-boxes games chosen for the reader's age, with illustrated pages on your theme and the solutions at the back.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 104 pages (template 24–200). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 2,251 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Puzzle book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/puzzle-book-generator)
Word search, sudoku, criss-cross, cryptograms and more for adults and seniors, large print by default, every puzzle verified solvable, solutions at the back.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 108 pages (template 24–300). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 460 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Word search book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/large-print-word-search-book-maker)
A book of themed word search puzzles, large print by default for adults and seniors (or kid-sized grids): every word verified in its grid, puzzles that get harder, solutions at the back.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 108 pages (template 24–240). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 460 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Sudoku book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/sudoku-book-generator)
A sudoku book with large-print 9x9 puzzles (6x6 grids for early readers) that go from easy to hard, each checked by a solver to have exactly one solution, with the solutions at the back.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 108 pages (template 24–300). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 460 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Maze book for kids (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/maze-book-for-kids-generator)
A book of mazes for ages 3–10 that grow from big, easy paths to tricky ones, each with exactly one way through and a fun title, with the solutions at the back.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 104 pages (template 24–200). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 445 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Educational workbook (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-workbook-generator)
Practice pages for preschool to middle grade: letter, number and line tracing, handwriting lines, math drills and word searches chosen for the reader's age, with illustrated pages on your theme and an answer key for the drills.
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 104 pages (template 24–200). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 2,251 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.84; minimum list price $5.68.

### Guided journal (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker)
A prompt journal (gratitude, mindfulness, faith, grief, parenting, travel) with a unique prompt on every page, writing lines and small decorative art.
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · white paper, 120 pages (template 60–240). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 1,491 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.44; minimum list price $4.88.

### Gratitude journal (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/gratitude-journal-maker)
A gratitude journal with a new, gentle prompt every day, space to note three good things and a short reflection each week, with small decorative drawings.
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · white paper, 120 pages (template 60–240). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 1,394 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.44; minimum list price $4.88.

### Planner & logbook (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/planner-and-logbook-maker)
Low-content interiors built in code: an undated weekly planner, or, for seniors, a log book (blood pressure, medication) with columns written for your niche.
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · white paper, 108 pages (template 24–400). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 460 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.30; minimum list price $4.60.

### Lined notebook (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/lined-notebook-interior-maker)
A classic lined notebook or composition book: clean ruled pages with a date line, a 'This notebook belongs to' page and a cover designed for your niche (low-content).
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · white paper, 120 pages (template 24–300). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 503 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.44; minimum list price $4.88.

### Sketchbook (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/sketchbook-interior-maker)
A sketchbook for kids or adults: blank pages with a thin rounded frame on white paper, after a 'This sketchbook belongs to' page (low-content).
Default: 8.5 × 11 in, Black & white · white paper, 110 pages (template 24–200). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 467 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.87; minimum list price $5.74.

### Password book (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/password-book-maker)
An alphabetical password keeper: A to Z sections, each page headed by its letter with a table for website, username or email and password, in large print by default (low-content).
Default: 6 × 9 in, Black & white · white paper, 108 pages (template 60–200). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover. Estimate ≈ 460 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.30; minimum list price $4.60.

### Comic & graphic novel (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-comic-book-generator)
A full-color comic issue or graphic novel: pages painted with their panels, dialogue and captions typeset on top, and characters that stay consistent from panel to panel.
Default: 7 × 10 in, Premium color · white paper, bleed, 48 pages (template 24–240). Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 4,579 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $4.84; minimum list price $9.68.

### Manga (https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-manga-generator)
A black-and-white manga-style volume with screentone shading and several panels per page, read left to right like most English-language manga.
Default: 5 × 8 in, Black & white · white paper, bleed, 64 pages (template 24–240). Formats: Paperback, Kindle eBook. Estimate ≈ 5,133 credits. KDP printing cost (US, default): $2.30; minimum list price $4.60.

## KDP trim sizes
One page per standard size at https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/<size> (for example https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/6x9), checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28. Page ranges as published by KDP. A large trim (wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in) costs more to print. Hardcover sizes take 75–550 pages in black and white or premium color.

| Trim | mm | Binding | Class | Paperback pages (B&W white / B&W cream / B&W groundwood / Standard color / Premium color) | Page with bleed | Expanded Distribution | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 × 8 in | 127 × 203.2 | paperback | regular | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 5.125 × 8.25 in | B&W white, B&W cream, B&W groundwood, Standard color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/5x8 |
| 5.06 × 7.81 in | 128.5 × 198.4 | paperback | regular | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 5.185 × 8.06 in | B&W white, Standard color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/5-06x7-81 |
| 5.25 × 8 in | 133.4 × 203.2 | paperback | regular | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 5.375 × 8.25 in | B&W white, B&W cream, B&W groundwood, Standard color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/5-25x8 |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | 139.7 × 215.9 | paperback, hardcover | regular | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 5.625 × 8.75 in | B&W white, B&W cream, B&W groundwood, Standard color, Premium color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/5-5x8-5 |
| 6 × 9 in | 152.4 × 228.6 | paperback, hardcover | regular | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 6.125 × 9.25 in | B&W white, B&W cream, B&W groundwood, Standard color, Premium color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/6x9 |
| 6.14 × 9.21 in | 156 × 233.9 | paperback, hardcover | large | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 6.265 × 9.46 in | B&W white, Standard color, Premium color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/6-14x9-21 |
| 6.69 × 9.61 in | 169.9 × 244.1 | paperback | large | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 6.815 × 9.86 in | B&W white, Standard color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/6-69x9-61 |
| 7 × 10 in | 177.8 × 254 | paperback, hardcover | large | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 7.125 × 10.25 in | B&W white, Standard color, Premium color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/7x10 |
| 7.44 × 9.69 in | 189 × 246.1 | paperback | large | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 7.565 × 9.94 in | B&W white, Standard color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/7-44x9-69 |
| 7.5 × 9.25 in | 190.5 × 235 | paperback | large | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 7.625 × 9.5 in | B&W white, Standard color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/7-5x9-25 |
| 8 × 10 in | 203.2 × 254 | paperback | large | 24–828 / 24–776 / 24–812 / 72–600 / 24–828 | 8.125 × 10.25 in | B&W white, Standard color, Premium color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/8x10 |
| 8.25 × 6 in (landscape) | 209.6 × 152.4 | paperback | large | 24–800 / 24–750 / 24–784 / 72–600 / 24–800 | 8.375 × 6.25 in | none | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/8-25x6 |
| 8.25 × 8.25 in | 209.6 × 209.6 | paperback | large | 24–800 / 24–750 / 24–784 / 72–600 / 24–800 | 8.375 × 8.5 in | none | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/8-25x8-25 |
| 8.5 × 8.5 in | 215.9 × 215.9 | paperback | large | 24–590 / 24–550 / 24–578 / 72–600 / 24–590 | 8.625 × 8.75 in | Standard color, Premium color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/8-5x8-5 |
| 8.5 × 11 in | 215.9 × 279.4 | paperback | large | 24–590 / 24–550 / 24–578 / 72–600 / 24–590 | 8.625 × 11.25 in | B&W white, Standard color, Premium color | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/8-5x11 |
| 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4) | 210 × 297 | paperback | large | 24–780 / 24–730 / 24–764 / n/a / 24–590 | 8.395 × 11.94 in | none | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/8-27x11-69 |
| 8.25 × 11 in | 209.6 × 279.4 | hardcover | large | hardcover only | 8.375 × 11.25 in | none | https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes/8-25x11 |

## KDP rule changes, newest first (https://kdpbook.io/kdp/changes)
Checked 2026-09-28. Since 2023, Amazon KDP has made AI-content disclosure mandatory (September 6, 2023), stopped accepting MOBI for fixed-layout eBooks (March 18, 2025), cut the print royalty to 50% below $9.99 (June 10, 2025), raised the Kindle 70% royalty ceiling to $12.99 (July 7, 2026) and capped new titles at 2 per format per week (September 21, 2026).

- September 21, 2026 · New titles capped at 2 per format per week: KDP now lets an account create 2 new titles per book format each week: eBook, paperback and hardcover are counted separately, and the count resets every Sunday at 12:00 AM UTC. The previous limit was 10 per format per week. KDP Help no longer invites publishers to ask for an exception. The limit counts only new titles: existing and published titles are not affected. Affects: Authors who start several books or formats in the same week: rapid-release series, large low-content or puzzle-book catalogs, publishers with many imprints. kdpbook.io: The upload guide that comes with every export shows the limit (2 new titles per format per week). kdpbook.io makes the files; it doesn’t create titles in your KDP account, so planning the weekly count stays with you. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201857950, https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/KDP-Title-Creation-Limits-Update?language=en_US, https://selfpublishingadvice.org/amazon-cuts-kdp-weekly-upload-limit/
- July 7, 2026 · Kindle 70% royalty band raised to $12.99: The 70% royalty option now covers Kindle eBooks listed from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com, up from a $9.99 ceiling that had been in place since 2007. Other marketplaces moved the same way: £12.99, €12.99, C$12.99, A$15.99, ¥1,650, ₹599, R$31.99 and MX$199.99. The 70% option still subtracts a delivery cost ($0.15 per MB on Amazon.com). Books already published keep their price and royalty option until you change them. Example: A $11.99 eBook with a 2 MB file on Amazon.com earned only the 35% option before: $4.20 per sale. It can now take 70%: 70% × ($11.99 − $0.30 delivery) = $8.18 per sale. Affects: Authors who price eBooks between $10.00 and $12.99 (long novels, box sets, specialist nonfiction): that range earned 35% before. kdpbook.io: The free royalty calculator and the royalties guide use the new band in every marketplace. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634560, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200644210, https://janefriedman.com/kindle-direct-publishing-extends-70-percent-royalty-on-ebooks-from-9-99-price-point-to-12-99/
- May 21, 2026 · No printing-cost changes for 2026: After its annual review, KDP announced that printing fees would not change in 2026. The printing costs in effect since June 10, 2025 still apply: a 300-page black-and-white 6 × 9 in paperback costs $4.60 to print on Amazon.com, for example. Affects: Everyone who sells paperbacks or hardcovers. kdpbook.io: The free printing cost calculator uses KDP’s current tables for all 14 print marketplaces. Sources: https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/Printing-fees-update-for-2026?language=en_US, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340
- Late May 2026 · Groundwood paper opens to all black-and-white paperbacks: Groundwood paper joined white and cream as a paper for black-and-white paperbacks, in every trim size and all 14 paperback marketplaces. KDP says it costs about 5% less per page than white or cream paper. It isn’t offered for hardcovers or color interiors, and KDP may move books with heavy ink coverage back to white or cream. Its thickness differs from both, so switching a book above 350 pages (from cream) or 525 pages (from white) needs a new cover with a different spine width. (Date: KDP gave no date. Its Groundwood Paper help page said “beta participants only” in the copy archived on May 17, 2026, and “all eligible paperbacks” in the copy archived on May 28, 2026. The copy archived on April 3, 2026 already described the beta.) Affects: Authors of novels and other text-heavy black-and-white paperbacks who want a lower printing cost. kdpbook.io: Groundwood is one of the papers offered for black-and-white paperbacks in the format step, and the spine width and printing cost calculators include it. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G99WKT9FARBGHBJF, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834180, https://web.archive.org/web/20260403173436/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G99WKT9FARBGHBJF, https://web.archive.org/web/20260517042401/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G99WKT9FARBGHBJF, https://web.archive.org/web/20260528034507/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G99WKT9FARBGHBJF
- January 20, 2026 · DRM-free Kindle books can be downloaded as EPUB and PDF: Buyers of Kindle eBooks published without DRM (digital rights management) can now download EPUB and PDF copies from their Amazon account. For books published before December 9, 2025 without DRM, the download is offered only after the author confirms the choice in KDP. Kindle Unlimited borrowers can’t download these files. The DRM setting can be changed at any time: applying DRM stops new downloads, but readers keep the files they already have. Affects: Authors who publish eBooks without DRM, and anyone choosing between DRM and DRM-free. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GDDXGH9VR22ACM8U, https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-drm-epub-downloads/, https://selfpublishingadvice.org/amazon-shifts-drm-rules/
- November 2025 · Transparency codes retired from new print books: KDP no longer adds Transparency codes to the barcodes of print books created after November 2025. Books published before then may still print with one, and scanning those codes keeps working. (Date: KDP Help gives the month, not a day.) Affects: Paperback authors who used Transparency codes. There is nothing to do for new books. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G5HDYGP4BXLX4RUW, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GGE5T76TWKA85DJM
- November 6, 2025 · Kindle Translate: free AI translation for KDP eBooks (beta): Amazon announced Kindle Translate, a free service that uses AI to translate an eligible KDP eBook into another language. It is an invite-only beta. Translated titles carry a language label in the Amazon store, readers can preview a sample, and the titles can be enrolled in KDP Select. On June 30, 2026, Amazon listed translation between English and Spanish, German, French, Italian and Portuguese. Whether a Kindle Translate edition needs KDP’s AI-translation disclosure is not documented on the pages we read. Affects: eBook authors invited to the beta who want editions in other languages. Sources: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/books-and-authors/amazon-kindle-translate-books-authors, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GRSNH76FDTJHRX49
- August–November 2025 · Title creation limit set at 10 per format per week: KDP Help started to give a number for its title creation limit: 10 new titles per book format each week. Until then the page only said that titles were limited “within a specific period of time”. Publishers who expected to create many titles could still ask KDP for an exception. It lasted until September 20, 2026. (Date: KDP gave no date. Its Paperback Submission Guidelines gave no number in the copy archived on August 7, 2025, and said “10 per book format each week” in the copy archived on November 9, 2025. ALLi dates the ten-title limit to 2025.) Affects: Authors and publishers who create many titles. Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20250807225305/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201857950, https://web.archive.org/web/20251109030924/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201857950, https://selfpublishingadvice.org/amazon-cuts-kdp-weekly-upload-limit/
- June 10, 2025 · 50% print royalty below $9.99, cheaper color printing: Paperbacks and hardcovers listed below $9.99, €9.99, £7.99, C$13.99, A$13.99, ¥1,000 and 40 PLN now earn 50% of the list price minus printing, instead of 60%; at or above those prices they still earn 60%. On Amazon.se the announcement said 99 SEK, while KDP’s paperback royalty page and calculator use 110 SEK. Before, KDP paid a fixed 60% on print books at any price. In the same review KDP lowered some color printing costs: standard color on Amazon.com went from $0.027 to $0.0255 per page, and premium color got cheaper on Amazon.co.uk, .de, .fr, .es, .it and .nl. Affects: Authors of low-priced print books (coloring, activity and puzzle books, journals, short children’s books). At $9.98 a book earns 50%; one cent more earns 60%. kdpbook.io: The free royalty calculator and the minimum list price in the printing cost calculator apply both bands in every print currency. Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20250521110012/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330, https://web.archive.org/web/20250504180322/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834330, https://web.archive.org/web/20250507122700/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340, https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/Changes-to-KDP-royalty-rates-for-print-books-priced-below-certain-list-prices-for-example-less-than-9-99-USD-and-updates-to-color-printing-costs?language=en_US
- March 18, 2025 · Kindle Kids’ Book Creator and Kindle Comic Creator retired, MOBI refused for fixed layout: KDP stopped accepting MOBI files for fixed-layout eBooks, the files Kindle Kids’ Book Creator and Kindle Comic Creator produced, and both tools were retired (KDP’s announcement put the end of their downloads on February 6, 2025). Fixed-layout books are now uploaded as KPF files made in Kindle Create, or as EPUB (KDP also takes JPG images, but only for episode-based manga published in Japan). Reflowable MOBI had already ended on August 1, 2021. Books already published stay on sale; an update needs a new file. Affects: Authors of picture books, comics and other fixed-layout Kindle books, including anyone updating an older one. kdpbook.io: Fixed-layout book types export a fixed-layout EPUB 3 file, checked with EPUBCheck. kdpbook.io never produces MOBI. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GULSQMHU5MNH4EZM, https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/Kindle-Comic-Creator-and-Kindle-Kids-Book-Creator-will-be-unavailable-from-March-18-2025?language=en_US, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GJMRD9F78MS9F43R
- February 26, 2025 · Kindle Vella closed: Amazon closed Kindle Vella, its program for serialized stories, on February 26, 2025. Episodes are no longer for sale; readers who bought them can still read them in the Kindle apps. The last day to upload new episodes was December 4, 2024, and KDP encourages republishing Vella stories as eBooks. Affects: Kindle Vella authors. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GUJHP3574Z3DLPZD, https://selfpublishingadvice.org/kindle-vella/
- November 2023 · Audiobooks with virtual voice (beta): KDP started a beta that turns an eligible eBook into an audiobook narrated by computer-generated speech, sold wherever Audible titles are sold. At launch, Publishers Weekly reported list prices of $3.99 to $14.99, a 40% royalty, and a label on every such audiobook. KDP Help now describes it as an invite-only beta, for books distributed in the US marketplace only. (Date: Reported by Publishers Weekly on November 1, 2023.) Affects: eBook authors invited to the beta. Sources: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/audio-books/article/93625-kindle-direct-publishing-will-beta-test-virtual-voice-narrated-audiobooks.html, https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GMPQGZAZJH6FF456
- September 18, 2023 · New titles capped at 3 a day: KDP lowered the volume limit it already had on new titles “to help protect against abuse”, to three new titles a day. KDP said very few publishers would be impacted, and that those who were would be notified and could ask for an exception. (Date: Date of KDP’s announcement in the KDP Community forum. The post gave no number; the Authors Guild reported on September 27, 2023 that KDP confirmed three titles a day.) Affects: Accounts creating many titles a day. Sources: https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/Update-on-KDP-Title-Creation-Limits?language=en_US, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/93207-kdp-will-limit-daily-number-of-new-titles.html, https://authorsguild.org/news/amazon-adds-to-kdp-generative-ai-policy-caps-daily-self-publishing-uploads/
- September 6, 2023 · AI-generated content must be disclosed: KDP’s content guidelines began requiring publishers to tell KDP when a book contains AI-generated text, images or translations, when they publish a new book or edit and republish one. Content an AI tool created counts as AI-generated even after substantial edits; AI-assisted content (your own work that you edited, refined or error-checked with AI) needs no disclosure. At launch, the Authors Guild noted that the answers go to Amazon, which had not agreed to show them on book listings. (Date: KDP announced the rule in a KDP Community post late on September 6, 2023 (Publishers Weekly, September 7). It is in the copy of KDP’s Content Guidelines archived on September 7, 2023, and not in the copy archived on August 14, 2023.) Affects: Everyone publishing a book with AI-generated text, images (covers included) or translations. kdpbook.io: The listing sheet suggests the disclosure answers from what kdpbook.io actually generated. You still answer the question in KDP, once per format. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200672390, https://web.archive.org/web/20230814113743/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200672390, https://web.archive.org/web/20230907185500/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200672390, https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/93122-amazon-issues-new-ai-guidelines-for-its-kdp-platform.html, https://authorsguild.org/news/amazons-new-disclosure-policy-for-ai-generated-book-content-is-a-welcome-first-step/
- June 20, 2023 · Printing costs go up: KDP raised printing costs from 12:00 AM UTC that day. Jane Friedman noted it was the first increase since KDP’s print service launched in 2016. On Amazon.com the fixed cost of a black-and-white paperback of 110 pages or more rose from $0.85 to $1.00 per book, and large trims (wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in) got their own, higher rates. Affects: All paperback and hardcover authors, most of all those with large-trim books. Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20230512023225/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340, https://web.archive.org/web/20230729170720/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340, https://janefriedman.com/increased-printing-costs-at-amazon-kdp/
- Late May or early June 2023 · Three Amazon categories per format, chosen at setup: Authors now choose three Amazon store categories per format when they set up a book, instead of two BISAC categories plus up to ten more requested from KDP after publication. KDP stopped accepting requests to add or update categories, and the categories on offer depend on the primary marketplace. (Date: KDP gave no date. Its categories help page still described two BISAC categories in the copy archived on May 30, 2023, and three Amazon categories in the copy archived on June 5, 2023.) Affects: Every author listing a book. kdpbook.io: The listing editor holds 3 categories, KDP’s limit per format, and can propose them; you then pick them in KDP’s category browser for each format. Sources: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200652170, https://web.archive.org/web/20230530081234/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200652170, https://web.archive.org/web/20230605173352/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200652170, https://selfpublishingadvice.org/book-metadata-keywords-and-amazon-category-changes/

## Book ideas
160 original one-sentence book ideas at https://kdpbook.io/ideas, one page per book family, written 2026-09-28. Any idea can be started in kdpbook.io at https://kdpbook.io/new?prompt=<the idea, URL-encoded>&type=<book type id> (sign-in required). No sales or demand data: the ideas are not ranked.

### 20 picture book ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/picture-books)
- A baby book for ages 0–2 about the sounds a farm makes in the morning, one big animal per page in bold flat colors (Baby & toddler book, type id board-book)
- A first-words book for toddlers built around bath time (duck, bubbles, towel, toes), one object per page on a plain background (Baby & toddler book, type id board-book)
- A toddler book about colors in which a small snail passes a red door, a yellow boot and a green leaf on its way home, in paper-cutout collage (Baby & toddler book, type id board-book)
- A goodnight book for ages 1–3 in which a little bear says goodnight to one thing in its room on every page, in calm night blues (Baby & toddler book, type id board-book)
- A picture book for ages 3–5 about a hedgehog who is nervous on the first day of forest school and meets a friend who is nervous too, in soft watercolor (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A rhyming picture book about a grandmother and her grandson who build a scarecrow and grow a vegetable garden from spring to autumn (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A picture book for ages 4–6 about a lighthouse keeper’s cat who helps keep the lamp burning through a stormy night (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A picture book about a girl who uses a wheelchair and designs the kite everyone remembers at the town’s kite festival, in bright gouache (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A picture book about moving day, told by the family’s old armchair, which worries it will be left behind (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A picture book for ages 3–6 about a bored cloud that tries being rain, snow and fog before deciding what it likes best (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A bilingual English-Spanish picture book about a boy who helps his grandmother make tamales for a family party (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A picture book about two squirrels who argue over one giant acorn until a storm makes them share a shelter (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- A calm picture book about a child and a parent who notice five quiet things on an evening walk, in colored pencil (Picture book, type id picture-book)
- An ABC book of sea creatures from anglerfish to zebra shark, one big friendly animal per letter (ABC book, type id alphabet-book)
- An alphabet book of things in a kitchen, from apron to zester, in a warm mid-century storybook style (ABC book, type id alphabet-book)
- An ABC book of feelings for ages 3–5, from angry to zany, with one child showing each feeling (ABC book, type id alphabet-book)
- A counting book from 1 to 10 set at the beach: one sun, two buckets, three crabs, up to ten shells (Counting book, type id counting-book)
- A garden counting book: one watering can, two snails, three tulips, up to ten ladybugs, in bright gouache (Counting book, type id counting-book)
- A bedtime counting book that counts from one moon to ten sleepy sheep as a village falls asleep, one number per spread (Counting book, type id counting-book)
- A counting book of vehicles for ages 2–4: one fire truck, two tractors, three buses, up to ten bicycles (Counting book, type id counting-book)

### 20 illustrated children’s story ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/illustrated-stories)
- An illustrated storybook for ages 6–8 about a boy and his grandfather who repair an old sailboat over one summer and sail it on the last day (Illustrated storybook, type id illustrated-storybook)
- A storybook about a young fox who runs the night post office in the woods and has to deliver a letter with no address (Illustrated storybook, type id illustrated-storybook)
- An illustrated story about twin sisters who find a map in their new house’s attic that leads to a garden nobody has tended in years (Illustrated storybook, type id illustrated-storybook)
- A storybook for ages 5–7 about a small robot in a bakery who learns that a cake doesn’t have to be perfect to be good (Illustrated storybook, type id illustrated-storybook)
- An illustrated storybook set in a mountain village, about a girl who trains her clumsy puppy to become a snow-rescue dog (Illustrated storybook, type id illustrated-storybook)
- A Level 1 early reader about a pig who wants to go fast, in short sight-word sentences with one picture per page (Early reader, type id early-reader)
- An early reader for ages 5–6 about two friends who plant a seed and wait for it to grow, with one short line per page (Early reader, type id early-reader)
- A Level 2 early reader about a red hat the wind carries across town, and everyone who tries to catch it (Early reader, type id early-reader)
- An early reader about a dog and a cat who both want the sunny spot on the rug, with simple repeated sentences (Early reader, type id early-reader)
- A Level 3 early reader in three short chapters about a girl who starts a pet-sitting service on her street (Early reader, type id early-reader)
- A collection of 10 calm bedtime stories about the animals of one quiet forest, each ending with the animal falling asleep (Bedtime story collection, type id bedtime-collection)
- A bedtime treasury of 7 stories, one for each night of the week, about a little owl who visits a different friend every evening (Bedtime story collection, type id bedtime-collection)
- A collection of 12 short bedtime stories set on a sleepy island, each about five minutes long read aloud, in pastel watercolor (Bedtime story collection, type id bedtime-collection)
- A bedtime story collection for ages 3–6 about a sleepy train that stops at a different quiet station each night (Bedtime story collection, type id bedtime-collection)
- A collection of 5 bedtime stories in which a grandmother tells a new story about each star she can see from her porch (Bedtime story collection, type id bedtime-collection)
- A kids’ fact book for ages 6–9 about how bees live, from the hive and the queen to how honey is made, with a “Did you know?” on every spread (Kids' fact book, type id kids-nonfiction)
- A fact book about the planets of our solar system for ages 7–10, one planet per spread, with size comparisons children can picture (Kids' fact book, type id kids-nonfiction)
- A kids’ fact book about what happens inside an oak tree through the four seasons, for ages 6–9 (Kids' fact book, type id kids-nonfiction)
- A fact book about volcanoes and earthquakes for ages 8–11 that explains how the Earth’s plates move, with simple labeled diagrams (Kids' fact book, type id kids-nonfiction)
- A kids’ fact book about how bread, cheese and chocolate are made, from the farm to the table, for ages 6–9 (Kids' fact book, type id kids-nonfiction)

### 20 novel and chapter book ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/novels)
- An early chapter book for ages 7–9 about a girl detective who solves small mysteries at her family’s campground, with black-and-white drawings (Early chapter book, type id chapter-book)
- A chapter book in 10 short chapters about a boy who accidentally adopts a very small dragon that only eats vegetables (Early chapter book, type id chapter-book)
- An early chapter book about three friends who run a lemonade stand and have to agree on what to do with the money they make (Early chapter book, type id chapter-book)
- A middle-grade adventure for ages 9–12 about a girl who discovers that the abandoned lighthouse on her island still sends signals to someone (Middle-grade novel, type id middle-grade-novel)
- A middle-grade fantasy about a boy apprenticed to a mapmaker whose maps change the land they describe (Middle-grade novel, type id middle-grade-novel)
- A middle-grade mystery set in a school where the lost-and-found box returns things before anyone loses them (Middle-grade novel, type id middle-grade-novel)
- A funny middle-grade novel about a city kid who spends a summer on his grandparents’ goat farm and enters the county fair with the most stubborn goat (Middle-grade novel, type id middle-grade-novel)
- A young adult fantasy about a 17-year-old glassblower who can see memories trapped in old glass, and the city guild that wants her gift (Young adult novel, type id young-adult-novel)
- A YA contemporary novel about two rival students on a high school debate team who are paired for the state final (Young adult novel, type id young-adult-novel)
- A YA dystopian novel set in a city where people trade hours of sleep as money, told by a girl who has never slept a full night (Young adult novel, type id young-adult-novel)
- A cozy mystery set in a seaside bookshop, where the owner, a retired crossword setter, solves a theft with clues hidden in a puzzle (Novel, type id novel)
- A slow-burn romance between a wedding florist and the architect restoring the old greenhouse she rents, told over one year (Novel, type id novel)
- A science fiction novel about the crew of a cargo ship who wake from cryosleep forty years later than planned (Novel, type id novel)
- A historical novel that follows three generations of women running the same small hotel in the Alps from 1920 to 1980 (Novel, type id novel)
- A collection of eight short ghost stories, each set in a different room of the same old house (Novella & short stories, type id short-fiction)
- A novella about a night-shift nurse and a patient who tells her a different version of his life every night (Novella & short stories, type id short-fiction)
- A collection of science fiction stories about ordinary jobs in the year 2200: a gardener, a teacher, a mail carrier (Novella & short stories, type id short-fiction)
- A poetry collection about a year on a small farm, one short poem per week, with delicate ink drawings (Poetry collection, type id poetry)
- A collection of poems for children aged 6–9 about the weather, from fog to thunder, with a small drawing for each poem (Poetry collection, type id poetry)
- A poetry book for adults about moving to a new city and learning to call it home, in four seasonal sections (Poetry collection, type id poetry)

### 20 non-fiction book ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/nonfiction)
- A beginner’s guide to growing vegetables in containers on a small balcony, with a month-by-month planting calendar (Non-fiction guide, type id nonfiction-guide)
- A step-by-step guide to hand lettering for complete beginners, with practice exercises at the end of each chapter (Non-fiction guide, type id nonfiction-guide)
- A practical guide to planning a first multi-day hike, from choosing gear to reading a trail map, with packing checklists (Non-fiction guide, type id nonfiction-guide)
- A guide for first-time dog owners to the first 30 days with a rescue dog, with a daily routine and simple checklists (Non-fiction guide, type id nonfiction-guide)
- A self-help book for people going back to work after a long break, with one small confidence exercise per chapter (Self-help book, type id self-help-book)
- A book about building a calm 15-minute morning routine, mixing short stories, plain explanations and a weekly exercise (Self-help book, type id self-help-book)
- A self-help book about decluttering a home one drawer at a time, with a 30-day plan and a checklist per room (Self-help book, type id self-help-book)
- A business book for freelance illustrators on pricing projects, writing clear quotes and handling revisions, built around a five-step method (Business book, type id business-book)
- A client guide a wedding-cake baker can give couples, explaining each step from the first tasting to delivery day, with a planning checklist (Business book, type id business-book)
- A business book for new team leads on running one-on-one meetings, with templates, example conversations and chapter summaries (Business book, type id business-book)
- A business book with a simple framework for small online shops to write product descriptions, with before-and-after examples (Business book, type id business-book)
- A 40-day devotional for new mothers, pairing each day’s Bible verse with a short reflection, a prayer and one question for the day (Devotional, type id devotional)
- A 30-day devotional on gratitude for teenagers, with a verse, a two-minute reflection and a prayer each day (Devotional, type id devotional)
- A 60-day devotional for gardeners that draws each reflection from a task in the garden, from sowing to harvest (Devotional, type id devotional)
- A cookbook of 40 one-pan weeknight dinners for two, organized by season, with a photo of every dish (Cookbook, type id cookbook)
- A family cookbook built from recipes you type in or import, with the story behind each dish and a picture of every recipe (Cookbook, type id cookbook)
- A vegetarian cookbook of 30 soups from around the world, each with an ingredient list and a step-by-step method (Cookbook, type id cookbook)
- A memoir of your first year running a small farm, shaped from your own journal entries into chapters by season (Memoir & family history, type id memoir)
- A family history for your grandchildren, built from your answers to questions about growing up, with illustrated scene vignettes (Memoir & family history, type id memoir)
- A memoir of a long teaching career, told through one memorable school year per chapter (Memoir & family history, type id memoir)

### 20 coloring book ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/coloring-books)
- A coloring book for ages 3–6 of friendly dinosaurs doing everyday things: brushing their teeth, baking a cake, riding bikes (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A kids’ coloring book of vehicles, from tractors and fire trucks to hot-air balloons, with thick outlines (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A coloring book for ages 4–8 of cozy animal homes seen from inside: a rabbit’s burrow, a beaver’s lodge, a bird’s nest (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- An ocean coloring book for ages 3–6 with big, simple sea creatures and bubbles to color (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A coloring book for ages 5–8 of castles, dragons and knights, with large shapes and simple backgrounds (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A bold and easy coloring book for ages 2–4 with one big fruit or vegetable on every page (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A space coloring book for ages 4–7 with rockets, planets, astronauts and friendly aliens (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A winter holiday coloring book for ages 3–7 with snowmen, gingerbread houses and winter animals (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A kids’ coloring book of jobs people do, from baker to firefighter to vet, one worker per page (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- A garden bugs coloring book for ages 4–8 with ladybugs, snails, bees and caterpillars among big leaves (Kids' coloring book, type id coloring-book-kids)
- An adult coloring book of cozy cottage interiors: reading nooks, kitchens with hanging herbs, window seats on a rainy day (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- A bold and easy coloring book for seniors with large flowers and thick lines, one design per page (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- A mandala coloring book built from garden motifs: leaves, seed heads, petals and bees (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- An adult coloring book of dog breeds, one detailed portrait per page, from basset hounds to border collies (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- A dark academia coloring book of old libraries, candlelit desks, globes and stacks of books (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- A coloring book of European street cafés and flower markets in intricate line art (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- An adult coloring book of houseplants and hanging planters, from monstera leaves to trailing ivy (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- A witchy coloring book of potion shelves, moon phases, drying herbs and black cats, in intricate detail (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- A coloring book of North American birds, one bird on a branch per page with its habitat around it (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)
- An adult coloring book of mountain cabins through the seasons, with a short original affirmation under each design (Adult coloring book, type id coloring-book-adults)

### 20 puzzle and activity book ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/puzzle-and-activity-books)
- A farm activity book for ages 4–6 with mazes, dot-to-dot, matching and tracing, guided by a friendly pig (Kids' activity book, type id activity-book-kids)
- A road-trip activity book for ages 6–9 with mazes, word searches, tic-tac-toe and dot-to-dot to keep in the car (Kids' activity book, type id activity-book-kids)
- A dinosaur activity book for ages 5–8 that mixes mazes, dot-to-dot, matching and word search (Kids' activity book, type id activity-book-kids)
- A space activity book for ages 6–10 with harder mazes, word searches and tic-tac-toe grids, and an astronaut mascot (Kids' activity book, type id activity-book-kids)
- A large-print puzzle book for seniors that mixes word searches, sudoku and cryptograms on the theme of classic gardens (Puzzle book, type id puzzle-book)
- A travel puzzle book of word searches, criss-cross puzzles and word scrambles, with one country per puzzle (Puzzle book, type id puzzle-book)
- A puzzle book for adults with cryptograms, criss-cross puzzles and sudoku that get harder through the book (Puzzle book, type id puzzle-book)
- A large-print word search book about birds, with one family of birds per puzzle (Word search book, type id word-search-book)
- A word search book for kids aged 7–10 about animals, with smaller grids and easy words (Word search book, type id word-search-book)
- A large-print word search book of kitchen words, one theme per puzzle: spices, baking, fruit, cooking tools (Word search book, type id word-search-book)
- A word search book about the national parks of the United States, with one park’s plants, animals and trails per grid (Word search book, type id word-search-book)
- A large-print sudoku book of 150 puzzles for adults, from easy to hard, one per page (Sudoku book, type id sudoku-book)
- A first sudoku book for ages 6–8 with 4x4 and 6x6 grids that grow harder page by page (Sudoku book, type id sudoku-book)
- A maze book for ages 4–6 with big, easy mazes that help animals find their way home (Maze book for kids, type id maze-book)
- A maze book for ages 7–10 with tricky mazes set in castles, jungles and underground caves (Maze book for kids, type id maze-book)
- A pirate treasure maze book for ages 5–8 in which every maze leads to a different buried chest (Maze book for kids, type id maze-book)
- A pre-K handwriting workbook with letter tracing from A to Z and a small line-art animal to color on each page (Educational workbook, type id educational-workbook)
- A first-grade math workbook of addition and subtraction to 20, with drills that get harder and an answer key (Educational workbook, type id educational-workbook)
- A bilingual Spanish-English sight-word workbook for kindergarten, with tracing and matching (Educational workbook, type id educational-workbook)
- A number-tracing workbook for ages 3–5 from 1 to 20, with counting practice and a certificate at the end (Educational workbook, type id educational-workbook)

### 20 journal and notebook ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/journals-and-notebooks)
- A guided journal for new dads with one prompt per page about the first year, from the first night home to the first birthday (Guided journal, type id guided-journal)
- A travel journal with a prompt for each day of a trip and space to note places, meals and people met (Guided journal, type id guided-journal)
- A grief journal for adults who have lost a parent, with gentle prompts and room to write (Guided journal, type id guided-journal)
- A guided journal for teenagers about finding what they care about, with one question per page and weekly reflections (Guided journal, type id guided-journal)
- A garden journal with a prompt for each week of the year and space to record what was sown, what grew and what didn’t (Guided journal, type id guided-journal)
- A 90-day gratitude journal for teachers, with a new prompt each day about the classroom and a weekly reflection (Gratitude journal, type id gratitude-journal)
- A gratitude journal for kids aged 8–12 with a playful prompt each day and three spaces for good things (Gratitude journal, type id gratitude-journal)
- A 60-day gratitude journal for new retirees about the small pleasures of slower days (Gratitude journal, type id gratitude-journal)
- An undated weekly planner for freelancers with project trackers, an invoice log and a monthly review page (Planner & logbook, type id planner-logbook)
- A large-print blood pressure log with morning and evening readings, pulse and notes for a full year (Planner & logbook, type id planner-logbook)
- A reading log for book clubs with a page per book for the rating, favorite lines and discussion questions (Planner & logbook, type id planner-logbook)
- A fishing logbook to record the place, weather, bait and catch of every trip (Planner & logbook, type id planner-logbook)
- A caregiver logbook to track medications, appointments and daily notes for someone you look after (Planner & logbook, type id planner-logbook)
- A lined notebook for nurses with a simple stethoscope illustration on the cover and a date line on every page (Lined notebook, type id lined-notebook)
- A wide-ruled composition notebook for a school chess club, with a checkered cover (Lined notebook, type id lined-notebook)
- A lined notebook for recipe ideas with a cover of vintage kitchen tools (Lined notebook, type id lined-notebook)
- A sketchbook for kids aged 5–8 with a playful crayon cover and a “This sketchbook belongs to” page (Sketchbook, type id sketchbook)
- An 8.5 x 11 in sketchbook for urban sketchers, with framed blank pages and a cover of city rooftops (Sketchbook, type id sketchbook)
- A large-print password book for grandparents with A–Z sections and a cover of garden flowers (Password book, type id password-log)
- A large-print password book with A–Z sections and a plain linen-style cover for a home office (Password book, type id password-log)

### 20 comic and graphic novel ideas you can turn into a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/ideas/comics-and-graphic-novels)
- A comic for ages 8–12 about a girl and her grumpy robot who deliver packages across a floating city (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A graphic novel for adults about a night-shift baker who finds that the bakery’s old oven opens onto another century (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A comic for ages 6–9 about a team of garden insects who solve one backyard problem per chapter (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A comic about a retired masked hero who now runs a quiet bookshop and gets pulled back in by her former partner (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A slice-of-life comic about a family who opens a noodle stand at a winter night market (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A graphic novel adaptation of your own short story, with 4 to 6 panels a page and a splash page at the climax (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A comic for ages 10–14 about students who start a school newspaper and find out who keeps stealing the lunch trays (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A fantasy graphic novel about a young knight who is afraid of horses and has to cross the kingdom on foot (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A science fiction comic about two sisters who repair satellites in orbit and the strange signal one of them hears (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A funny comic collection about a cat who believes he runs the household, one short story per page (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A graphic memoir about learning to swim as an adult, told in short illustrated episodes (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A historical comic for ages 9–12 about a family traveling west on a wagon trail in the 1840s (Comic & graphic novel, type id comic-graphic-novel)
- A black-and-white manga about a first-year high school student who joins the school’s struggling archery club (Manga, type id manga)
- A fantasy manga about an apprentice blacksmith who forges swords that remember their owners (Manga, type id manga)
- A cozy manga about a young woman who inherits her aunt’s tea shop in a mountain town (Manga, type id manga)
- A sports manga about a small-town girls’ soccer team preparing for the regional tournament (Manga, type id manga)
- A science fiction manga about a courier who rides a hover bike through a flooded future city (Manga, type id manga)
- A mystery manga set in a boarding school, where the photography club finds clues in its own photos (Manga, type id manga)
- A manga for ages 10–13 about a boy who can talk to the spirits of household objects (Manga, type id manga)
- A cooking manga about two rival chefs who have to run one food truck together for a summer (Manga, type id manga)

## Illustration styles
- Watercolor storybook (https://kdpbook.io/styles/watercolor-storybook): Soft, traditional watercolor with visible paper grain and gentle blooms: the timeless picture-book look.
- Gouache picture book (https://kdpbook.io/styles/gouache-storybook): Opaque, matte gouache with bold simplified shapes and chalky dry-brush edges, like a contemporary award winner.
- Soft digital painting (https://kdpbook.io/styles/soft-digital-painting): Cozy, grainy digital painting with rounded shapes and warm rim light: modern and very readable.
- Colored pencil (https://kdpbook.io/styles/colored-pencil): Hand-drawn colored pencil with visible hatching and paper tooth. Also works as graphite for B&W books.
- Crayon & oil pastel (https://kdpbook.io/styles/crayon-pastel): Waxy, joyful crayon strokes in bright primaries, as if drawn by a gifted child.
- Paper cut-out collage (https://kdpbook.io/styles/paper-cutout-collage): Layered cut and torn paper with visible edges and soft shadows: graphic, tactile and bold.
- Felt & fabric (https://kdpbook.io/styles/felt-fabric): A handmade felt-and-fabric craft world with stitched seams, photographed in soft light.
- Modern cartoon (https://kdpbook.io/styles/modern-cartoon): Clean 2D cartoon with confident outlines, flat colors and expressive faces. Converts to clean line art for B&W.
- Kawaii (https://kdpbook.io/styles/kawaii): Ultra-cute chubby characters, sparkly eyes and pastel candy colors. Also great as bold coloring pages.
- Classic ink & watercolor (https://kdpbook.io/styles/classic-ink-watercolor): Edwardian-era nib pen linework washed with transparent watercolor, vignetted on white paper.
- Soft pastel & chalk (https://kdpbook.io/styles/soft-pastel-chalk): Dreamy powdery pastel on toned paper with glowing night light: made for bedtime stories.
- Classic oil painting (https://kdpbook.io/styles/oil-painting): Rich impasto brushwork and warm chiaroscuro light with a fine-art storybook feel.
- Naive folk art (https://kdpbook.io/styles/naive-folk-art): Flattened perspective, decorative patterns everywhere and bright saturated color with handmade charm.
- Fantasy digital painting (https://kdpbook.io/styles/fantasy-digital-painting): Cinematic concept-art painting with volumetric light and deep atmosphere for epic stories.
- Ink wash (sumi-e) (https://kdpbook.io/styles/ink-wash-sumi): Expressive East Asian brushwork in graded black ink with abundant negative space.
- 3D animated film (https://kdpbook.io/styles/animated-3d): A polished family-film look: stylized characters, soft global illumination and cinematic color.
- Claymation (https://kdpbook.io/styles/claymation): Stop-motion plasticine characters with fingerprints and tool marks on a handcrafted miniature set.
- Plush toy diorama (https://kdpbook.io/styles/plush-toy-diorama): Cute plush toys in a miniature tilt-shift diorama with warm nursery light.
- Bold & easy coloring (https://kdpbook.io/styles/bold-easy-line-art): Thick uniform outlines and big simple shapes: the easiest coloring style to see and to color, for kids, beginners and seniors.
- Kids coloring (cartoon) (https://kdpbook.io/styles/kids-coloring-cartoon): Cute cartoon scenes in clean medium-weight outlines with regions sized for crayons.
- Intricate adult coloring (https://kdpbook.io/styles/intricate-adult-coloring): Every shape filled with fine decorative patterns (florals, paisley, feathers) for relaxing, detailed coloring.
- Mandala (https://kdpbook.io/styles/mandala): Radial, symmetrical mandala patterns woven around the subject.
- Realistic line drawing (https://kdpbook.io/styles/realistic-line-art): Accurate, naturalist contour drawings: animals, plants and places as they really look.
- Pen & ink (https://kdpbook.io/styles/pen-ink-crosshatch): Classic black nib linework with crosshatching and stippling: the chapter-book and novel interior standard.
- Pencil sketch (https://kdpbook.io/styles/graphite-sketch): Expressive graphite sketch with soft tonal shading and visible construction lines.
- American comic (https://kdpbook.io/styles/american-comic): Bold inks, dynamic angles and flat cel colors with a subtle halftone texture.
- Manga (screentone) (https://kdpbook.io/styles/manga-screentone): Clean G-pen inking, speed lines and screentone dot shading in pure black and white.
- Ligne claire (BD) (https://kdpbook.io/styles/ligne-claire): Franco-Belgian clear line: uniform outlines, flat bright colors and detailed backgrounds.
- Anime (https://kdpbook.io/styles/anime-cel): Crisp anime line art, two-tone cel shading and vibrant key-visual color.
- Editorial photo (https://kdpbook.io/styles/editorial-photo): Natural-light, magazine-quality photography for guides and lifestyle books (never real people).
- Food photography (https://kdpbook.io/styles/food-photography): Appetizing styled food shots on rustic tables with soft daylight, built from each recipe.
- Mid-century storybook (https://kdpbook.io/styles/mid-century-storybook): 1950s–60s limited-palette lithograph look with geometric shapes and slight misregistration.
- 1970s storybook (https://kdpbook.io/styles/retro-70s-storybook): Earthy mustard, olive and burnt-orange palette with soft grain and nostalgic warmth.
- Victorian engraving (https://kdpbook.io/styles/victorian-engraving): 19th-century wood-engraving hatching in high-contrast black: perfect for novels and classic puzzle books.
- Risograph print (https://kdpbook.io/styles/risograph): Indie-zine riso look: two or three spot colors with grainy overprints and misregistration.
- Flat vector (https://kdpbook.io/styles/flat-vector): Geometric flat shapes in a limited modern palette with subtle grain: clean and editorial.
- One-line drawing (https://kdpbook.io/styles/continuous-line): A single unbroken black line with elegant loops and lots of white space: calm and contemporary.
- Scandinavian folk (https://kdpbook.io/styles/scandinavian-folk): Symmetrical flowers, leaves and birds in red, navy and mustard with cozy hygge warmth.
- Scientific diagram (https://kdpbook.io/styles/scientific-diagram): Precise cutaways and cross-sections with room for labels (labels are typeset, never drawn).
- Naturalist plate (https://kdpbook.io/styles/naturalist-plate): Vintage field-guide plates: fine ink linework with delicate watercolor tints on cream paper.

## Roundups in detail
### AI book generators for Amazon KDP (2026): what each one actually outputs (https://kdpbook.io/best/ai-book-generators-for-kdp)
We make kdpbook.io, so it is listed first; every other entry is described from its own public pages, checked 2026-09-28. Which AI tools produce the files Amazon KDP asks for: a laid-out interior PDF, a full-wrap cover PDF and a Kindle eBook? Checked on September 28, 2026: kdpbook.io and KDP Builder document all three for most book types. BookAutoAI handles non-fiction and cookbooks; KDPEasy and Librava, covers and low-content interiors. BookWriter, Squibler and Sudowrite write, Canva designs, Book Bolt researches.

- kdpbook.io (https://kdpbook.io): Laid-out interior PDF, full-wrap cover PDF, Kindle EPUB + Kindle cover, listing sheet (title, description, 7 keywords, categories). KDP print files: Yes: trim, bleed, margins and spine applied by code, with a preflight check (16 paperback and 5 hardcover trims). Kindle eBook: Yes: EPUB, reflowable or fixed layout (coloring, puzzle, activity and journal types are print only). Cover: Full-wrap paperback or hardcover cover sized from the final page count, plus a Kindle cover. Paid from $25/month (Starter, 2,500 credits); free to try: 2,000 credits once, no card (enough for a 32-page picture book); exports watermarked, not for sale. Best for: A finished, upload-ready book from one description, across picture books, coloring and puzzle books, journals, novels, non-fiction and comics. Limits: No keyword or niche research. Free-plan books are watermarked, not for sale and public in the community library. You still answer KDP's AI-disclosure questions. Source: https://kdpbook.io/pricing
- KDP Builder (https://kdpbuilder.com/): Interior PDF, paperback cover wrap PDF, ebook cover, EPUB and DOCX, plus a description, 7 keywords, BISAC categories and an upload checklist. KDP print files: Yes: print-ready interior PDF and cover wrap with spine. Kindle eBook: Yes: EPUB (listed among its outputs on the pricing page). Cover: Paperback wrap with spine, hardcover and ebook covers, text-free cover art. Paid from $16/month (Starter, 250 credits); free to try: 75 credits once (email verified, valid 14 days), no card. Best for: A template-driven workflow that also hands you DOCX files and keywords. Limits: Credits per book vary widely by type (its pricing page lists 125–450 for a novel, 250–350 for a children's book). A fixed-layout eBook and a 3D preview are not documented. Source: https://kdpbuilder.com/pricing
- BookAutoAI (https://bookautoai.com/): Editable manuscript, formatted paperback interior, reflowable EPUB 3, cover concepts. KDP print files: “Upload-ready paperback” files; its Kindle Create comparison describes the interior as an editable formatted DOCX to review before upload. Kindle eBook: Yes: reflowable EPUB 3 (no KPF). Cover: Cover concepts; paid plans prepare a front, spine and back paperback wrap. Paid from $12/month (Shoestring, ≈ 50,000 manuscript words); free to try: A book plan + 1,000 writing credits (about five 1,000-word chapters). Best for: Non-fiction books and photo cookbooks. Limits: Children's, coloring and puzzle books are not documented. Its plans include “humanizing tools” (its blog says they lower AI-detection flags); KDP still requires you to disclose AI-generated text. First-subscription refunds within 30 days deduct used credits and a 15% fee. Source: https://bookautoai.com/
- KDPEasy (https://www.kdpeasy.com/): Full-wrap cover PDFs, designed interiors (journals, planners, coloring, puzzles), listing text. KDP print files: Yes: 300 DPI print PDFs with embedded fonts; spine, bleed and barcode area worked out. Kindle eBook: Kindle eBook covers; an EPUB interior is not documented. Cover: Full-wrap cover for KDP's 16 trim sizes; paperback, hardcover and Kindle. Paid from $19/month (Starter: 35 credits, 7 covers); free to try: 10 credits once (about two covers), no card, watermarked. Best for: Covers, and low-content interiors you design from layouts. Limits: Writing a narrative book (novel, picture-book story) is not documented: you bring your own manuscript. One cover costs 5 credits. Source: https://www.kdpeasy.com/
- Librava (formerly BooksGenie) (https://www.librava.ai/): Interior pages and puzzle sets as 300 DPI PDFs; covers with front, back and spine. KDP print files: Yes: 300 DPI print-ready PDFs (the Basic plan exports PNG only). Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Full cover creator: 4 designs with front, back and spine. Paid from $122/year (Basic, billed yearly); free to try: Free trial (3 days on its plan cards, 2 days in its FAQ). Best for: Puzzle and activity books, with many puzzle types in one place. Limits: Novels, non-fiction and Kindle files are not documented. Pro caps vector 300 DPI book exports at 10 a day. Source: https://www.librava.ai/
- LowContent.ai (https://www.lowcontent.ai/): Individual images and texts. KDP print files: Its home page says content is formatted for KDP; a book-assembly or PDF export step is not documented. Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Not documented. Paid from €39/month (Basic); €390/year billed yearly; free to try: 2-day trial; its docs say a card is required. Best for: Generating coloring images and texts in bulk when you already lay out books yourself. Limits: Usage is counted in tokens: its terms put one image at 200,000 tokens. Paid users own what they generate (its terms). Source: https://www.lowcontent.ai/
- BookWriter (text first) (https://www.bookwriter.vip/): Complete manuscript up to 70,000 words; EPUB, PDF, DOCX or Markdown export. KDP print files: “KDP-ready files”; print trim and cover-wrap details not documented. Kindle eBook: Yes: EPUB export. Cover: Cover included (full-wrap sizing not documented). Paid from From $9.99 per book up to 70,000 words (its pricing page); Steering Wheel Mode $17/month; free to try: Title, cover and Chapter 1, no card. Best for: Long novels written from an outline you approve. Limits: Illustrated, coloring and puzzle books are not documented. Its llms.txt gives $19.99 per book while its pricing page says from $9.99: check before you buy. Source: https://www.bookwriter.vip/
- Squibler (text first) (https://www.squibler.io/): Full-length manuscript; PDF, Word or ePub export; AI cover art; printed softcover or hardback copies on Plus (per its help center). KDP print files: Its software page says exports are ready for Amazon KDP; trim sizes, margins and bleed not documented. Kindle eBook: ePub export (fixed layout not documented). Cover: AI cover art (full-wrap sizing not documented). Paid from $15.83/month billed yearly (Plus, 10,000 credits); $29.99 monthly; free to try: 1,000 AI credits, no time limit (a month per its plan card, a one-time trial per its help center). Best for: A full-length text draft (novel, non-fiction, memoir or screenplay) that you rewrite and shape yourself. Limits: Credits don't map to words: its help center puts Plus's 10,000 credits at a few thousand to tens of thousands of AI words a month. Picture-book, coloring and puzzle layouts are not documented. Source: https://www.squibler.io/pricing
- Book Bolt (research and design) (https://bookbolt.io/): Covers and interiors you design in its Studio; puzzle pages; research data. KDP print files: Cover and interior designer (you build the pages). Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Designed by you in Book Bolt Studio. Paid from $19.99/month billed yearly (Pro, 1,000 AI credits); Premium $29.99/month billed yearly; free to try: 3-day free trial. Best for: Niche and keyword research, plus hands-on cover and interior design. Limits: Research is its core. Its home page says it can generate story, puzzle and coloring books and journals, built in its template-based Studio; a Kindle eBook file is not documented. Source: https://bookbolt.io/pricing/
- Sudowrite (writing only) (https://www.sudowrite.com/): Your manuscript, exported as .docx (or a .zip of documents). KDP print files: Not documented: format the print interior elsewhere. Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Not documented. Paid from $10/month billed yearly (Hobby & Student, 225,000 credits); $19 monthly; free to try: Free trial: 10,000 credits, no card. Best for: Writing fiction yourself with AI help, in your own voice. Limits: Writing only: you still need a formatter and a cover designer before KDP. Source: https://www.sudowrite.com/pricing
- Canva (design only) (https://www.canva.com/): Designs you build page by page, downloaded as PDF Print. KDP print files: PDF Print with a fixed 0.125 in bleed and optional crop marks; KDP spine and cover-wrap sizing not documented. Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Designed by you from templates. Paid from Pro US$144/year; free to try: Free plan; Pro has a free trial. Best for: Designing covers and simple interiors by hand. Limits: Design only: writing and assembling a complete book are not part of it. Source: https://www.canva.com/en/pricing/?countryCode=us

Q: Which AI tool makes a complete KDP book instead of parts?
A: On their own pages, kdpbook.io and KDP Builder both deliver an interior PDF, a cover wrap PDF and an EPUB for many book types: kdpbook.io covers 36 book types, KDP Builder lists 18+. BookAutoAI delivers a formatted paperback interior (a DOCX, per its Kindle Create comparison), a paperback cover wrap on paid plans and an EPUB for non-fiction and cookbooks.

Q: Do I have to disclose AI use when I publish on KDP?
A: Yes, for AI-generated content. KDP asks you to tell it about AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish or republish a book, whichever tool made them. Using AI only to edit, check or brainstorm your own writing doesn't need to be declared.

Q: Will KDP accept a book made with these tools?
A: No tool can promise that. KDP reviews every title against its content guidelines and file specifications; a preflight check catches file problems, not content decisions. Order a proof copy before you publish.

Q: Is there a free AI book generator for KDP?
A: Several have a free start: kdpbook.io gives 2,000 credits once (enough for a 32-page picture book), but free-plan books are watermarked and not for sale; KDP Builder gives 75 credits, KDPEasy 10, Squibler 1,000, BookWriter a free first chapter, and Canva has a free plan.

Q: Which tools write novels for KDP?
A: Sudowrite helps you write it yourself. BookWriter drafts a whole manuscript from an outline you approve (from $9.99 per book up to 70,000 words on its pricing page), and Squibler generates a full-length draft on its Plus plan ($15.83/month billed yearly). kdpbook.io writes and typesets it too: a 336-page novel is estimated at about 5,377 credits, including the print interior, cover and Kindle file.

### AI children's book generators compared (2026) (https://kdpbook.io/best/ai-childrens-book-generators)
We make kdpbook.io, so it is listed first; every other entry is described from its own public pages, checked 2026-09-28. For a children's book you plan to sell on Amazon KDP, check three things: consistent characters, a print PDF at a KDP trim size with bleed, and a full-wrap cover. Checked on September 28, 2026: five of the 8 tools here state KDP-ready print files, and only kdpbook.io and KDP Builder also document a cover wrap and an eBook file. Lullaby.ink and KindFable are personalized keepsakes.

- kdpbook.io (https://kdpbook.io): Picture book written, illustrated and laid out: interior PDF, full-wrap cover PDF, fixed-layout EPUB for Kindle, listing sheet. KDP print files: Yes: interior with bleed in 7 KDP trims (default 8.5 × 8.5 in), with a preflight check. Kindle eBook: Yes: fixed-layout EPUB for picture books, plus a Kindle cover. Cover: Full-wrap cover sized from the final page count, plus a Kindle cover. Characters: Reference sheet per main character, reused on every illustration. Paid from $25/month (Starter, 2,500 credits); free to try: 2,000 credits once, no card (enough for a 32-page picture book); exports watermarked, not for sale. Best for: A picture book you plan to sell on KDP in print and on Kindle; a 32-page book is estimated at about 1,624 credits (≈ $16). Limits: kdpbook.io doesn't print or ship copies: you order proofs and author copies from KDP. Free-plan books are watermarked, not for sale and public in the community library. Source: https://kdpbook.io/pricing
- KDP Builder (https://kdpbuilder.com/): Interior PDF, paperback cover wrap PDF, ebook cover, EPUB and DOCX, plus a description, 7 keywords, BISAC categories and an upload checklist. KDP print files: Yes: print-ready interior PDF and cover wrap with spine. Kindle eBook: Yes: EPUB (listed among its outputs on the pricing page). Cover: Paperback wrap with spine, hardcover and ebook covers, text-free cover art. Characters: A character model sheet referenced for every page illustration (its children's book creator page). Paid from $16/month (Starter, 250 credits); free to try: 75 credits once (email verified, valid 14 days), no card. Best for: Publishers who make children's books alongside puzzle, journal and non-fiction titles in one tool. Limits: Its children's package lists an eBook cover image and an EPUB, but a fixed-layout eBook is not documented. Its pricing page lists 250–350 credits for a children's book. Source: https://kdpbuilder.com/pricing
- Story.com Storybook Publisher (https://www.story.com/products/storybook-publisher): Print-ready PDF at 300 DPI with embedded fonts, bleed and crop marks. KDP print files: Yes: 8.5 × 8.5, 8.5 × 11 or 8 × 10 in with bleed; paperback only. Kindle eBook: No: its FAQ says Kindle formatting isn't supported yet. Cover: Not documented. Characters: Consistent across pages. Paid from Pay per use from a prepaid wallet, no subscription; free to try: Its FAQ says creating a first storybook is free and you pay for regenerations; one answer says PDF downloads are free, another that they need credits. Best for: A low-cost first picture book, with an optional managed upload to KDP. Limits: Children's picture books only, 48 pages at most, no Kindle edition yet. Source: https://www.story.com/products/storybook-publisher
- Childbook.ai (https://www.childbook.ai/): Illustrated book as a PDF, or a printed softcover ordered from Childbook. KDP print files: “Print-ready output”; KDP trim, bleed and cover wrap not documented. Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Editable cover (full-wrap sizing not documented). Characters: From descriptions or photos, same look on every page. Paid from $19/month (Hobby: 20 books, 100 illustrations, 32 pages max); free to try: None listed on its pricing. Best for: Personalized stories with characters based on photos, many books a month. Limits: Commercial license and no watermark are listed on Business only ($99/month). Source: https://www.childbook.ai/
- C2Story (https://c2story.com/): PDF, images and MP4 videos. KDP print files: High-resolution PDF in 8.5 × 8.5, 8 × 10 or 8.5 × 11 in (its KDP page). Kindle eBook: Not documented (its KDP page says “Kindle + Print”; its plans list PDF, image and MP4 export). Cover: Not documented. Characters: Consistent across every page. Paid from $10.99/month (Starter, 100 credits, about 10 books); free to try: “Free to start” (allowance not detailed). Best for: Short illustrated stories in many styles, with a trailer or video to promote them. Limits: One credit is one illustration (its FAQ puts an 8–12 page book at about 10–15 credits). 16-page books need Creator ($24.99/month), Studio or a 300+ credit balance. Full-wrap cover not documented. Source: https://c2story.com/use-cases/amazon-kdp
- StoryBee (stories and audio) (https://storybee.app/): Illustrated stories (600–1,200 words on its monthly plans) with audio narration; printed copies ordered from StoryBee. KDP print files: Not documented: it prints copies itself (8.5 × 8.5 in or large format), and its plans list storybook creation as “coming soon”. Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Cover page in its book layouts; a KDP cover wrap is not documented. Characters: Not documented. Paid from $7/month (Bee Lite, listed as a special offer); free to try: Free signup; generating stories needs a paid plan. Best for: Bedtime stories read aloud at home or in class, in a cloned voice, with a printed copy if you want one. Limits: Built around stories and audio rather than KDP files. A publishing license starts on Bee Hive ($15/month). Source: https://storybee.app/pricing
- Lullaby.ink (personalized keepsake) (https://lullaby.ink/): Digital book (PDF and images); printed softcover, hardcover or layflat. KDP print files: Its FAQ lists an “Amazon KDP package” export. Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Included with the book. Characters: Your family, from photos. Paid from $14.99 per story (digital); printed from $29.99; free to try: Free preview: cover + 2 story pages. Best for: A one-off gift starring your own child. Limits: Built for keepsakes rather than a KDP catalog: its terms let you self-publish a story you bought, but forbid mass-producing templated story variations for resale. Source: https://lullaby.ink/pricing
- KindFable (keepsake, not a KDP tool) (https://kindfable.com/): Printed hardcover or softcover, with the digital book. KDP print files: Not documented (a keepsake shop, not a KDP tool). Kindle eBook: Not documented. Cover: Personalized cover. Characters: Your child, from a photo. Paid from $39 softcover; $69 hardcover (free shipping); free to try: None listed; you see your child's cover before you pay. Best for: A gift book starring your child, with audio. Limits: Its FAQ describes the book as yours “to keep, print, gift and share with your family”; selling it is not mentioned. Source: https://kindfable.com/

Q: Can I sell an AI-generated children's book on Amazon KDP?
A: You can publish one if you hold commercial rights to the text and images and you disclose the AI-generated content when you publish; KDP still reviews every title. Rights depend on the tool and plan: Childbook.ai lists a commercial license on Business only, kdpbook.io on paid plans, Lullaby.ink once you buy the story, and KindFable's FAQ describes its books as yours to keep, print, gift and share with your family.

Q: Which AI children's book generators keep characters consistent?
A: kdpbook.io (a reference sheet per main character), KDP Builder (a character model sheet referenced for every page illustration), Childbook.ai (from descriptions or photos), Story.com Storybook Publisher and C2Story all document it. StoryBee doesn't describe how it handles it.

Q: What trim size should a picture book use on KDP?
A: KDP doesn't impose one size. Story.com and C2Story list 8.5 × 8.5, 8 × 10 and 8.5 × 11 in; kdpbook.io defaults to 8.5 × 8.5 in and offers 7 KDP trims, with bleed so the art can run to the edge of the page.

Q: Can I publish a Kindle version of an AI picture book?
A: Yes, as a fixed-layout eBook, so each page keeps its art and text together. kdpbook.io exports a fixed-layout EPUB and KDP Builder's package includes an EPUB; Story.com's FAQ says Kindle formatting isn't supported yet; the other tools here don't document an eBook file.

Q: Are Lullaby.ink and KindFable KDP tools?
A: Not primarily. Both make personalized keepsakes starring your own child, as a digital book, a printed copy shipped to you, or both. Lullaby.ink also lists an Amazon KDP package export and lets you self-publish a story you bought; KindFable's FAQ describes its books for family use.

Q: How much does a 32-page picture book cost to make?
A: On kdpbook.io, about 1,624 credits (≈ $16 at the Starter rate), which the free signup credits cover; free-plan books are watermarked and not for sale. Subscription tools price per month instead: Childbook.ai from $19 for up to 20 books, C2Story from $10.99 for about 10.

Q: Do I have to disclose AI use when I publish on KDP?
A: Yes, for AI-generated content. KDP asks you to tell it about AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish or republish a book, whichever tool made them. Using AI only to edit, check or brainstorm your own writing doesn't need to be declared.

## Frequently asked questions
Q: What is kdpbook.io?
A: kdpbook.io is an AI book studio for Amazon KDP: an AI book generator that turns a one-sentence idea, or your own manuscript (Word, PDF, Markdown or plain text), into a KDP-ready book. It writes, illustrates and typesets 36 book types and exports the interior PDF, the full-wrap cover PDF, a Kindle eBook (EPUB) and the Amazon listing, in 34 KDP languages. kdpbook.io is made by THE VIBECODING AGENCY in Paris and is not affiliated with Amazon.

Q: Who makes kdpbook.io?
A: kdpbook.io is made and operated by THE VIBECODING AGENCY, a SARL registered in Paris, France (RCS Paris), founded and run by Arsène Huot. It is an independent company, not part of Amazon; the legal notice at kdpbook.io/legal lists its registration details.

Q: Is kdpbook.io free?
A: You can start for free: new kdpbook.io accounts get 2,000 credits once, with no card required. That is enough for a default 32-page picture book (about 1,624 credits). Free-plan exports carry a “kdpbook.io preview” watermark and are not for sale, and free books are shared in the community. Paid plans start at $25/month, with clean exports and a commercial license.

Q: What files does kdpbook.io export?
A: Every book made with kdpbook.io exports the files KDP asks for: the interior PDF, the full-wrap cover PDF (back, spine and front, sized from the final page count), a Kindle eBook (EPUB, reflowable or fixed layout) with its Kindle cover, and a listing sheet with the title, description, 7 keywords, categories and AI-disclosure answers. Coloring, puzzle, activity, journal and notebook books are print only, so they have no Kindle file. Exports never cost credits.

Q: Which book types and languages does kdpbook.io support?
A: kdpbook.io makes 36 book types in 8 families: picture books, illustrated stories, novels & chapter books, non-fiction & guides, coloring books, activity & puzzles, journals & notebooks and comics & graphic novels. Books can be written in 34 languages that KDP publishes, including English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch. On KDP, Polish, Ukrainian and Yiddish are print only and Arabic, Hindi, Chinese (Traditional), Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati and Malayalam are eBook only.

Q: Can I use my own manuscript with kdpbook.io?
A: Yes. Upload a Word (.docx or .doc), PDF, Markdown (.md) or plain text (.txt) file, or paste the text. kdpbook.io keeps your words as written: it splits the text into chapters or pages and lays it out, without rewriting, dropping or adding a word. EPUB files can’t be imported; save them as .docx first. It then makes the cover (and the pictures of an illustrated book) and exports the same KDP files.

Q: Does Amazon KDP allow AI-generated books?
A: Yes, if you disclose it. KDP’s content guidelines ask you to declare AI-generated text, images and translations when you publish a new book or edit and republish one (KDP Help, checked September 28, 2026). Text and pictures that kdpbook.io writes or draws count as AI-generated; a manuscript you wrote yourself doesn’t. KDP also limits every account to 2 new titles per format each week, and it reviews every book itself, so no tool can promise approval.

Q: How is kdpbook.io different from ChatGPT or Canva?
A: ChatGPT is a general AI assistant and Canva a general design tool; kdpbook.io is built only for KDP books. One project plans, writes, illustrates and typesets the book, applies KDP’s trim, margin, bleed, spine and page-count rules in code, keeps characters the same on every page with reference sheets, and exports the interior PDF, the full-wrap cover PDF, the Kindle EPUB and the listing sheet.

Q: How is kdpbook.io different from Book Bolt, KDP Builder or LowContent.ai?
A: Book Bolt and KDP Builder both offer Amazon market research; kdpbook.io does none and writes the 7 listing keywords without search-volume data. KDP Builder is the closest tool: it also builds complete books, in 18+ book types, and exports interior and cover PDFs, an EPUB and a DOCX; kdpbook.io makes 36 book types. LowContent.ai generates images and text for journals, planners and coloring books; its site doesn’t describe a laid-out interior PDF, a full-wrap cover or a Kindle eBook. kdpbook.io and KDP Builder both keep characters consistent (KDP Builder documents a character model sheet referenced for every page illustration); kdpbook.io adds a fixed-layout Kindle eBook for picture books and a 3D book preview (all three sites read on September 28, 2026).

Q: Is kdpbook.io affiliated with Amazon?
A: No. kdpbook.io is an independent product of THE VIBECODING AGENCY and is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Amazon. Kindle Direct Publishing and KDP are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. You upload the files to your own KDP account yourself. kdpbook.io is also not related to kdpbook.link or kdpbook.com.

Q: Can I sell these books on Amazon?
A: Yes, on any paid plan: books made with kdpbook.io on a paid plan come with a commercial license and export clean files. Free-plan exports carry a watermark and are not for sale. KDP asks you to declare AI-generated content when you publish, and the kdpbook.io export sheet tells you what to declare.

Q: Will KDP accept the files?
A: kdpbook.io checks the rules KDP documents for your trim size, ink, paper and page count before export, and flags anything that needs your attention. KDP reviews every book itself, so nobody can promise approval, but the files follow its published specifications.

Q: What does the watermark look like?
A: On the kdpbook.io free plan, exported pages and the cover carry a “kdpbook.io preview” mark. Subscribe and export the same book again to get clean files: exports never cost credits, including for books made before you upgraded.

Q: What if a generation fails?
A: kdpbook.io retries failed illustrations automatically. You are only charged for what was produced; the rest of the hold goes back to your balance.

Q: How do credits work?
A: Every book gets a credit estimate before you launch it. We hold that estimate (plus up to 5% headroom) while the book is made, charge what is actually produced, and release the rest automatically.

Q: What do I get for free?
A: New accounts get 2,000 credits once, with no card required. That covers a complete 32-page picture book (about 1,624 credits). Free books carry a preview watermark and are shared in the community.

Q: Can I buy more credits without changing plan?
A: Yes. Subscribers can buy one-off credit packs at any time, with a discount on the Author and Studio plans. Packs are for subscribers only.

Q: What does editing cost after the book is made?
A: Editing text, fonts and layout by hand is free. An AI rewrite costs 12 credits per passage of about 350 words, and redrawing an illustration costs the same as drawing it the first time. The planning chat and the Book assistant are charged for the AI they really use (8 credits per cent of AI cost, shown under the message box): a planning-chat message is about 8 credits (the first one about 25), a Book-assistant message about 14. Small AI helpers such as title ideas or picture descriptions cost 1 to 2 credits; setting a book up in the steps instead of the chat is otherwise free. Exports and the KDP listing sheet are always included.

Q: Can I publish the books commercially?
A: Yes, from the Starter plan up: paid plans include a commercial license and watermark-free exports. You must declare AI-generated content to KDP when you publish.

Q: Can I cancel anytime?
A: Yes. You keep your plan until the end of the billing period, and the books you made stay in your account.

Q: Is there a limit to how many books I can publish?
A: Not on our side beyond your credits. KDP itself currently allows 2 new titles per format per week, so plan releases accordingly.

Q: Can I publish a vibe-published book on Amazon KDP?
A: Yes, if you follow KDP’s rules. KDP allows books made with AI but requires you to declare AI-generated text, images and translations when you publish, and the book must not infringe anyone’s rights or mislead readers. To sell a book made with kdpbook.io you need a paid plan (from $25/month), which exports watermark-free files with a commercial license. KDP reviews every book itself, so no tool can guarantee that a book is accepted.

Q: Is vibe publishing the same as ghostwriting?
A: No. A ghostwriter is a person you hire to write a book that is published under your name. In vibe publishing, an AI writes and illustrates the book from your description, and you direct, read and edit it. For KDP, text and images created by an AI tool count as AI-generated content that you must declare, even after heavy editing.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: Making a book costs credits: you see the estimate before the book is generated, and only what is actually produced is charged. Planning-chat messages are metered too: about 8 credits each (the first one about 25). New accounts get 2,000 free credits once, with no card required, enough for a 32-page picture book (about 1,624 credits). Free-plan exports carry a kdpbook.io preview watermark and are not for sale. Paid plans start at $25/month (Starter, 2,500 credits a month) and export watermark-free files with a commercial license. One credit is worth about $0.01.


## Guides in full

### How to write and publish a book with AI (step by step, 2026) (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-write-and-publish-a-book-with-ai)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 14 min read · From idea to Amazon KDP with AI: outline, draft, edit, illustrations, formatting, cover, Kindle eBook, listing, AI disclosure and royalties, DIY or with kdpbook.

Sections: The steps at a glance · 1. Idea and book type · 2. Outline · 3. Draft · 4. Edit · 5. Illustrations · 6. Interior formatting · 7. Cover and spine · 8. Kindle eBook · 9. Listing · 10. AI disclosure · 11. Price and royalties · After you click Publish · DIY or kdpbook?

To publish a book made with AI on Amazon KDP, you go from idea to outline, draft, edit, illustrations, interior PDF, cover, Kindle eBook and listing, then declare the AI-generated content and set a price. KDP allows AI books with that disclosure, and up to 2 new titles per format per week. Each step below shows the do-it-yourself way and the kdpbook.io way.

#### The steps at a glance

| Step | Do it yourself | With kdpbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Idea and book type | Research your niche, write a one-paragraph brief | Describe it in a chat, or pick one of 36 book types |
| 2. Outline | A chat assistant, then your own restructuring | A plan with title, characters and every page, which you can review first |
| 3. Draft | Prompt section by section with a style sheet | Written from the plan, or import your own manuscript |
| 4. Edit | Your own reading, ideally a second reader | Page editor with AI rewrites; your reading is still needed |
| 5. Illustrations | An image generator plus a reference image per character | Character sheets reused on every illustration, 40 styles or your own |
| 6. Interior | Word processor, Kindle Create or a layout app | Typeset by code to KDP’s trim, margin and bleed rules |
| 7. Cover | KDP’s cover template and a design app, or Cover Creator | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from the final page count |
| 8. Kindle eBook | Kindle Create, then Kindle Previewer | EPUB, reflowable or fixed layout, plus the Kindle cover |
| 9. Listing | Amazon’s search bar for keywords, KDP’s category picker | Listing sheet with description, 7 keywords and categories |
| 10. AI disclosure | KDP’s definitions and your notes | Suggested answers on the export sheet |
| 11. Price | KDP’s royalty calculator | Our free calculators; the price stays your call |

#### 1. Pick the idea and the book type

Start with a reader and a format, not a prompt. The book type decides most of the KDP rules that follow: a picture book is a premium color paperback with bleed; a coloring or puzzle book is print only, because KDP lists books meant to be colored or written in as unsuited to Kindle; a novel is usually a Kindle eBook plus a cream-paper paperback. Low-content books such as journals don’t need an ISBN. The [book types](https://kdpbook.io/book-types) page shows the usual format for each.

**Do it yourself:** Look at books already on Amazon in your niche, note their trim sizes, page counts and prices, and write a one-paragraph brief: who the book is for, what it promises and how long it is.

**With kdpbook:** Describe the book in plain words in the planning chat, or pick one of 36 book types in 8 families. Each type starts from a trim, ink and paper that suit it. kdpbook doesn’t research the market for you: which books are worth making is still your decision.

#### 2. Outline

An outline keeps an AI draft on track and is the cheapest place to fix a book. For a picture book, plan it spread by spread, one scene per spread with a page turn at every surprise. For a novel, list the chapters and what changes in each. For non-fiction, list the questions each chapter answers.

**Do it yourself:** Ask a chat assistant for two or three outlines, then merge and rewrite the best parts yourself. Keep the result in the same document as your brief.

**With kdpbook:** The plan step sketches the title, the characters and every page or chapter. You can turn on a pause after the plan to read the story and the page plan before any image is painted, then approve or cancel.

#### 3. Draft

Long AI drafts drift: names change, the tone wanders, facts repeat. Work in sections, and keep a short style sheet (characters, tense, voice, reading level) that goes into every prompt, so chapter twelve still sounds like chapter one.

**Do it yourself:** Generate one chapter or spread at a time with the outline and the style sheet in the prompt, and paste each accepted section into a single manuscript file.

**With kdpbook:** The text is written page by page from the plan, in the structure the book type needs: chapter openers and a table of contents for a novel, a few lines per page for a picture book, in any of 34 KDP languages. You can also import your own manuscript (Word, PDF, Markdown or plain text, not EPUB) and use AI only for the pictures and the layout.

#### 4. Edit

This step is yours whichever tool you use. AI states wrong facts with confidence, repeats itself and loses track of details. KDP’s content quality guide names typos among the problems readers report most, and it doesn’t allow content that is excessively repeated or doesn’t provide an enjoyable reading experience.

**Do it yourself:** Read the whole book, aloud for a children’s book. In non-fiction, check every fact, name and number against a real source. A second reader catches what you no longer see.

**With kdpbook:** The page editor shows each page as it will print. Editing text, fonts and layout by hand is free, and an AI rewrite of a passage costs 12 credits. The reading itself can’t be automated: kdpbook doesn’t fact-check your book.

#### 5. Illustrations with consistent characters

KDP asks for images of at least 300 DPI at their printed size. The harder problem is consistency: the same character, clothes and colors from the cover to the last page.

**Do it yourself:** Create a reference sheet for each main character once, attach it to every image prompt, keep one style description word for word, and upscale the final images to 300 DPI. Keep text out of the images and set it as real text on the page.

**With kdpbook:** Character sheets are drawn first and used as the reference for every illustration, in one of [40 styles](https://kdpbook.io/styles) or your own, described in words or from a reference image. Any page that drifts can be redrawn, and coloring books get clean line art. The method, with or without kdpbook, is in [how to keep AI characters consistent](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-childrens-book-with-ai-and-keep-characters-consistent).

#### 6. Format the interior: trim, margins, bleed

Choose the trim size and ink first: they set the page size, the page limits and the printing cost (see [trim sizes and paper types](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-trim-sizes-and-paper-types) and [premium vs standard color](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-premium-color-vs-standard-color)). For a novel or a non-fiction book, the [word count to page count calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-count-to-page-count) shows how many pages your manuscript makes at each trim and font size. Then the margins: the inside (gutter) margin grows with the page count, from 0.375 in up to 0.875 in, and the outside, top and bottom margins are at least 0.25 in, or 0.375 in with bleed. If any art touches the page edge, the whole PDF uses bleed: pages 0.125 in wider and 0.25 in taller than the trim.

**Do it yourself:** A word processor with a KDP template, KDP’s free Kindle Create, or a layout app. Export a PDF with the fonts embedded, then check the margins for your final page count with the [margins and bleed tool](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed). For a text-based book, [how to format a novel](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-format-a-novel-for-kdp-paperback) has the details.

**With kdpbook:** The layout follows KDP’s trim, margin and bleed rules, applied by code rather than by AI, and a preflight keeps checking margins, bleed, fonts and image resolution while you edit. The interior PDF is exported at its true size.

#### 7. Cover wrap and spine

A print cover is one flat PDF: back cover, spine and front cover, with bleed around the edges. Its width depends on the spine, and the spine on the final page count and paper. A 336-page 5.5 × 8.5 in novel on cream paper has a 0.84 in spine and a 12.09 × 8.75 in cover. Spine text is only allowed from 79 pages, and the back cover needs room for the barcode (2 × 1.2 in at KDP’s suggested size), which KDP adds for you if your file doesn’t include one.

**Do it yourself:** Get the exact size and a template from our [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator) or KDP’s own, design on it in any image editor and export a PDF. KDP’s Cover Creator is simpler and allows spine text from 80 pages. The rules are in [cover dimensions and spine width](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-cover-dimensions-and-spine-width).

**With kdpbook:** The cover art is painted with your characters, and the full-wrap PDF is sized from the final page count and paper, so the spine matches the interior. A 3D preview shows the printed book before you export.

#### 8. Kindle eBook

Text-based books use a reflowable EPUB, which adapts to any screen. Picture books and comics need a fixed layout, so every page keeps its design. Coloring, puzzle and blank books are print only. The Kindle cover is a separate image: KDP recommends 1,600 × 2,560 pixels.

**Do it yourself:** KDP’s free Kindle Create prepares reflowable books, comics and kids’ eBooks. Check the result in Kindle Previewer, which KDP recommends, in phone, tablet and e-reader views.

**With kdpbook:** Every book type that suits Kindle exports an EPUB, reflowable or fixed layout, with its Kindle cover. Print-only types don’t offer one.

#### 9. Listing: title, keywords, categories, ISBN

The listing is what shoppers and Amazon’s search see: a title and subtitle under 200 characters together, a description of up to 4,000 characters, up to 7 keywords and 3 categories. KDP’s metadata guidelines rule out sales claims such as “bestselling”, promotions such as “free”, and unauthorized references to other books, authors or trademarks. Print books need one ISBN per format; KDP provides one for free (the imprint then reads “Independently published”), and eBooks and low-content books can do without. See [free KDP ISBN vs your own](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-isbn-free-vs-your-own).

**Do it yourself:** Collect the phrases shoppers type into Amazon’s search bar for books like yours, put them in the keyword boxes rather than the title, and pick the categories where the book honestly belongs. For bold text, headings or lists in the description, our free [book description formatter](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/amazon-book-description-formatter) gives you the HTML KDP accepts, with a character count.

**With kdpbook:** Every book comes with a listing sheet: title, description, 7 keywords, categories and the AI-disclosure answers, ready to copy into KDP’s setup screens.

#### 10. AI disclosure

If an AI wrote the text or drew the images, the book contains AI-generated content, even after heavy editing, and KDP asks you to declare it when you publish or republish. The cover counts as an image. Using AI only to fix grammar or brainstorm is AI-assisted and doesn’t need to be declared. [Can you publish AI-generated books on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/guides/can-you-publish-ai-generated-books-on-kdp) covers the rules; [the AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure) covers the answers.

**Do it yourself:** Keep a note of which parts were generated and which you wrote or drew yourself, so you can answer precisely.

**With kdpbook:** The export sheet suggests the answers from what was actually generated. For a book made from a prompt, that is usually texts “Entire work, with minimal or no editing” and images “Many AI-generated images, with minimal or no editing”; with a manuscript you wrote yourself, the text answer becomes None.

#### 11. Price and royalties

Print royalties on Amazon.com are 60% of the list price from $9.99 and 50% below it, minus the printing cost. Kindle eBooks earn 70% between $2.99 and $12.99 on Amazon.com (a band that widened on July 7, 2026), minus a delivery cost per megabyte, or 35% at other prices.

- The 336-page novel above costs $5.03 to print on Amazon.com, so its minimum list price is $9.99. At $14.99 it earns $3.96 per copy.
- Its Kindle edition at $4.99 with a 2 MB file earns $3.28 on the 70% option, after a $0.30 delivery cost, against $1.75 on 35%.

**Do it yourself:** Compare the prices of similar books, then check the royalty at each price in KDP’s calculator before you commit. The [pricing guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp) works through three examples.

**With kdpbook:** Our free [printing cost](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator) and [royalty](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator) calculators need no account. The price itself stays your decision.

#### After you click Publish

- KDP reviews every book. It takes up to 3 business days to go live, or up to 10 for low-content books. If the book goes back to Draft, check your email, fix what KDP asks and resubmit.
- For a print book with a new trim, paper or cover style, order a proof copy: only paper shows real colors and the real spine.
- Plan the next book around KDP’s limit of 2 new titles per format per week (since September 21, 2026).
- Before you upload, work through the [publishing checklist](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist).

#### DIY or kdpbook?

Doing it yourself mostly costs time: a chat assistant, an image generator, KDP’s free Kindle Create and Cover Creator, and a lot of careful assembly. It gives you control of every word and pixel, and for a text-only novel you already wrote, free tools are enough. The hard parts are keeping characters consistent across dozens of illustrations and getting page sizes, margins, bleed and the spine exactly right.

kdpbook does the assembly: one description or manuscript in, the interior PDF, the cover PDF, the Kindle EPUB and the listing sheet out. New accounts get 2,000 free credits once, with no card required. Free-plan books carry a kdpbook.io preview watermark and are shared in the community; any paid plan exports clean files. A 32-page picture book is estimated at about 1,624 credits, within the free credits, and a 336-page novel at about 5,377. Paid plans start at $25/month. It doesn’t upload to KDP for you, and it can’t promise that KDP will accept a book: the listing, the price, the AI answers and the final read stay with you.

Comparing tools? [kdpbook.io vs ChatGPT](https://kdpbook.io/compare/chatgpt-kdp-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs Sudowrite](https://kdpbook.io/compare/sudowrite-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs Squibler](https://kdpbook.io/compare/squibler-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs Kindle Create](https://kdpbook.io/compare/kindle-create-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs Reedsy Studio](https://kdpbook.io/compare/reedsy-studio-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs Canva](https://kdpbook.io/compare/canva-kdp-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs Atticus](https://kdpbook.io/compare/atticus-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs Vellum](https://kdpbook.io/compare/vellum-alternative), [kdpbook.io vs KDP Builder](https://kdpbook.io/compare/kdp-builder-alternative).

#### Questions

Q: Can you write and publish a book with AI on Amazon?
A: Yes. Amazon KDP allows books written or illustrated with AI if you declare the AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish and the book follows KDP's content guidelines. Since September 21, 2026, KDP allows 2 new titles per format per week.

Q: How long does KDP take to publish a book?
A: Up to 3 business days after you submit it, or up to 10 business days for low-content books such as journals and notebooks, according to KDP's Book Status help page. If KDP needs changes, the book goes back to Draft and you get an email.

Q: Do I need an ISBN to publish on KDP?
A: Paperbacks and hardcovers need one ISBN per format, and KDP provides one for free (the imprint then reads “Independently published”). Kindle eBooks and low-content books can be published without an ISBN.

Q: How much does it cost to make a book with kdpbook.io?
A: New accounts get 2,000 free credits once, with no card required. Free-plan books carry a kdpbook.io preview watermark and are shared in the community; any paid plan exports clean files. A 32-page picture book is estimated at about 1,624 credits, within the free credits. Paid plans start at $25/month.

Q: Can I write the book myself and use AI only for the illustrations?
A: Yes. Import your manuscript (Word, PDF, Markdown or plain text; EPUB files can’t be imported, save them as .docx first) and kdpbook illustrates and lays it out. On KDP your text answer is then None, and only the images are declared as AI-generated.

### Can you publish AI-generated books on Amazon KDP? The 2026 rules (https://kdpbook.io/guides/can-you-publish-ai-generated-books-on-kdp)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · Yes, with a disclosure. KDP’s 2026 rules for AI books: what to declare, the 2-titles-per-format weekly limit, what KDP removes and what gets books rejected.

Sections: The rules in one table · 1. Disclose AI-generated content · 2. The title creation limit · 3. Content KDP doesn’t allow · What gets AI books rejected · How KDP reviews and removes books · What KDP doesn’t document · A short checklist

Yes. Amazon KDP allows books written or illustrated with AI. You must declare AI-generated text, images and translations when you publish, the book must follow KDP’s content guidelines like any other, and since September 21, 2026 each account can create only 2 new titles per format per week. Here is what each rule means in practice.

#### The rules in one table

| Rule | What KDP says |
| --- | --- |
| AI disclosure | Inform KDP of AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish a new book or edit and republish one. Cover and interior images count. |
| AI-assisted content | Content you created and improved with AI (editing, error-checking, brainstorming) doesn’t need to be disclosed. |
| Responsibility | You must verify that all AI-generated and AI-assisted content follows the content guidelines, including intellectual property rights. |
| Title creation limit | 2 new titles per book format each week (since September 21, 2026). |
| Quality | No misleading descriptions and no “disappointing” content: near-duplicates, too short, poorly translated, excessively repeated within or across books. |
| Companion guides | Summaries, study guides, workbooks and analyses of other books are not allowed, with limited exceptions. |
| Kindle format | Books meant to be written or colored in (puzzle, coloring, blank journals) may be rejected as eBooks. |

None of these rules bans AI. KDP treats an AI book like any other book, with one extra question and a volume limit that applies to everyone.

#### 1. Disclose AI-generated content

KDP has asked publishers about AI since September 2023 ([Authors Guild, September 7, 2023](https://authorsguild.org/news/amazons-new-disclosure-policy-for-ai-generated-book-content-is-a-welcome-first-step/)). Its content guidelines draw one line:

- **AI-generated**: an AI-based tool created the actual text, images or translation. It stays AI-generated even if you edited it substantially afterwards. This must be disclosed.
- **AI-assisted**: you created the content and used AI to edit, refine, error-check or improve it, or to brainstorm ideas. KDP doesn’t need to know.

KDP asks when you publish a new book and again whenever you edit and republish one. What to pick for text, images and translations, and where the question appears, is covered in [KDP AI content disclosure, explained](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure).

Disclosure is not a permission slip. KDP makes you responsible for checking that all AI content, generated or assisted, respects the content guidelines and other people’s intellectual property.

#### 2. The title creation limit

KDP’s Paperback Submission Guidelines limit the titles you can create to **2 per book format each week**. The limit took effect on September 21, 2026 and resets every Sunday 00:00 UTC, according to KDP’s announcement as reported by the [Alliance of Independent Authors](https://selfpublishingadvice.org/amazon-cuts-kdp-weekly-upload-limit/). Before that, the same help page allowed 10 per format per week, with an exception process for high-volume publishers that is now gone ([PublishFlow’s before-and-after comparison](https://publishflow.ai/knowledge-hub/blog/kdp-title-creation-limit/)). In September 2023, the cap was three new titles per day ([Publishers Weekly](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/93207-kdp-will-limit-daily-number-of-new-titles.html)).

- Each format has its own count. A book released as a paperback and a Kindle eBook uses one paperback slot and one eBook slot, so you can still start 2 complete books a week.
- Existing and published titles aren’t affected. The limit is about creating new titles, so set up a title in KDP when its files are ready rather than weeks ahead.
- A series has to be staggered: plan releases a few weeks apart instead of uploading every volume at once.

For AI publishers, this changes the math more than any other rule. At 2 a week, an account can start at most 104 new titles a year in each format, so mass publishing is out and each title slot is worth a good book.

#### 3. Content KDP doesn’t allow

These rules apply to every book on KDP. They matter more for AI books because AI makes it easy to break them at scale.

- **Infringing content**: anything that violates copyright, trademark, brand, privacy or publicity rights. A well-known cartoon character or brand in an illustration counts, even if an AI drew it. Copyrighted content that is freely available on the web is refused unless its copyright owner provides it.
- **Misleading content**: descriptive content meant to mislead shoppers, or that doesn’t accurately represent what is in the book.
- **Disappointing content**, in KDP’s words. Among the examples: content not significantly different from another book in the Kindle Store, content that is too short, poorly translated, or doesn’t provide an enjoyable reading experience, and content excessively reused, recycled or repeated within or across books.
- **Companion guides**: summaries, study guides, workbooks and analyses based on other books are not allowed, with limited exceptions for guides with positive reader engagement.
- **Undifferentiated public-domain books**, when a free version is already in the store.
- **Offensive content**, including hate speech, pornography and content that promotes the abuse or exploitation of children.

#### What gets AI books rejected

KDP’s guidelines don’t list AI itself as a reason to reject a book. Books are rejected or removed for the same problems as any other, and AI makes some of them easy to repeat at scale.

| Problem | KDP rule it breaks | How to avoid it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A famous character, brand or author name in the art, title or keywords | Infringing content; metadata guidelines | Original characters only. No other titles, authors or trademarks in the title or keywords. |
| Ten versions of the same book with swapped names or colors | Not significantly different; excessively repeated across books | Make each book different in content, not just in title. |
| A summary or workbook of someone else’s bestseller | Companion guides | Write about your own subject instead. |
| An AI translation published unread | Poorly translated content | Have a fluent reader check it, and declare the AI translation. |
| Title on the cover differs from the title entered, or “bestselling” and “free” in the title | Metadata guidelines | Match the cover and the details letter for letter, with no sales claims. |
| A coloring, puzzle or blank book uploaded as a Kindle eBook | Content unsuited to Kindle | Publish it in print only. |
| Typos, repeated passages, garbled lettering inside illustrations | Kindle content quality | Read every page and look at every picture before you publish. |
| Text outside the margins, missing bleed, images under 300 DPI, spine text on a book under 80 pages | Print file and cover guidelines | Work through the [publishing checklist](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist). |

#### How KDP reviews and removes books

- KDP says it enforces its guidelines with a combination of machine learning, automation and teams of human reviewers.
- After you submit, a book takes up to 3 business days to go live, or up to 10 for low-content books such as journals and notebooks. If a book goes back from In Review to Draft, KDP found something to fix: check your email, update the book and resubmit. Reviews can’t be expedited.
- KDP can ask for more information about a book before it goes on sale, and it can still act after publication: critical quality issues get a book removed from sale until they are fixed, and a moderate number of smaller issues can put a temporary quality warning on the product page.
- When KDP removes a title, it tells the publisher, who can appeal the decision.

#### What KDP doesn’t document

Plenty of advice online presents guesses as rules. As of our check, KDP’s help pages don’t document:

- how it verifies the AI answers, or whether it runs AI detection on text or images;
- whether the answers affect a book’s visibility or ranking;
- whether the answers are ever shown to shoppers. When the question launched, the Authors Guild noted that Amazon had not yet agreed to add AI disclosures to all book listings;
- how short “too short” is.

The honest answer to each is “not documented”. The safe course is the same either way: answer the AI question truthfully and publish books you would be happy to buy.

#### A short checklist

1. Answer the AI question every time you publish or republish, counting the cover art as images.
2. Use original characters, and keep brands and other authors out of the art, title and keywords.
3. Read every page. Check facts in non-fiction; AI states wrong facts with confidence.
4. Make every book distinct from your others.
5. Keep coloring, puzzle and blank books in print only.
6. Check the files against KDP’s specifications before you upload.
7. Plan releases around 2 new titles per format per week.

kdpbook applies KDP’s file rules by code, runs a preflight check before every export, and its export sheet suggests the AI-disclosure answers based on what was actually generated. It can’t promise that KDP will accept a book: the review, and the answers you give, stay with you. Our [AI content policy](https://kdpbook.io/ai-content-policy) lists what we don’t allow.

#### Questions

Q: Can you publish AI-generated books on Amazon KDP?
A: Yes. KDP allows books with AI-generated text, images and translations. You must disclose that content when you publish or republish the book, and the book must follow the same content guidelines as any other.

Q: How many books can you publish on KDP per week in 2026?
A: 2 new titles per format per week since September 21, 2026. Paperback, hardcover and Kindle eBook are counted separately, so one book in all three formats uses one slot in each. The count resets every Sunday 00:00 UTC, according to KDP's announcement as reported by the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Q: Do I have to disclose AI if I only used it for grammar or brainstorming?
A: No. KDP calls that AI-assisted content: you created the text or images and used AI to edit, refine, error-check or brainstorm. KDP says it doesn't need to be disclosed.

Q: Can Amazon detect AI-generated books?
A: KDP doesn't document how it checks AI disclosures. Its metadata guidelines say it enforces its rules with a combination of machine learning, automation and human reviewers, and that publishers are responsible for their content.

Q: Can I sell an AI-generated coloring book as a Kindle eBook?
A: Not in practice, and not because of AI. KDP lists coloring books, puzzle books, blank journals and pattern books as unsuited to Kindle and may reject or remove them as eBooks, so they are published in print only, however they were made.

Q: Are AI-generated summaries of other books allowed on KDP?
A: No. KDP's content quality guide doesn't allow companion guides (summaries, study guides, workbooks and analyses based on other books), with limited exceptions for guides with positive reader engagement.

### The KDP publishing checklist: every check before you hit Publish (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 9 min read · A step-by-step preflight for Amazon KDP: interior PDF, cover PDF, Kindle file and listing checks that catch the most common rejections before you publish.

Short answer: Before you publish on KDP, check five things in order: the interior PDF (page size, margins, 300 DPI images, embedded fonts), the full-wrap cover sized from the final page count, the Kindle file, the listing (7 keywords, 3 categories) and the AI disclosure for each format. Then plan releases: KDP allows 2 new titles per format per week.

Key numbers:
- Paperback: 24–828 pages; hardcover: 75–550
- Bleed: art runs 0.125 in past the trim; the page grows by 0.125 in × 0.25 in
- Images at 300 DPI; text at least 7 pt; PDF under 650 MB
- Spine text only on books with more than 79 pages
- 2 new titles per format per week

Sections: What to decide first · Interior PDF · Cover PDF · Kindle eBook · Listing & metadata · Last checks before Publish

Go through the list in the order of KDP’s setup screens. KDP checks every book twice, automatically when you upload the files and by a person before the book goes live, so each item below is something KDP looks at, with the number it checks.

#### What should you decide before you start?

- Decide the **format**: paperback, hardcover, Kindle eBook, or several. Each is a separate title in KDP with its own files and its own ISBN for print.
- Pick the **trim size and ink/paper** first. They set the page size, the page limits (24–828 pages for paperbacks, 75–550 for hardcovers) and the spine width. See [trim sizes and paper types](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-trim-sizes-and-paper-types).
- Finish the interior before the cover. The cover’s spine depends on the final page count.

#### Interior PDF

1. **Page size** equals the trim size exactly, or trim + 0.125 in wide and + 0.25 in tall with bleed. Every page is the same size, single pages, never spreads.
2. **Bleed is all or nothing.** If one image touches the edge, the whole file is set up with bleed, and that art extends 0.125 in past the trim.
3. **Margins.** Gutter from 0.375 in (24–150 pages) up to 0.875 in (701+ pages). Outside, top and bottom at least 0.25 in, or 0.375 in with bleed. Check with the [margins calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed).
4. **Page count** inside the limits for your ink, paper and trim. KDP rounds odd counts up and allows at most 4 blank pages in a row at the start or in the middle and 10 at the end.
5. **Images** at 300 DPI at their printed size. Under 200 DPI, KDP flags them as low resolution.
6. **Text** at least 7 pt, lines at least 0.75 pt, grey fills at least 10%.
7. **Clean PDF**: fonts embedded, transparency flattened, no crop marks, bookmarks, comments, links or form fields, and no placeholder text such as “Lorem ipsum” or “[Insert name]”. The file must be under 650 MB.

#### Cover PDF

1. **One page** with back, spine and front, sized for the *final* page count and paper. The [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator) gives the exact size.
2. **Spine text** only on books with more than 79 pages, with 0.0625 in of space on each side.
3. **Barcode area** of 2 × 1.2 in kept clear in the lower right of the back cover, unless you print your own barcode.
4. **Nothing important near the edges**: text stays inside the safe area, and no template guides, watermarks or “free” or price mentions appear on the cover.
5. Title, subtitle and author name on the cover match what you type in the book details, letter for letter.

#### Kindle eBook

- Upload an EPUB (reflowable for text, fixed layout for picture books and comics). Coloring, puzzle and blank books are listed by KDP as unsuited to Kindle: publish those in print only.
- The Kindle cover is a separate JPEG. KDP’s ideal size is 1600 × 2560 pixels; light covers need a thin grey border so they don’t disappear on white pages.
- Open the file in KDP’s previewer on phone, tablet and e-reader views before you publish.

#### Listing and metadata

- Title plus subtitle under 200 characters, with no keyword stuffing, trademarks or “bestseller” claims.
- Description up to 4,000 characters, using only KDP’s allowed formatting tags. The free [book description formatter](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/amazon-book-description-formatter) writes that HTML for you and counts the characters.
- Up to 7 keywords and 3 categories that honestly describe the book. No other authors’ names or brands. See [how to fill in keywords, categories and the description](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-keywords-categories-and-description).
- Children’s books: set the reading age. Low-content books: tick the low-content box (see [low-content vs medium-content](https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp)).
- Declare AI-generated text, images and translations in the Content tab of *each* format. See [the AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure).

#### What should you check right before you click Publish?

- Download the previewer’s PDF and check the first and last pages, the gutter and every full-page image.
- Order a proof copy for a new format or cover style.
- Price above the minimum list price for each marketplace (the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator) shows it) and check your royalty.
- Plan releases: KDP allows 2 new titles per format per week. How it counts, and how to plan a series around it: [the KDP title limit](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-title-creation-limit).

kdpbook runs the file checks of this list automatically before every export, and the export sheet lists the listing and AI-disclosure answers for your book.

#### Questions

Q: Why does KDP reject interior files?
A: The most common reasons are content outside the margins, a page size that doesn't match the trim (or trim plus bleed), bleed set on some pages only, images under 200 DPI, fonts that aren't embedded and leftover template or placeholder text.

Q: Should I order a proof copy?
A: Yes, for your first book with a new trim, paper or cover design. The online previewer catches technical problems, but only a printed proof shows color, contrast and how the spine looks.

Q: How many books can I publish per week on KDP?
A: KDP currently limits new titles to 2 per format per week, so a paperback, a hardcover and a Kindle edition of the same book each count once in their own format. The count resets every Sunday at 12:00 AM UTC.

### KDP royalties explained: paperback, hardcover and Kindle rates in 2026 (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-royalties-explained)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 10 min read · How KDP pays in 2026: 60% or 50% of list price minus printing for print books, 35% or 70% minus delivery for Kindle ($2.99–$12.99 band), with worked examples.

Sections: The rates at a glance · Paperback and hardcover royalties · Worked examples · Expanded Distribution · Kindle eBook royalties · Delivery cost: when 35% pays more · Kindle Unlimited page reads · When KDP pays · Using the rules when you price

KDP pays 60% of the list price minus the printing cost on paperbacks and hardcovers listed at $9.99 or more on Amazon.com, and 50% below that. Kindle eBooks earn 35% of the list price, or 70% minus a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB when priced from $2.99 to $12.99, a band that took effect on July 7, 2026.

#### The rates at a glance

| Format | Royalty on Amazon.com | Conditions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Paperback and hardcover** | 60% × list price − printing cost, or 50% × list price − printing cost | 60% from $9.99, 50% up to $9.98. List price at least the minimum that covers printing, at most $250. |
| **Expanded Distribution** (paperback only) | 40% × list price − printing cost | Sales outside Amazon; not for low-content books, journals or coloring books, and distributors can decline others |
| **Kindle eBook, 35%** | 35% × list price without VAT | $0.99 to $200 (minimum $1.99 from 3 MB, $2.99 from 10 MB) |
| **Kindle eBook, 70%** | 70% × (list price without VAT − delivery cost) | $2.99 to $12.99, at least 20% below the print list price, not public domain |
| **Kindle Unlimited** (KDP Select) | A share of the monthly KDP Select Global Fund per page read | No fixed rate: it changes every month |

#### Paperback and hardcover royalties

KDP’s formula for print is `royalty rate × list price − printing cost`. The rate depends on the list price: 60% at or above a threshold in each marketplace currency, 50% below it. The 50% band started on June 10, 2025; before that, print books earned 60% at any price (this and the other royalty changes since 2023 are dated in the [KDP rule changes timeline](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/changes)). Paperbacks and hardcovers use the same rates and, with one exception, the same thresholds: KDP’s hardcover help page gives 99 SEK on Amazon.se, while its paperback page and its calculator use 110 SEK, the figure in this table.

| Currency | 60% from | 50% up to | Maximum list price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| USD | 9.99 USD | 9.98 USD | 250 USD |
| EUR | 9.99 EUR | 9.98 EUR | 250 EUR |
| GBP | 7.99 GBP | 7.98 GBP | 250 GBP |
| CAD | 13.99 CAD | 13.98 CAD | 350 CAD |
| AUD | 13.99 AUD | 13.98 AUD | 350 AUD |
| JPY | 1,000 JPY | 999 JPY | 30,000 JPY |
| PLN | 40 PLN | 39 PLN | 1,200 PLN |
| SEK | 110 SEK | 109 SEK | 2,500 SEK |

- **The threshold is worth about $1.00 a copy.** KDP’s own example: a 300-page black-and-white paperback costs $4.60 to print on Amazon.com, so it earns $1.39 at $9.99 (60%) and $0.39 at $9.98 (50%).
- **The minimum list price** is the printing cost divided by the rate that applies, so the royalty never drops below zero. For the same book it is $9.20, at 50%.
- **VAT and discounts**: print list prices exclude VAT, which Amazon adds in marketplaces that charge it. If Amazon discounts your book in a promotion, your royalty stays based on your list price.

The printing cost is the other half of the formula. It depends on the ink, the paper, the trim and the page count; see the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator) for any configuration.

#### Worked examples

Royalty per copy on Amazon.com for five books (printing costs from KDP’s Amazon.com tables):

| Book | Printing cost | Minimum price | At $9.98 | At $9.99 | At $14.99 | At $19.99 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 32-page picture book, premium color, 8.5 × 8.5 in | $4.20 | $8.40 | $0.79 | $1.79 | $4.79 | $7.79 |
| 108-page puzzle book, black and white, 8.5 × 11 in | $2.84 | $5.68 | $2.15 | $3.15 | $6.15 | $9.15 |
| 120-page journal, black and white, 6 × 9 in | $2.44 | $4.88 | $2.55 | $3.55 | $6.55 | $9.55 |
| 300-page novel, paperback, 6 × 9 in | $4.60 | $9.20 | $0.39 | $1.39 | $4.39 | $7.39 |
| 300-page novel, hardcover, 6 × 9 in | $9.25 | $15.42 | Below minimum | Below minimum | Below minimum | $2.74 |

The hardcover shows why the rate is only half the story: the same 300-page book costs more to print, so it needs a higher list price for the same royalty. The [paperback vs hardcover guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-paperback-vs-hardcover) compares the two, and the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator) runs your own numbers.

#### Expanded Distribution

Expanded Distribution offers a paperback to bookstores and libraries outside Amazon. It pays 40% of the list price minus the printing cost, whatever the price. The 300-page example at $14.99 earns $4.39 per copy sold on Amazon.com and $1.40 through Expanded Distribution. Hardcovers aren’t eligible, and neither are low-content books, journals, notebooks, planners, coloring books, public-domain content or books with high ink coverage. Distributors also decline content that is excessively reused, recycled or repeated, and KDP’s list of genres concerned includes puzzle books, workbooks and cookbooks; a declined book is removed from Expanded Distribution but stays on Amazon. Eligibility also depends on the trim and paper.

#### Kindle eBook royalties

Kindle eBooks have two royalty options, and you choose one per book. **35%** pays 35% of the list price without VAT, with no delivery cost. **70%** pays 70% of the list price without VAT minus a delivery cost, if the book qualifies:

- The list price is within the band: $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com since July 7, 2026. The ceiling was $9.99 from 2007 until then. Books already published keep their price and option; a book on 35% priced inside the new band can be switched to 70%.
- The eBook is at least 20% cheaper than the list price of any print edition on Amazon.
- The book isn’t mostly public-domain content (public-domain books earn 35% only).
- For sales on Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.in, Amazon.com.br and Amazon.com.mx, the book must also be enrolled in KDP Select. The 70% rate only applies to sales to customers in KDP’s 70% territories; other sales earn 35%.

In marketplaces with VAT, the eBook list price includes it and KDP removes it before applying the rate. If Amazon lowers the price to match another store, the 70% royalty is paid on the lower sale price. The 70% band in each marketplace:

| Marketplaces | 35% minimum (under 3 MB) | 70% band | Delivery cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Amazon.com (USD) | 0.99 | 2.99–12.99 | 0.15 / MB |
| Amazon.co.uk (GBP) | 0.77 | 1.77–12.99 | 0.10 / MB |
| Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it and Amazon.nl (EUR) | 0.89 | 2.69–12.99 | 0.12 / MB |
| Amazon.co.jp (JPY) · KDP Select required for 70% | 99 | 250–1,650 | 1 / MB |
| Amazon.in (INR) · KDP Select required for 70% | 49 | 99–599 | 7 / MB |
| Amazon.ca (CAD) | 0.99 | 2.99–12.99 | 0.15 / MB |
| Amazon.com.br (BRL) · KDP Select required for 70% | 1.99 | 5.99–31.99 | 0.30 / MB |
| Amazon.com.mx (MXN) · KDP Select required for 70% | 11.99 | 34.99–199.99 | 1 / MB |
| Amazon.com.au (AUD) | 0.99 | 3.99–15.99 | 0.15 / MB |

Royalty per sale on Amazon.com for a 2 MB novel:

| List price | At 35% | At 70% | Better option |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $0.99 | $0.35 | Outside the band | 35% |
| $2.99 | $1.05 | $1.88 | 70% |
| $4.99 | $1.75 | $3.28 | 70% |
| $9.99 | $3.50 | $6.78 | 70% |
| $12.99 | $4.55 | $8.88 | 70% |
| $13.99 | $4.90 | Outside the band | 35% |

#### Delivery cost: when 35% pays more

The 70% option subtracts a delivery cost for every sale: $0.15 per MB on Amazon.com, on the converted file size rounded up to the kilobyte, with a minimum of $0.01. Other marketplaces have their own rate (on Amazon.co.jp, ¥1 per MB and none for files of 10 MB or more). For text, it hardly matters: a 2 MB novel at $4.99 pays $0.30 for delivery and earns $3.28 at 70% against $1.75 at 35%.

Images change that. On Amazon.com, 70% and 35% pay the same when the file reaches about 16.6 MB at $4.99, 33.3 MB at $9.99 and 43.3 MB at $12.99. Above that size, 35% pays more: a 40 MB fixed-layout picture book at $4.99 earns $1.75 at 35%, while at 70% the delivery cost alone ($6.00) is more than the list price. Compress images before converting, and compare both options in the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator). The [fixed-layout Kindle guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kindle-kids-book-creator-alternative) covers picture-book eBooks.

#### Kindle Unlimited page reads

eBooks enrolled in KDP Select are also read in Kindle Unlimited. Instead of a royalty per sale, KDP pays a share of the KDP Select Global Fund for each page read, counted in KENP, KDP’s normalized page count. The rate per page is the month’s fund divided by the pages read in that marketplace, so it changes every month; KDP announces the fund for a month near the 15th of the following month. A fixed per-page rate is not documented, so estimates of page-read earnings are only approximate.

#### When KDP pays

- Royalties are paid every month, about 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale was reported: January sales are paid by the end of March. Expanded Distribution sales take about 90 days.
- Page-read royalties become available the following month, when the KDP Select Global Fund is announced.
- Royalties accrue separately for each Amazon marketplace. Direct deposit has no minimum; wire and check payments wait until the balance in that marketplace reaches its minimum ($100 on Amazon.com).

#### Using the rules when you price

- **Print**: check which side of the $9.99 line your price falls on. Between the minimum and $9.98, the book earns 50%.
- **Page count**: black-and-white books pay a flat printing fee up to a set page count, then a cost per page, and large trims cost more. Both come straight out of the royalty.
- **Kindle**: inside the $2.99–$12.99 band, 70% usually pays more for text; for large, image-heavy files, compare with 35%. Keep the eBook at least 20% below the print price.
- **Low-content books, journals and coloring books** are print only and can’t use Expanded Distribution, so the Amazon print royalty is their only one. Puzzle books are print only too; they can enroll in Expanded Distribution, but distributors may decline them.

None of this predicts sales: it only tells you what one sale pays. The [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator) and the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator) apply the same rules as this page, with no account.

#### Questions

Q: What royalty does KDP pay on paperbacks in 2026?
A: 60% of the list price minus the printing cost when the list price is $9.99 or more on Amazon.com, and 50% minus the printing cost below that. Hardcovers use the same rates. Paperbacks sold through Expanded Distribution earn 40% minus the printing cost.

Q: Why does $9.99 pay more than $9.98 on KDP?
A: $9.99 is the lowest Amazon.com price that earns 60%; $9.98 earns 50%. The printing cost is the same at both prices, so the extra cent adds about $1.00 per copy to any book. In KDP’s own example, a 300-page paperback earns $1.39 at $9.99 and $0.39 at $9.98.

Q: What is the price range for the 70% Kindle royalty in 2026?
A: $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com since July 7, 2026. Before that the ceiling was $9.99, in place since 2007. Existing books keep their price and royalty option until you change them.

Q: When does the 35% Kindle royalty pay more than 70%?
A: When the file is large. The 70% option subtracts a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB on Amazon.com, so at $4.99 the two pay the same at about 16.6 MB. Image-heavy picture books and comics can earn more at 35%.

Q: Does KDP pay royalties on the discounted price?
A: Not for print: KDP says a promotional discount on Amazon doesn’t affect your royalty, which stays based on your list price. For eBooks, if Amazon lowers the price to match another store, the 70% royalty is paid on the lower sale price.

Q: When does KDP pay royalties?
A: Every month, about 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale was reported (90 days for Expanded Distribution). Direct deposit has no minimum; wire and check payments wait until the balance in a marketplace reaches its minimum ($100 on Amazon.com).

Q: How much does Kindle Unlimited pay per page?
A: There is no fixed rate. For each marketplace, KDP divides the month’s KDP Select Global Fund by the pages read there, and announces the fund near the 15th of the following month, so the rate per page changes every month.

### KDP title limit: 2 new titles per format per week (since September 21, 2026) (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-title-creation-limit)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 5 min read · Since September 21, 2026, KDP lets you create 2 new titles per format each week (it was 10). What counts, when it resets, and how to plan a series around it.

Short answer: KDP lets you create 2 new titles per format each week: 2 Kindle eBooks, 2 paperbacks and 2 hardcovers. The limit started on September 21, 2026, down from 10 per format, and resets every Sunday at 12:00 AM UTC. Existing and published titles aren't affected, but a new edition is set up as a new title.

Key numbers:
- 2 new titles per format per week
- Up to 6 new titles a week across the 3 formats
- Resets every Sunday at 12:00 AM UTC
- In force since September 21, 2026; 10 per format before

Sections: What counts as a new title? · Do drafts, published books or new editions count? · Does each format count separately? · What was the limit before? · What happens when you hit it? · How do you plan a series or a launch?

KDP states the rule on its [Paperback Submission Guidelines](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201857950) and [Create a Book](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202172740) help pages, and announced it on the KDP Community forum in [“Update on KDP Title Creation Limits”](https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/KDP-Title-Creation-Limits-Update?language=en_US). Here is what it means in practice: which books count, what happens at the limit, and how to plan around it.

#### What counts as a new title?

In KDP, a title is one format of one book: the Kindle eBook, the paperback and the hardcover of the same story are three titles in your Bookshelf. KDP words the rule as a limit on the titles you *create*, not the ones you publish: a title counts in the week you create it, whether you publish it that week or later.

#### Do drafts, published books or new editions count?

- **Existing titles don’t count.** KDP’s announcement says the limit applies only to creating new titles, and that existing or published titles are not affected. Titles already in your Bookshelf, drafts included, stay as they are.
- **Small updates don’t count.** Fixing typos or making small corrections to a published title is an update of that title, not a new one.
- **A new edition counts.** KDP’s help on titles and editions says you create a new edition by creating a new title. It treats significant changes as a new edition, for example a new title or primary author, a new ISBN, a different trim size or ink and paper, or a manuscript change that moves the page count by more than 10%.

#### Does each format count separately?

Yes. KDP’s FAQ says the limit applies to eBook (Kindle), paperback and hardcover, with 2 titles per format per week. Publishing one book in all three formats uses one title in each format, so you can still start 2 complete books a week, or up to 6 new titles across the 3 formats.

#### What was the limit before?

The same help page said 10 titles per book format each week, and invited publishers who expected to create a large number of titles to contact KDP about an exception. That is the wording in the [Internet Archive copy of August 24, 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260824064339/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201857950). The current page gives the 2-per-format limit and no longer mentions an exception.

#### What happens when you hit it?

You can’t create another title in that format until the next reset. KDP’s FAQ says to try again after the weekly limit resets, on Sundays at 12:00 AM UTC. The other formats keep their own count: hitting the paperback limit doesn’t stop you from creating a Kindle eBook.

#### How do you plan a series or a launch around it?

- **Batch by week.** The week restarts every Sunday at 12:00 AM UTC, so plan in Sunday-to-Saturday batches of 2 titles per format.
- **Use eBook pre-orders for a series.** A Kindle eBook can go on pre-order up to 18 months before its release date, with up to 10 active pre-orders at a time and the final file due 72 hours before release. Each pre-order is still a new title, created in the week you set it up.
- **Schedule print releases.** Paperbacks and hardcovers can’t be pre-ordered, but a new print book can get a release date up to 90 days ahead, so a whole series can be created over several weeks and go on sale together.
- **Finish books before you create them in KDP.** Files you prepare elsewhere don’t count. Books made with kdpbook, for example, only use a title when you create them in your KDP Bookshelf.

Before each upload, run the [KDP publishing checklist](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist), and declare AI-generated content as the [AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure) explains. For KDP’s other rules on AI books, read [Can you publish AI-generated books on Amazon KDP? The 2026 rules](https://kdpbook.io/guides/can-you-publish-ai-generated-books-on-kdp).

#### Questions

Q: How many books can you publish on KDP per week?
A: You can create 2 new titles per format each week: 2 Kindle eBooks, 2 paperbacks and 2 hardcovers. If every book comes in all three formats, that's 2 complete books a week.

Q: When does the KDP weekly title limit reset?
A: Every Sunday at 12:00 AM UTC, according to KDP's announcement of the limit.

Q: Does updating a published book count toward the limit?
A: No. KDP says the limit only applies to creating new titles, and existing or published titles aren't affected. A new edition is different: KDP has you set it up as a new title, so it uses one of the week's titles in its format.

Q: Can I ask KDP for an exception to the title limit?
A: Before September 21, 2026, the KDP help page invited publishers who expected to create many titles to ask for an exception. The current page states the 2-per-format limit and no longer mentions an exception.

### How to make a puzzle book for Amazon KDP (word search, sudoku, mazes) (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-puzzle-book-for-kdp)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · How to make a puzzle book for KDP: trim size and large print, puzzles per page, answer keys, ISBN, why it isn't low-content, Expanded Distribution and cost.

Short answer: A KDP puzzle book is usually an 8.5 × 11 in black-and-white paperback on white paper: one puzzle per page, large print for adults and seniors, answer keys at the back. It isn't low-content, so it needs an ISBN (the free KDP one is fine). It's print only, and KDP lists puzzle books among content Expanded Distribution may not accept.

Key numbers:
- Trim: 8.5 × 11 in (also 8 × 10 and 6 × 9 in); white paper
- Printing 108 pages on Amazon.com: $2.84; minimum list price $5.68
- KDP's minimum text size is 7 pt; kdpbook treats 16 pt and up as large print
- Paperback minimum: 24 pages

Sections: What trim size and paper? · What makes it large print? · Puzzles per page and answer keys · Is it a low-content book? · Does it need an ISBN? · Kindle and Expanded Distribution · What does it cost?

Below, each choice in the order you make it: the trim and paper, the print size, puzzles per page and answer keys, the low-content box and the ISBN, where the book can be sold, and what it costs. The worked example is kdpbook’s default puzzle book: 108 pages at 8.5 × 11 in.

#### What trim size and paper should a puzzle book use?

**8.5 × 11 in** is the usual size: big grids and room for a word list. Use **white paper** for crisp grids; the interior is black and white, and only the cover is printed in color. KDP accepts 24–590 pages at 8.5 × 11 in in black and white. The trims kdpbook’s puzzle types offer, at 108 pages on Amazon.com:

| Trim | KDP class | Printing cost | Minimum list price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 8.5 × 11 in | Large | $2.84 | $5.68 |
| 8 × 10 in | Large | $2.84 | $5.68 |
| 6 × 9 in | Regular | $2.30 | $4.60 |
| 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4) | Large | $2.84 | $5.68 |

A hardcover edition needs at least 75 pages and one of KDP’s hardcover trims (6 × 9 and 8.25 × 11 in for kdpbook’s puzzle types). Pick the trim before you lay out the pages: after publishing, a new trim size means a new edition.

#### What makes a puzzle book large print?

Bigger letters, bigger cells and fewer puzzles per page. KDP’s help pages we checked don’t define a large-print size; its only rule is a minimum of 7 pt for any text. kdpbook’s listing check warns you if you tick “Large print” with body text under 16 pt, and in large print its word search pages never set the grid letters or the word list smaller: the generator drops words, then shrinks the grid, until both fit. Its grids run from 10 × 10 letters on easy to 20 × 20 on expert before that fitting. If you say “large print” in the title, make sure every page lives up to it.

#### How many puzzles per page, and where do the answers go?

- **One puzzle per page** for large print, with its title and instructions above the grid. Smaller print can take two.
- **Answer keys at the back**, several small solution grids per page, numbered like the puzzles. kdpbook’s 108-page book holds 88 puzzles and 15 pages of solutions, about 6 per page, after 4 pages of front matter.
- **Every puzzle must work**: every word placed in a word search, exactly one solution for a sudoku, exactly one path through a maze. kdpbook generates and checks puzzles in code, not with an AI image model, so grids are exact.
- Group puzzles by type or theme and get harder through the book, so buyers see progress.

#### Is a puzzle book a low-content book on KDP?

No. KDP defines low-content books as repetitive books meant to be filled in, such as notebooks and planners, and says this doesn’t typically include activity books such as puzzle or coloring books. Its own table lists puzzle books as not generally low-content. Leave the low-content box unticked. More in [what low-content books are on KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp).

#### Does a puzzle book need an ISBN?

Yes, like any regular paperback or hardcover: use the free KDP ISBN (the imprint then reads “Independently published”) or your own. Unlike a low-content book published without an ISBN, it can show a sample on Amazon (Look Inside), so buyers can see the grids and the print size before they buy.

#### Can a puzzle book be a Kindle eBook or use Expanded Distribution?

**Kindle**: no. KDP’s content-quality guide lists puzzle books among books not suited to Kindle, because readers write on the pages. Publish in print only.

**Expanded Distribution** (bookstores and libraries): you can tick it for a paperback, but KDP’s page lists puzzle topics among the content its distributors don’t currently accept:

KDP’s Expanded Distribution page says its distributors “may not accept books according to their guidelines and policies”, and that content not currently accepted includes, but is not limited to:

- paperbacks with frequent lined or blank pages (journals, notebooks, planners, calendars, agendas, organizers)
- summaries of, or insight into, another published book without the original author’s permission
- interiors that need a high concentration of ink
- public domain content
- coloring books
- poorly translated content
- content rebranded or re-released with significant metadata changes
- content excessively reused, recycled or repeated within or across books

The same list continues with a table of topics: sport, cryptocurrency, cookbooks, travel guides, Bitcoin, keto, biographies, options trading, intermittent fasting, cryptography, Python, plant-based, guided exercise, NFTs, Mediterranean, **word scramble**, workbooks, dark psychology, motivational quotations, handwriting practice, manipulation, manifestation, scissor skills, mind control, mindfulness, **activity books**, hypnosis, fitness and dieting, drawing books, narcissism, ChatGPT, **puzzle books**, crafting books, **word search**, **trivia books**, Cricut, **sudoku**, how-to books, knitting, **crossword**, title count over 99, crocheting, **maze**, joke books, cross stitch. Hardcovers aren’t eligible at all. Source: [KDP Help: Expanded Distribution](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45), read on September 28, 2026.

Plan on Amazon sales.

#### What does a puzzle book cost to print and make?

On Amazon.com, the 108-page 8.5 × 11 in black-and-white paperback costs $2.84 to print, and its minimum list price is $5.68. KDP pays 60% of the list price from $9.99 and 50% at $9.98 or less, minus the printing cost:

| List price | Rate | Royalty per copy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $6.99 | 50% | $0.66 |
| $9.98 | 50% | $2.15 |
| $9.99 | 60% | $3.15 |
| $12.99 | 60% | $4.95 |

Try other prices in the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator) and other trims in the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator), or read [KDP royalties explained: paperback, hardcover and Kindle rates in 2026](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-royalties-explained).

With kdpbook, a 108-page puzzle book is estimated at about 460 credits, within the 2,000 free credits every new account gets (free-plan files carry a preview watermark and aren’t for sale). Start from the [puzzle book generator](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/puzzle-book-generator) for a mix, or a single-puzzle type: [word search](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/large-print-word-search-book-maker), [sudoku](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/sudoku-book-generator) or [mazes for kids](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/maze-book-for-kids-generator). To try single grids first, use the free [word search maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-search-maker), [sudoku maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/sudoku-maker) or [maze maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/maze-maker). Comparing tools? Read [kdpbook.io vs Book Bolt](https://kdpbook.io/compare/book-bolt-alternative) and [kdpbook.io vs LowContent.ai](https://kdpbook.io/compare/lowcontent-ai-alternative).

#### Questions

Q: Is a puzzle book low-content on KDP?
A: No. KDP says low-content books don't typically include activity books such as puzzle books, and lists puzzle books as not generally low-content. Leave the low-content box unticked and publish with an ISBN.

Q: Can I sell a puzzle book as a Kindle eBook?
A: No. KDP's content-quality guide lists puzzle books among books that aren't suited to Kindle, because readers are meant to write on the pages. Publish them as paperbacks or hardcovers.

Q: What size should a KDP puzzle book be?
A: 8.5 × 11 in is the usual size, black and white on white paper. 6 × 9 in works for a travel-size book and costs less to print, and 8 × 10 in sits in between.

Q: Do puzzle books need an answer key?
A: No KDP rule we found requires one, but buyers expect it. Put the solutions at the back, numbered like the puzzles, and make sure every puzzle can be solved.

Q: Do I have to disclose AI for a puzzle book?
A: Only for what an AI tool created. KDP asks about text, images and translations created by an AI-based tool: grids built by ordinary code aren't, but word lists, clues, quotes or cover art made with an AI tool are, so declare those.

### KDP keywords, categories and book description: how to fill them in (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-keywords-categories-and-description)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · How to fill in KDP's 7 keyword boxes, pick 3 categories and write a book description of up to 4,000 characters with the HTML KDP accepts.

Short answer: KDP gives each format 7 keyword boxes for words or short phrases readers search for, 3 categories, and a description of up to 4,000 characters, HTML tags included. Don't repeat your title or categories in keywords, don't name other authors or brands, and keep reviews, prices, links and time-sensitive claims out of the description.

Key numbers:
- 7 keyword boxes per format
- 3 categories per format
- Description: up to 4,000 characters, tags counted
- Headings: <h4>, <h5>, <h6> only
- Title and subtitle: fewer than 200 characters together

Sections: How many keywords? · What goes in keywords? · How many categories? · How long can the description be? · Which HTML is allowed? · What kdpbook drafts for you

Keywords and categories decide where your book shows up in Amazon’s search and browsing; the description decides whether a reader who finds it buys it. Below are KDP’s rules for each field, from its help pages, with what to write and what to leave out.

#### How many keywords can you add on KDP?

**7**, one word or short phrase per box. KDP’s metadata guidelines recommend phrases of 2–3 words, and its keyword page asks you to watch the character limit shown in each box. Good keywords carry what your title and description can’t: the setting, the kind of characters, the theme, the tone, the reader (“bedtime story for toddlers”, “cozy mystery in a bakery”). Put words in the order people type them, and search Amazon with each one before you publish to see what comes up. You can change keywords as often as you like; keep them consistent across formats.

#### What should, and shouldn’t, go in KDP keywords?

KDP’s keyword page lists what to leave out:

- anything already in your metadata (title, contributors) or in your categories;
- quality claims (“best”), time-sensitive words (“new”, “on sale”) and words common to every book (“book”);
- spelling mistakes and variants of spacing, punctuation, capitalization or plurals;
- other authors’ names, brands you don’t own and Amazon program names such as Kindle Unlimited;
- quotation marks and HTML tags.

KDP says it has zero tolerance for metadata meant to advertise, promote or mislead, so a keyword must describe what is actually in the book.

#### How many categories can you choose?

**3 per format**, from Amazon’s store categories. Set the primary audience and the primary marketplace first: the category list depends on them, and it differs between eBook and print and between marketplaces. Pick categories that describe the book; KDP removes or changes unrelated ones, and new categories can take up to 72 hours to show.

Children’s categories need a reading age of 0–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12; Teen and Young Adult categories use 13–17. A book marked as containing sexually explicit images or title can’t appear in Children’s categories. KDP’s support team doesn’t recommend categories for you.

#### How long can a KDP book description be?

Up to **4,000 characters**, and KDP counts every HTML tag: a word in bold costs the word plus 7 characters for <b></b>. KDP’s advice is to describe the main plot, theme or idea, aim for about a 150-word paragraph that is easy to scan, open with a sentence that draws readers in, and make the genre clear.

KDP doesn’t accept any of these in a description:

- phone numbers, mail or email addresses, and website URLs;
- reviews, quotes or testimonials, and requests for reviews;
- advertising, prices, availability or other ways to order;
- time-sensitive information (tour dates, events) and spoilers;
- emojis and keyword lists.

#### Which HTML does the description accept?

KDP’s description box accepts <br>, <p>, <b>, <em>, <i>, <u>, <h4>, <h5>, <h6>, <ol>, <ul>, <li>. <h1>, <h2>, <h3> aren’t supported, so headings start at <h4>. Close every tag, use two <br> tags for an empty line, and don’t count on double spaces: the detail page collapses them. The title and subtitle together must stay under 200 characters. The free [description formatter](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/amazon-book-description-formatter) writes this HTML for you and counts the characters.

#### What does kdpbook draft for you?

Every book made with kdpbook comes with a listing sheet laid out like KDP’s Details page: title and subtitle, series, author, the description in KDP’s HTML with a plain-text preview, 7 keywords (one per box), up to 3 categories to pick in KDP’s category browser, the reading age, the low-content and large-print answers, the AI-disclosure answers and suggested list prices. The preflight checks the listing against the limits above before you export. You still choose the final words: it’s a draft for you to edit, not a ranking promise.

Then run the [publishing checklist](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist) and answer the AI question as the [AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure) explains.

#### Questions

Q: How many keywords can you use on KDP?
A: 7. KDP gives you 7 keyword boxes for each format, each holding a word or a short phrase; its metadata guidelines recommend phrases of 2–3 words.

Q: How many categories can you choose on KDP?
A: 3 per format, picked in KDP's category browser after you set the primary audience and marketplace. Categories differ between formats and between Amazon marketplaces.

Q: What is the character limit for a KDP book description?
A: 4,000 characters, and KDP counts HTML tags too: a bold word costs 7 more characters than the same word in plain text.

Q: Can I put reviews or links in my KDP book description?
A: No. KDP doesn't accept reviews, quotes or testimonials, requests for reviews, URLs, email addresses, prices, time-sensitive information or emojis in the description.

### How to publish a children’s picture book on KDP with AI (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-publish-a-childrens-picture-book-on-kdp)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 10 min read · From idea to Amazon: trim size, premium color, bleed, page count, consistent characters, Kindle edition and AI disclosure for an AI-illustrated picture book.

Short answer: To publish a children’s picture book on Amazon KDP with AI, make a premium color paperback, usually 8.5 × 8.5 in with bleed, of at least 24 pages, with art at 300 DPI and the same characters on every page. Add a full-wrap cover and a fixed-layout Kindle eBook, then declare the AI-generated text and images when you publish.

Key numbers:
- Trim: 8.5 × 8.5 in, premium color, with bleed
- Minimum length: 24 pages (paperback)
- Printing 32 pages on Amazon.com: $4.20; minimum list price $8.40
- Full-bleed art at 300 DPI: about 2,588 × 2,625 px
- Spine text only on books with more than 79 pages

Sections: Which format and trim size? · How many pages? · How do characters stay consistent? · Build the print files · The Kindle edition · Price and royalties · Publish: disclosure and listing

Each step below comes with the numbers KDP checks, worked out for a 32-page 8.5 × 8.5 in paperback, from choosing the format to answering KDP’s AI questions. If you make the book with kdpbook, these settings are applied for you; they are still worth knowing before you upload anything.

#### 1. Which format and trim size should a picture book use?

Most self-published picture books are **premium color paperbacks** in a square trim, plus a **Kindle eBook**. The classic size is 8.5 × 8.5 in. Because the art runs to the edge of the page, the book uses **bleed**: each interior page is set up at 8.625 × 8.75 in and trimmed after printing. To compare it with the other sizes KDP prints, see every trim drawn to scale, with its page limits, on the [trim sizes](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes) page.

- **Premium color** is the only KDP ink that suits full-page illustrations. Standard color is cheaper but meant for text-heavy books and needs at least 72 pages.
- **Hardcover** needs 75 pages or more and doesn’t come in square sizes, so it rarely fits a picture book.
- KDP doesn’t print board books (thick card pages). A toddler book is sold as a square paperback instead; say so in the description.

#### 2. How many pages does a picture book need?

At least 24: that’s KDP’s paperback minimum, and every page counts, including the title page, copyright page and any blank page. The traditional 32 pages come from offset printing and leave room for about 14 spreads of story after front and back matter. Plan the story spread by spread: one scene per spread, a page turn at every surprise, and one to four short sentences per page. How many words in total? See [children’s book word count by age](https://kdpbook.io/guides/childrens-book-word-count-by-age).

Keep text inside the safe area and away from the gutter, and place it on a calm part of the illustration so it stays readable. A “This book belongs to” page and a short dedication are common in children’s books.

#### 3. How do you keep AI illustrations consistent?

Draw each main character once, on a **character sheet**, and reuse that sheet as the reference for every illustration, all in one style: the same fox, the same scarf, the same colors on every page. Consistency is the hardest part of an AI picture book, and this is the reliable way to get it. That’s how kdpbook works: characters are locked before the pages are painted, and you can redraw any page that drifts. The [character consistency guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-childrens-book-with-ai-and-keep-characters-consistent) covers the method in detail.

Illustrations must be at least 300 DPI at their printed size. For a full-bleed page on this trim, that’s about 2588 × 2625 pixels. Never put text inside the images: set it as real text on the page so it stays sharp and editable.

#### 4. Build the print files

- **Interior PDF**: every page at the bleed size, art extended into the bleed on the outside, top and bottom edges, fonts embedded.
- **Cover PDF**: back, spine and front on one page. A 32-page book has a very thin spine and no room for spine text; KDP only prints it on books with more than 79 pages. Use the [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator) for the exact size.
- Run through the [publishing checklist](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist) before you upload.

#### 5. The Kindle edition

Picture books need a **fixed-layout** Kindle eBook, where every page keeps its design. KDP retired Kindle Kids’ Book Creator in 2025; today you upload a fixed-layout EPUB or a file made with Kindle Create. Text should be large enough to read on a 7-inch tablet without zooming. The details are in [how to make a fixed-layout Kindle picture book](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kindle-kids-book-creator-alternative).

Picture-book files are large, which matters for royalties: the 70% option subtracts a delivery cost per megabyte. At $4.99 and 12 MB, 70% pays $2.23 after a $1.80 delivery cost, and 35% pays $1.75. Very large files can make 35% the better option, so compare both in the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator).

#### 6. Price and royalties

On Amazon.com, a 8.5 × 8.5 in premium color paperback costs a flat $4.20 to print up to 40 pages, so 24, 32 and 40 pages all cost the same. The minimum list price is $8.40. At $9.99 you earn $1.79 per copy; below $9.99 the royalty rate drops from 60% to 50%. See [how to price a book on KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp).

#### 7. Publish: disclosure and listing

- In the Content tab, answer **Yes** to AI-generated content and declare the text and images (the cover counts). Read the [AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure).
- Set a reading age (for example 3–5) that matches the text, and choose categories that describe the story honestly.
- Use a free KDP ISBN for the paperback: picture books are not low-content books.

Want to skip the setup? The [AI picture book generator](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator) starts at 8.5 × 8.5 in, premium color, 32 pages with bleed, and exports all of the above.

#### Questions

Q: What is the best trim size for a children's picture book on KDP?
A: 8.5 × 8.5 in is the most common square size, with 8.25 × 8.25 in, 8 × 10 in and the 8.25 × 6 in landscape as alternatives. Square and landscape picture-book sizes are paperback only on KDP.

Q: How many pages does a KDP picture book need?
A: At least 24 pages, KDP's paperback minimum. 32 pages is the traditional length, but on KDP it's a convention, not a rule.

Q: Can I publish an AI-illustrated picture book on Amazon?
A: Yes, as long as the content follows KDP's content guidelines and you declare the AI-generated text and images in the Content tab when you publish.

Q: Can a KDP picture book be a hardcover?
A: Only with at least 75 pages and one of KDP's hardcover sizes, none of which is square. Most picture books are published as a premium color paperback plus a Kindle edition.

### How to make a coloring book for KDP (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-coloring-book-for-kdp)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · Trim size, paper, single-sided pages, line weight, page count, ISBN and pricing for a KDP coloring book, and why it is print only and not low-content.

Short answer: A KDP coloring book is usually an 8.5 × 11 in black-and-white paperback on white paper: one design per sheet with a blank back, lines of at least 0.75 pt, art at 300 DPI, about 100 pages. It needs an ISBN because it isn't low-content, it can't be sold as a Kindle eBook, and Expanded Distribution doesn't accept coloring books.

Key numbers:
- Trim: 8.5 × 11 in, black and white on white paper
- Pages: 24–590 at this size
- Printing 104 pages on Amazon.com: $2.84; minimum list price $5.68
- Royalty at $9.99: $3.15 (60%); at $8.99: $1.66 (50%)
- Lines at least 0.75 pt; images at 300 DPI

Sections: What size and paper? · One design per sheet · Line art that prints well · Page count and cost · Is it a low-content book? · Expanded Distribution · Can it be a Kindle eBook? · Listing and AI disclosure

The usual mistakes are the wrong paper, designs printed back to back and lines too thin to color. This guide shows how to avoid each one, what the book costs to print, and where KDP lets you sell it.

#### What size and paper should a coloring book use?

The standard is **8.5 × 11 in**, black-and-white interior on **white paper**. White paper gives the cleanest contrast for line art and takes colored pencils well. KDP accepts 24–590 pages at this size in black and white. Square 8.5 × 8.5 in or 8.25 × 8.25 in trims work for mandalas and for younger children.

Coloring pages are black and white, so you don’t need a color interior: the cover sells the book, and it is printed in color whatever the interior.

#### One design per sheet

Put each design on a right-hand page and leave the back blank. It doubles the page count, but markers won’t bleed into the next picture, and the page can be cut out. KDP allows blank backs between designs; its limit on blank pages only concerns long runs of consecutive blanks.

#### Line art that prints well

- **Pure black and white**: no grey shading, no gradients. KDP needs grey fills of at least 10%, and colorists want white areas anyway.
- **Line weight** at least 0.75 pt (KDP’s minimum). For kids, much thicker: bold outlines around big, closed shapes.
- **Resolution**: 300 DPI at print size, or vector art. An 8.5 × 11 in page is 2550 × 3300 pixels.
- **Safe margins**: without bleed, keep every line at least 0.25 in from the edges plus the gutter for your page count. Most coloring books don’t use bleed.

AI image generators often produce grey tones, broken outlines or tiny details. kdpbook cleans every coloring page to pure black and white and closes gaps before placing it inside the safe area.

#### Page count and cost

A typical coloring book has about 50 designs, so around 100 pages with the blank backs and front matter. On Amazon.com, black-and-white paperbacks up to 108 pages pay a flat printing cost: $2.84 for a 104-page 8.5 × 11 in book, with a minimum list price of $5.68.

Pricing just under $10 is tempting, but check the rate: at $8.99 you earn $1.66 (50%), at $9.99 you earn $3.15 (60%). Try other prices in the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator).

#### Is a coloring book a low-content book?

No. KDP’s low-content category covers notebooks, journals, planners and logbooks, and KDP says it doesn’t typically include coloring books, which its table lists as not generally low-content. Don’t tick the low-content box: publish with an ISBN (KDP’s free one is fine), which also gives you Look Inside. More in [low-content vs medium-content books](https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp).

#### Can a coloring book use Expanded Distribution?

No. Expanded Distribution offers paperbacks to bookstores and libraries through distributors, and coloring books are on KDP’s list of content those distributors don’t currently accept. Plan on Amazon sales only. The full list:

KDP’s Expanded Distribution page says its distributors “may not accept books according to their guidelines and policies”, and that content not currently accepted includes, but is not limited to:

- paperbacks with frequent lined or blank pages (journals, notebooks, planners, calendars, agendas, organizers)
- summaries of, or insight into, another published book without the original author’s permission
- interiors that need a high concentration of ink
- public domain content
- **coloring books**
- poorly translated content
- content rebranded or re-released with significant metadata changes
- content excessively reused, recycled or repeated within or across books

The same list continues with a table of topics: sport, cryptocurrency, cookbooks, travel guides, Bitcoin, keto, biographies, options trading, intermittent fasting, cryptography, Python, plant-based, guided exercise, NFTs, Mediterranean, word scramble, workbooks, dark psychology, motivational quotations, handwriting practice, manipulation, manifestation, scissor skills, mind control, mindfulness, **activity books**, hypnosis, fitness and dieting, **drawing books**, narcissism, ChatGPT, puzzle books, crafting books, word search, trivia books, Cricut, sudoku, how-to books, knitting, crossword, title count over 99, crocheting, maze, joke books, cross stitch. Hardcovers aren’t eligible at all. Source: [KDP Help: Expanded Distribution](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45), read on September 28, 2026.

#### Can a coloring book be a Kindle eBook?

No. KDP’s Kindle content-quality rules list coloring books among books not suited to Kindle, because readers color on the pages. Publish coloring books as paperbacks (or hardcovers from 75 pages on a hardcover trim).

#### Listing and AI disclosure

- Pick a specific theme and audience (“bold and easy farm animals for seniors”) rather than a generic “adult coloring book”.
- Declare AI-generated images, including the cover, in the Content tab. See the [AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure).
- Show a few interior designs in your A+ Content or description so buyers know the line style.

The [AI coloring book generator](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-coloring-book-generator) sets all of this up for you: 8.5 × 11 in, white paper, single-sided designs and a KDP-sized cover.

Adding puzzles for kids? The [activity book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-activity-book-generator) type mixes maze, pre-writing lines, letter tracing, word search and tic-tac-toe & dots-and-boxes pages, picked for the child’s age, and our free [maze maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/maze-maker) and [word search maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-search-maker) print sample pages from the same generators, with their solutions.

#### Questions

Q: What size should a KDP coloring book be?
A: 8.5 × 11 in on white paper is the standard. 8.25 × 8.25 in and 8.5 × 8.5 in square sizes suit mandalas and small hands.

Q: Is a coloring book low-content on KDP?
A: No. KDP says low-content books don't typically include coloring books and lists them as not generally low-content, so you publish with an ISBN (the free KDP ISBN is fine) and your book gets Look Inside.

Q: Can I sell a coloring book as a Kindle eBook?
A: No. KDP lists content meant to be colored in as unsuited to Kindle, so coloring books are published as paperbacks (or hardcovers).

Q: Can a coloring book use KDP Expanded Distribution?
A: No. KDP's Expanded Distribution page lists coloring books among the content its distributors don't currently accept, so a coloring book sells on Amazon only.

Q: Why print coloring pages on one side only?
A: Markers bleed through paper. With a blank back behind every design, a colorist never ruins the next picture, and pages can be cut out and framed.

### How to make a journal for KDP: guided journals, planners and notebooks (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-journal-for-kdp)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 10 min read · Low-content rules, trim sizes, paper, page counts and interiors for KDP journals, planners and notebooks, and what a guided journal adds to a plain notebook.

Sections: Notebook, planner or guided journal · The low-content question · Trim size and paper · Page count and printing cost · Designing the interior · More than a blank notebook · Print only, Amazon only · Pricing and royalty · Making one with kdpbook

To make a journal for KDP, pick a trim (6 × 9 in suits most journals), a black-and-white interior on white or cream paper and a page count: on Amazon.com a 120-page 6 × 9 in journal costs $2.44 to print. Then settle the low-content question. KDP counts notebooks, planners, logbooks and prompt journals as low-content: no free KDP ISBN, no Expanded Distribution, no Kindle edition.

#### Notebook, planner or guided journal

“Journal” covers very different books. The difference is how much content each page carries, and that decides the rest: ISBN, preview, and how much work the interior takes. kdpbook’s journal types show the range:

| Type | What each page holds | Default | Low-content in kdpbook |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Guided journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker) | A unique prompt on every page, with decorative art | 6 × 9 in, 120 pages | No (see below) |
| [Gratitude journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/gratitude-journal-maker) | A fresh prompt for three good things, every day | 6 × 9 in, 120 pages | No (see below) |
| [Planner & logbook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/planner-and-logbook-maker) | Undated planners, trackers and niche logbooks | 6 × 9 in, 108 pages | Yes |
| [Lined notebook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/lined-notebook-interior-maker) | Ruled pages and a cover made for your niche | 6 × 9 in, 120 pages | Yes |
| [Sketchbook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/sketchbook-interior-maker) | Framed blank pages for drawing and doodling | 8.5 × 11 in, 110 pages | Yes |
| [Password book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/password-book-maker) | A–Z sections to keep every login in one place | 6 × 9 in, 108 pages | Yes |

#### The low-content question

KDP defines a low-content book as one with minimal or no content on the interior pages, generally repetitive and designed to be filled in by the user. Its examples: notebooks, planners, diaries and journals, prompt journals, log books (tracking habits, activity or thankfulness), coupon books, score cards, crafting templates and blank sheet music. You declare it with the “Low-content” box in the Categories section of the paperback or hardcover details. Ticking it changes the book:

- **ISBN**: optional. KDP’s free ISBN isn’t offered, so you publish without an ISBN or with your own. Without one, KDP prints a barcode in a 2 × 1.2 in area in the lower right of the back cover: keep it clear.
- **Look Inside**: only with your own ISBN. Without it, you can show interior pages with A+ Content on the book’s detail page.
- **No series and no pre-orders.**
- **Review time**: up to 10 business days for low-content books such as journals or notebooks, against up to 3 for most books.
- **It’s permanent**: the ISBN choice can’t be changed after publishing. To switch, you unpublish the book and publish it again.

Notebooks, planners, logbooks, sketchbooks and password books fit KDP’s description squarely; kdpbook flags its planner & logbook, lined notebook, sketchbook and password book types as low-content. Guided journals are the gray zone. kdpbook sets up its [guided journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker) and [gratitude journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/gratitude-journal-maker) as regular books, because every page carries a different prompt rather than a repeated template. KDP, though, names prompt journals and thankfulness logs among its low-content examples, and it publishes no threshold (Not documented). If most of each page is writing space under a one-line prompt, your book matches KDP’s examples: ticking the box is the careful reading. If each page carries real content (exercises, explanations, a reflection to read), it’s closer to a workbook, published with an ISBN. Either way, Expanded Distribution and Kindle are closed to journals. More in [low-content vs medium-content books](https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp).

#### Trim size and paper

Journals use the standard paperback trims. Pocket sizes are easy to carry; 6 × 9 in is a common middle ground; 8.5 × 11 in gives planners and logbooks room for tables. Trims wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in are large trims and cost more to print. For a 120-page black-and-white journal on Amazon.com:

| Trim | Trim class | Printing cost | Minimum list price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 5 × 8 in | Regular | $2.44 | $4.88 |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | Regular | $2.44 | $4.88 |
| 6 × 9 in | Regular | $2.44 | $4.88 |
| 7 × 10 in | Large | $3.04 | $6.08 |
| 8 × 10 in | Large | $3.04 | $6.08 |
| 8.5 × 11 in | Large | $3.04 | $6.08 |

- **White or cream**: both are 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM) and cost the same to print. Cream is slightly thicker: at 120 pages the spine is 0.3 in on cream against 0.27 in on white.
- **Groundwood**: KDP’s cheaper black-and-white paper, 45 lb (60 GSM) ($2.37 for the same journal). It is lighter than white paper but not thinner: at 120 pages the spine is 0.282 in, against 0.27 in on white.
- **Heavier paper**, 60–71 lb (88–105 GSM), only comes with premium color, at color prices: $8.80 to print the same 120-page 6 × 9 in journal, with a minimum list price of $14.67. For a book people write in, a black-and-white interior with the color on the cover is usually the practical choice.

Order a proof and test the pens your buyers will use: gel pens and markers can show through thin paper. Compare every trim and paper in the [trim size tool](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes).

#### Page count and printing cost

KDP prints paperbacks from 24 pages. On Amazon.com a black-and-white paperback costs a flat $2.30 ($2.84 on large trims) up to 108 pages, then $1.00 plus $0.012 per page ($0.017 on large trims):

| Pages | 6 × 9 in | 8.5 × 11 in |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 24 | $2.30 | $2.84 |
| 60 | $2.30 | $2.84 |
| 100 | $2.30 | $2.84 |
| 108 | $2.30 | $2.84 |
| 120 | $2.44 | $3.04 |
| 150 | $2.80 | $3.55 |
| 200 | $3.40 | $4.40 |

Every page counts, blank ones included, and KDP allows no more than 4 consecutive blank pages at the start or in the middle of a book (10 at the end). Ruled, dotted and framed pages aren’t blank, but a sketchbook of completely empty pages can run into this rule, so give each page a frame or a small header. KDP prints spine text only on books with more than 79 pages.

#### Designing the interior

- **Margins**: with no bleed, keep lines and text at least 0.25 in from the outside edges and 0.375 in from the binding at 120 pages (the gutter grows with the page count; see [margins and bleed](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed)). Most journal interiors don’t need bleed.
- **Ruling**: inside those margins a 6 × 9 in page holds about 30 lines at college ruling (0.28 in) or 24 at wide ruling (0.34 in), fewer with a header or a date line.
- **Line weight**: KDP asks for lines of at least 0.75 pt; hairlines and very pale grey can print faintly or break up.
- **Front matter**: an ownership page (“This journal belongs to”), a short how-to-use page and, for planners, a key or an index.
- **Dated or undated**: an undated planner works in any year; a dated one needs a new edition every year.
- **Quotes**: use original ones or quotes in the public domain.

#### More than a blank notebook

A plain lined notebook offers nothing a buyer can’t find in a stationery aisle. What a journal adds is structure for one person and one use. Some ways to get there (none of them guarantees a sale):

- **A specific reader and purpose**, clear from the title, subtitle and cover: a caregiver’s medication log, a reading journal for book clubs, a gratitude journal for new parents.
- **Structure that does work for the buyer**: prompts that build over weeks, trackers with the right columns, weekly reflections, sections and an index.
- **Pages that don’t repeat**: a different prompt on every page gives the writer something new each day. Show a few of them in the listing.
- **A visible interior**: without an ISBN there is no Look Inside, so show a few interior pages with A+ Content.
- **An honest listing**: describe what is inside (page count, ruling, sections) rather than promises about the reader’s life.

#### Print only, Amazon only

KDP’s Kindle content-quality guide lists blank journals among books not suited to Kindle, so a journal has no eBook edition. KDP’s Expanded Distribution also excludes paperbacks with frequent lined or blank pages, such as journals, notebooks, planners, calendars, agendas and organizers, so journals sell on Amazon marketplaces only. A hardcover edition is possible from 75 pages on a hardcover trim (5.5 × 8.5 in, 6 × 9 in, 7 × 10 in among the usual journal sizes); it needs its own ISBN if it isn’t low-content.

#### Pricing and royalty

KDP pays 60% of the list price minus the printing cost from $9.99 on Amazon.com, and 50% below. For the 120-page 6 × 9 in journal (printing cost $2.44), the minimum list price is $4.88:

| List price | Rate | Royalty per copy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $6.99 | 50% | $1.06 |
| $7.99 | 50% | $1.56 |
| $8.99 | 50% | $2.06 |
| $9.98 | 50% | $2.55 |
| $9.99 | 60% | $3.55 |
| $12.99 | 60% | $5.35 |

Try your own numbers in the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator) and the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator), and see [KDP royalties explained](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-royalties-explained) for the full rules.

#### Making one with kdpbook

The [guided journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker) type writes a different prompt for every page on your theme (gratitude, grief, faith, travel, parenting…), sets it above writing lines, adds weekly reflection spreads and small decorative drawings in your chosen style, and builds the full-wrap cover and a listing sheet. [Planners and logbooks](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/planner-and-logbook-maker) and [lined notebooks](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/lined-notebook-interior-maker) are built from page templates, so they cost far fewer credits. Estimates for the default configurations:

| Type | Default book | Estimated credits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Guided journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker) | 120 pages, 6 × 9 in | 1,491 |
| [Gratitude journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/gratitude-journal-maker) | 120 pages, 6 × 9 in | 1,394 |
| [Planner & logbook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/planner-and-logbook-maker) | 108 pages, 6 × 9 in | 460 |
| [Lined notebook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/lined-notebook-interior-maker) | 120 pages, 6 × 9 in | 503 |

New accounts get 2,000 free credits once, with no card required. Free-plan books carry a kdpbook.io preview watermark and are shared in the community; any paid plan exports clean files. The listing sheet includes the answers to KDP’s AI questions, but the low-content call above stays yours. Prompts written by kdpbook are AI-generated text and its drawings are AI-generated images, so declare both in KDP’s AI questions (see the [AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure)). kdpbook can’t promise that KDP will accept a journal or that it will sell.

#### Questions

Q: Is a journal a low-content book on KDP?
A: Often, yes. KDP’s low-content examples include notebooks, planners, diaries and journals, prompt journals and log books (tracking habits, activity or thankfulness). A journal whose pages carry substantial, non-repeating content is closer to a regular book; KDP doesn’t publish an exact threshold.

Q: What size should a KDP journal be?
A: 6 × 9 in is a common journal size and a regular trim: on Amazon.com a 120-page black-and-white journal costs $2.44 to print. 8.5 × 11 in gives planners more room but is a large trim, at $3.04 for the same page count.

Q: Do I need an ISBN for a journal on KDP?
A: Not if you publish it as low-content: KDP makes the ISBN optional for low-content books but doesn’t offer its free ISBN for them, so you publish without one (KDP prints its own barcode) or with an ISBN you bought. A journal published as a regular book needs an ISBN, and KDP’s free one works.

Q: Can I publish a journal as a Kindle eBook?
A: No. KDP’s Kindle content-quality guide lists blank journals among books not suited to Kindle, because they are meant to be written in. Journals, notebooks and planners are print only.

Q: How long does KDP take to review a journal?
A: KDP says it takes up to 3 business days for a book to go live, and up to 10 business days for low-content books such as journals or notebooks.

Q: Can a journal use Expanded Distribution?
A: No. KDP excludes paperbacks with frequent lined or blank pages, such as journals, notebooks, planners, calendars, agendas and organizers, whether or not you tick the low-content box.

### KDP AI content disclosure, explained (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 6 min read · What Amazon KDP means by AI-generated and AI-assisted content, what to declare for text, images and translations, and how to answer for an AI-made book.

Short answer: KDP requires you to disclose AI-generated text, images and translations when you publish a new book or edit and republish one. Content an AI tool created counts as AI-generated even after substantial edits, and that includes cover and interior images. Your own work that you only edited, refined or error-checked with AI is AI-assisted and needs no disclosure.

Key numbers:
- 3 kinds of content to declare: text, images, translations
- Asked when you publish a new book, and when you edit and republish one
- Still AI-generated after substantial edits; cover and interior images count
- AI-assisted (your own work, edited or checked with AI): no disclosure

Sections: Do you have to disclose AI? · AI-generated vs AI-assisted · What the form asks · Answering for a kdpbook book · What disclosure doesn’t cover

Below: what KDP means by each term, what the setup form asks, how to answer for a book made with an AI tool, and what the disclosure doesn’t cover.

#### Do you have to disclose AI-generated content on KDP?

Yes. KDP’s content guidelines ask publishers to inform KDP of **AI-generated content** (text, images or translations) when they publish a new book, or edit and republish an existing one. KDP Help doesn’t say where the question sits; publishers’ walk-throughs of the setup screens show it in the Content tab of **each format**, so a paperback, a hardcover and a Kindle eBook are answered separately.

KDP added this rule to its content guidelines in September 2023. The [KDP rule changes timeline](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/changes) dates it alongside the changes that followed, from title limits to royalty bands.

#### What is the difference between AI-generated and AI-assisted?

Who created the content: an AI tool (AI-generated, declare it) or you (AI-assisted, no need to declare it).

- **AI-generated**: Text, images or translations created by an AI-based tool, even if substantially edited afterwards. Includes cover and interior art. This must be disclosed.
- **AI-assisted**: AI used to edit, refine, error-check or improve content you created (brainstorming, grammar). No disclosure required.

The line is who created the content. If an AI wrote the chapter or drew the picture, it is AI-generated, however much you edited it afterwards. If you wrote the chapter and used AI to fix typos or suggest a better word, it is AI-assisted.

#### What the form asks

The question reads: *“Did you use AI tools in creating texts, images, and/or translations in your book?”* If you answer Yes, KDP asks about each kind of content separately. The options are along these lines (KDP may reword them):

| Texts | Images |
| --- | --- |
| None | None |
| Some sections, with minimal or no editing | One or a few AI-generated images, with minimal or no editing |
| Some sections, with extensive editing | One or a few AI-generated images, with extensive editing |
| Entire work, with minimal or no editing | Many AI-generated images, with minimal or no editing |
| Entire work, with extensive editing | Many AI-generated images, with extensive editing |

Translations use the same scale as texts.

#### Answering for a kdpbook book

Books made with kdpbook are written and illustrated by AI, so the honest answer is **Yes**. For a book generated from a prompt and published without heavy rework, that usually means:

- Texts: **Entire work, with minimal or no editing**
- Images: **Many AI-generated images, with minimal or no editing**
- Translations: **None**, unless the book was translated with AI

It depends on your book: if you imported your own manuscript and only used AI for the illustrations, your text answer is None. The export sheet of every kdpbook book lists the suggested answers based on what was actually generated, and you stay free to adjust them. See our [AI content policy](https://kdpbook.io/ai-content-policy).

#### What disclosure doesn’t cover

Declaring AI content doesn’t make a book acceptable on its own. You remain responsible for everything KDP’s guidelines cover:

- No trademarked characters or brands, and no content that copies someone else’s work.
- No misleading metadata, and a cover and description that match what’s inside.
- A book that gives readers a good experience. KDP can remove “disappointing” content: very short, repetitive, poorly translated or near-identical to other books.

The [publishing checklist](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist) covers the rest of the review. For KDP’s other rules on AI books, read [Can you publish AI-generated books on Amazon KDP? The 2026 rules](https://kdpbook.io/guides/can-you-publish-ai-generated-books-on-kdp).

#### Questions

Q: Do I have to disclose AI-generated content on KDP?
A: Yes. KDP asks every publisher to say whether AI tools created the text, images or translations of a book, when publishing a new title and when editing and republishing one.

Q: Does the AI disclosure appear on my Amazon product page?
A: No. As of our last check, the answers are used by Amazon internally and are not shown to shoppers.

Q: If I edit AI text heavily, is it still AI-generated?
A: Yes. KDP defines AI-generated content as content created by an AI tool even if you applied substantial edits afterwards. Only content you created yourself and improved with AI (grammar, brainstorming) counts as AI-assisted.

Q: Is an AI-generated cover AI content?
A: Yes. Images include the cover as well as interior illustrations.

### Can you copyright or sell an AI-generated book? (2026) (https://kdpbook.io/guides/ai-generated-book-copyright)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 12 min read · US copyright doesn’t cover purely AI-generated text or images, but you can sell them on KDP with disclosure: what’s protected, Thaler v. Perlmutter, UK and EU.

Sections: The short answer · The US rule: a human author · Thaler v. Perlmutter · Text, pictures, edits, layout · Three Copyright Office decisions · Selling is not owning · The copycat risk · Trademarks and look-alikes · UK and EU notes · What kdpbook’s terms say · A practical checklist

You can sell an AI-generated book, but copyright covers only its human part. In the US, text and images an AI produces from your prompts aren’t protected, because copyright requires a human author; your own writing, creative edits, selection and arrangement can be. KDP allows such books if you disclose the AI content and hold the rights to what you upload.

**This guide is information, not legal advice.** It summarizes what the U.S. Copyright Office, the courts, KDP, the UK government and a European Parliament study say, with a link to each source, all opened on September 28, 2026. For a decision that matters to you (a series, a licensing deal, a dispute), ask a lawyer where you live.

#### The short answer

| Question (US law) | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| Can I copyright text an AI wrote from my prompts? | No |
| Can I copyright text I wrote myself, even if AI fixed the grammar? | Yes |
| Can I copyright AI illustrations as they were generated? | No |
| Can I copyright my own creative changes to AI text or images? | Yes, the changes |
| Can I copyright how I selected and arranged text and pictures? | Yes, if creative |
| Can I sell an AI-generated book on KDP? | Yes, with disclosure |
| Can I stop others from reusing my AI-generated images? | Often not with copyright |
| Can I sell a book made on a kdpbook paid plan? | Yes (commercial license) |
| Can I sell a book made on kdpbook’s free plan? | No |

The rest of this guide explains each answer and where it comes from.

#### The US rule: copyright needs a human author

The U.S. Copyright Office has set out its position in two documents:

- [Copyright Registration Guidance: Works Containing Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence](https://www.copyright.gov/ai/ai_policy_guidance.pdf), a statement of policy published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 16190).
- [Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, Part 2: Copyrightability](https://www.copyright.gov/ai/Copyright-and-Artificial-Intelligence-Part-2-Copyrightability-Report.pdf), released on January 29, 2025, the second part of the Office’s report on AI.

##### What the 2023 guidance says

- When an AI system receives only a prompt and produces a complex text or image in response, the machine, not the person, determines the “traditional elements of authorship.” That material isn’t protected and must be disclaimed in a registration.
- Prompts, in the Office’s words, “function more like instructions to a commissioned artist”: they say what you want, and the system decides how it is expressed. Its example: ask for a poem about copyright law in Shakespeare’s style, and the system picks the rhyme pattern, the words in each line and the structure.
- A work containing AI material can still be protected in part. A person may select or arrange AI-generated material in a sufficiently creative way, or modify it enough for the changes to qualify on their own. Copyright then covers only the human-authored parts, and it doesn’t change the status of the AI material itself.
- Tools are not the problem: an artist who edits an image in Photoshop remains its author. What counts is how much creative control the person had over the expression.

##### What the 2025 report adds

- Existing law can answer these questions; the Office sees no need for new legislation, and no case for a new right for AI-generated content.
- Using AI to assist human creativity, rather than stand in for it, doesn’t affect protection.
- Purely AI-generated material, or material where a person lacked enough control over the expressive elements, isn’t protected.
- With current generally available technology, prompts alone don’t provide sufficient control. The Office says it will keep watching how the technology develops.
- Human expression that stays perceptible in the output is protected. If you feed in your own drawing and it is still visible in the result, you are the author of that portion.
- Creative selection, coordination or arrangement of AI output, and creative modifications of it, are protected.
- Each work is judged case by case.

##### Owning vs registering

In the US, copyright in your human authorship exists automatically once the work is fixed, registered or not. Registration isn’t mandatory, but for US works a registration (or a refusal of one) is required before you can sue for infringement ([Copyright Basics, Circular 1](https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf)).

To register a book that contains AI material, the 2023 guidance asks you to use the Standard Application, describe what the human author contributed in the Author Created field, exclude AI-generated content that is more than de minimis under Material Excluded, and not list the AI tool or its maker as an author. A registration that didn’t disclose AI material can be corrected with a supplementary registration; the Office warns that applicants who don’t correct the record risk losing the benefits of the registration.

#### Thaler v. Perlmutter: what the courts decided

Stephen Thaler applied to register “A Recent Entrance to Paradise,” a picture made by his AI system, the Creativity Machine. He named the machine as the sole author and himself as the owner. The Copyright Office refused, and a federal district court upheld the refusal in 2023.

- **March 18, 2025.** The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirmed ([No. 23-5233](https://media.cadc.uscourts.gov/opinions/docs/2025/03/23-5233.pdf)). It held that the Copyright Act of 1976 requires all eligible work to be authored in the first instance by a human being, so the machine can’t be the author. It didn’t rule on whether the Constitution also requires a human author, or on Thaler’s claim that he was the author, which the court found waived because he hadn’t made it before the Copyright Office.
- **March 2, 2026.** The Supreme Court denied Thaler’s petition ([No. 25-449](https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25-449.html)). The appeals court ruling stands.

What Thaler didn’t decide matters more to authors. The court said the human authorship requirement doesn’t prohibit copyrighting work made by or with the assistance of AI; it only requires the author to be a person. How much AI contributed to a human author’s work was “neither here nor there” in that case, because Thaler claimed no human authorship at all.

That question is now before a federal court in Allen v. Perlmutter (D. Colo., No. 1:24-cv-02665), over the Théâtre D’opéra Spatial refusal described below. The Copyright Office filed its [cross-motion for summary judgment](https://www.copyright.gov/ai/docs/us-reply-brief-and-cross-motion-for-summary-judgment.pdf) in early 2026; we found no ruling when we checked on September 28, 2026.

#### Text, illustrations, edits and arrangement

Applied to the parts of a book, the Copyright Office’s approach gives this picture.

| Part of the book | Why | Protected in the US? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Text an AI wrote from your prompts, used as generated | The system chose the words; prompts alone aren’t enough control | No |
| AI-written text you then rewrote | Your changes count if they are creative enough on their own; the AI’s remaining words don’t | Your changes |
| Text you wrote, polished with AI (grammar, suggestions) | AI used as a tool, not as the author | Yes |
| Illustrations generated from prompts, cover included | No human author of the image; the Midjourney images in Zarya of the Dawn were excluded | No |
| Your own drawing, transformed by AI and still visible | Perceptible human expression (2025 report) | Your drawing’s part |
| Your edits to an AI image | Only edits that are original on their own; small touch-ups weren’t enough in Zarya of the Dawn | Your edits, if creative enough |
| Upscaling that adds nothing new | The Office excluded the Gigapixel AI upscaling in Théâtre D’opéra Spatial | No |
| Your selection and arrangement of text and pictures across pages | Protected as a compilation in Zarya of the Dawn | Yes, if creative |

KDP draws its line in a different place. For KDP, content an AI created is AI-generated even after substantial edits, and must be disclosed. For copyright, those substantial edits can be protected. So the same book can be AI-generated for KDP and partly copyrighted: answer KDP by where the content came from, not by whether you could register it.

#### Three Copyright Office decisions

##### Zarya of the Dawn (February 21, 2023)

Kristina Kashtanova registered a comic book whose text she wrote and whose images she generated with Midjourney. After a review, the Office found she was the author of the text and of the selection, coordination and arrangement of the text and images, which are protected, but not of the Midjourney images. It decided to cancel the certificate and issue a new one covering only her own material. Her changes to Zarya’s mouth in one image were too minor and imperceptible to count ([the Office’s letter](https://www.copyright.gov/docs/zarya-of-the-dawn.pdf)). Because Zarya is a comic book, it is the Office decision closest to an illustrated book.

##### Théâtre D’opéra Spatial (September 5, 2023)

Jason M. Allen said he entered prompts and revisions at least 624 times in Midjourney, then edited the image in Photoshop and upscaled it with Gigapixel AI. At an earlier stage the Office had accepted his Photoshop edits as human authorship, with the Midjourney and Gigapixel material excluded. He refused to disclaim the AI-generated content, and the Review Board affirmed the refusal because that content was more than de minimis ([Review Board decision](https://www.copyright.gov/rulings-filings/review-board/docs/Theatre-Dopera-Spatial.pdf)). Hundreds of prompts didn’t make him the author of what Midjourney drew.

##### A Single Piece of American Cheese (2025)

In early 2025 the Office registered an image made with the Invoke tool through repeated inpainting (regenerating chosen areas of a picture) on the basis of the human selection, arrangement and coordination of the AI-generated material, as reported by the [Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law](https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jsel/2025/03/u-s-copyright-office-grants-registration-to-ai-generated-artwork/) (March 24, 2025). As with Zarya, the claim rests on how the parts were chosen and combined, not on the AI-generated parts themselves.

For a book, the pattern is consistent: your text and your page-by-page choices are the strongest claim; the AI images on their own carry no claim.

#### Selling is not owning: what KDP requires

Copyright isn’t a condition for selling a book: KDP sells public-domain books, which no one owns, next to copyrighted ones. What KDP asks for is different.

- **Disclosure.** Tell KDP about AI-generated text, images (cover and interior art included) and translations when you publish a new book or edit and republish one. AI-assisted content, meaning your own work improved or brainstormed with AI, doesn’t need to be disclosed. [KDP AI content disclosure, explained](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure) covers the form.
- **Rights.** KDP’s terms and content guidelines require you to hold the publishing rights to any content you upload for sale. Uploading content you don’t have rights to can get a book rejected or removed, hurt your account and cost you royalties, and KDP may ask for documents before a book goes on sale ([Intellectual Property Rights FAQ](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200672400)).
- **Responsibility.** You must check that all AI-generated and AI-assisted content follows KDP’s content guidelines, including other people’s intellectual property rights.
- **Everything else** is the same as for any book: content and quality rules, and the weekly limit on new titles. [Can you publish AI-generated books on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/guides/can-you-publish-ai-generated-books-on-kdp) goes through them.

When you set up a book, KDP’s Publishing Rights section offers two options: you own the copyright and hold the necessary publishing rights, or the book is a public-domain work. KDP defines a public-domain book as one not covered by copyright, usually because the rights have expired; the second option is for such books that meet its differentiation rules. Public-domain content isn’t eligible for every eBook royalty option or for KDP Select ([Publishing Public Domain Content](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200743940)). KDP’s help pages don’t say which option fits a book with AI-generated content: not documented. If you are unsure, ask KDP support before you publish.

#### The copycat risk

Because AI-generated material has no copyright in the US, the protection in your book stops where your human authorship stops. In practice:

- If another publisher reuses an illustration from your book exactly as the AI generated it, you may have no copyright in that image to enforce. Your own text, and a creative arrangement of the book as a whole, remain protected.
- Similar prompts can give other users similar results. kdpbook’s terms say so, and don’t promise exclusivity over generated content.
- In the EU, a 2025 study for the European Parliament describes purely AI-generated outputs as falling into the public domain, free for anyone to use (more in the [EU note](https://kdpbook.io/#uk-eu)).

The defense is the one that works for any book: put your own writing, structure and judgment into it, so the parts that make it worth buying are the parts that are protected.

#### Trademarks and look-alike characters

Whether your book can be copyrighted says nothing about whether it infringes someone else. An AI image with no copyright of its own can still copy a protected character, and a title can still misuse a trademark.

- KDP holds publishers responsible for content that violates copyright, trademark, brand, privacy or publicity rights, and AI content is no exception.
- KDP’s metadata guidelines prohibit unauthorized references to trademarked terms, other titles or other authors in the title field, and its keyword rules exclude brands you don’t own or aren’t authorized to use.
- Rights holders act on AI images. In June 2025, Disney and Universal sued Midjourney in federal court in Los Angeles, alleging that it generated images of their characters, such as Darth Vader and the Minions, on request ([Entrepreneur, June 11, 2025](https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/disney-universal-sue-ai-startup-midjourney-plagiarism/493100)). Those are allegations against the tool maker; under KDP’s rules, a book that reproduces such a character is its publisher’s responsibility.
- Changing a famous character’s name or colors doesn’t make it yours. If readers would recognize it, leave it out of the prompt, the pictures, the title and the keywords.

#### UK and EU notes

##### United Kingdom

UK law has a rule the US doesn’t. Under [section 9(3) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/9), the author of a computer-generated literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work is the person by whom the arrangements necessary for its creation are undertaken. [Section 178](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/178) defines computer-generated as made by computer in circumstances where there is no human author, and [section 12(7)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/12) protects such works for 50 years from the end of the year they were made.

On March 18, 2026, the UK government’s [Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-and-impact-assessment-on-copyright-and-artificial-intelligence) proposed removing this protection for wholly computer-generated works, absent evidence of its value, while keeping protection for works made with AI assistance. It is a proposal: section 9(3) was still in the Act on legislation.gov.uk when we checked on September 28, 2026. The report also records an apparent contradiction between section 9(3) and the originality test, which is tied to human creativity, so how far it protects AI output in practice is unclear.

##### European Union

EU law has no specific protection for computer-generated works. The Court of Justice’s originality test, from its Infopaq judgment (C-5/08, 2009) onward, protects a work that is its author’s own intellectual creation, expressing free and creative choices. A July 2025 study commissioned by the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee ([Generative AI and Copyright](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2025/774095/IUST_STU(2025)774095_EN.pdf)) concludes that purely AI-generated outputs are not eligible for copyright in the EU, and notes that member states differ on hybrid, AI-assisted works. The UK’s March 2026 report reaches the same reading: wholly AI-generated outputs are unlikely to be protected in the EU. The study is expert analysis, not law.

#### What kdpbook’s terms say

kdpbook is an AI book studio, so the text it writes and the images it draws, cover art included, are AI-generated content in KDP’s sense. A manuscript you wrote yourself and import stays your own text. In a book kdpbook generates from a one-line idea, the text, the pictures and the page plan all come from AI, so under the Copyright Office’s approach the protectable part is what you add: your own writing, your rewrites and your creative choices. Section 7 of our [terms of service](https://kdpbook.io/terms), “Your books”, says:

- “You keep the rights you have in what you bring to kdpbook: your ideas, prompts, manuscripts and images.”
- “On a paid plan, you may use, publish and sell the books you make with kdpbook, including their text and illustrations, without paying us royalties.”
- “On the free plan, books are for personal use and evaluation: exports are watermarked and may not be sold. Upgrade and export again to get clean files you can sell.”
- “AI-generated content may not be protected by copyright in some countries, and similar prompts can produce similar results for other users. We don’t promise exclusivity over generated content.”
- “You are responsible for the books you publish, including declaring AI-generated content to Amazon KDP.”

In plain words: the paid plans (Starter, Author and Studio, from $25/month) include a commercial license, which is kdpbook’s permission to sell what you make, on KDP or elsewhere, with files that carry no watermark. It isn’t a copyright, and no tool’s license can create one where the law gives none. The 2,000 free credits are for trying the studio: free-plan books are public in the community library, and their exports carry a “kdpbook.io preview” watermark and must not be sold; paid plans can keep books private. After upgrading, you can export a book made on the free plan again, without the watermark.

Each book’s listing sheet suggests KDP’s AI-disclosure answers from what was actually generated; the answers you give stay your responsibility. Our [AI content policy](https://kdpbook.io/ai-content-policy) lists what we don’t allow, including characters, logos and brands that belong to someone else.

#### A practical checklist

1. Decide which parts you will write or draw yourself. Those are the parts copyright can protect.
2. Keep your drafts and notes on what you wrote, changed and arranged: a US registration asks you to describe the human contribution.
3. If you want a claim in an AI image, change it substantially. Small touch-ups weren’t enough in Zarya of the Dawn.
4. Keep famous characters, brands and other authors out of prompts, pictures, titles and keywords, and look at every image for logos and look-alikes.
5. Check that your tool’s terms allow selling (on kdpbook, a paid plan), and upload clean, watermark-free files.
6. Answer KDP’s AI question for every format, counting the cover as images.
7. If you register in the US, use the Standard Application, claim the human authorship and exclude AI-generated material that is more than de minimis.
8. Assume anyone can reuse the AI-generated parts, and put the book’s value in what you add.
9. For a large project or a dispute, ask a lawyer.

#### Questions

Q: Can you copyright a book written by AI?
A: Not the AI-written text, in the US. The Copyright Office registers only human authorship, and its January 2025 report concludes that prompts alone don't give enough control over the result. Text you wrote or rewrote yourself, and a creative selection and arrangement of the material, can be protected.

Q: Can you sell an AI-generated book on Amazon KDP?
A: Yes. KDP allows AI-generated text, images and translations if you disclose them when you publish or republish the book, and it requires you to hold the publishing rights to everything you upload. A copyright registration is not needed to sell a book.

Q: Who owns the copyright in AI-generated illustrations?
A: Under the US Copyright Office's approach, an image generated from prompts has no human author, so there is no copyright in it as generated. What you may do with it is set by your AI tool's terms, and your own creative changes to the image can be protected.

Q: What did Thaler v. Perlmutter decide?
A: On March 18, 2025, the D.C. Circuit held that the Copyright Act requires a work to be authored in the first instance by a human being, so an AI system can't be the author. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on March 2, 2026. The ruling didn't decide how much human input makes an AI-assisted work copyrightable.

Q: If I write the text and AI draws the pictures, is my book copyrighted?
A: Your text is, and so is a creative selection and arrangement of text and pictures, as in the Copyright Office's Zarya of the Dawn decision of February 2023. The AI images themselves are not; when registering, you exclude them from the claim.

Q: Are AI-generated works protected by copyright in the UK?
A: UK law protects computer-generated works that have no human author: section 9(3) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 makes the person who made the arrangements the author, for 50 years. The government's March 2026 report proposes removing that protection; it was still in the Act when we checked on September 28, 2026.

Q: Does a kdpbook paid plan give me the copyright in my book?
A: It gives you a commercial license: kdpbook's terms let paid-plan users use, publish and sell the books they make, text and illustrations included. A license can't create copyright where the law gives none, and the terms say AI-generated content may not be protected in some countries and isn't exclusive.

### How to choose a KDP trim size and paper for your book (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-trim-sizes-and-paper-types)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · How to pick the trim size and the ink and paper for a KDP print book: page limits, spine width and printing cost of each choice, with picks by genre.

Short answer: Choose the trim size and the ink first: after publishing, changing either means a new edition. Common picks: novels at 5 × 8 to 6 × 9 in on cream paper, non-fiction at 6 × 9 in on white, picture books at 8.5 × 8.5 in in premium color, coloring books at 8.5 × 11 in on white.

Key numbers:
- 16 paperback trims and 5 hardcover trims
- Custom paperback sizes from 4 × 6 in to 8.5 × 11.69 in
- Large trims (wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in) cost more per page
- 5 ink and paper options; standard color needs 72–600 pages

Sections: Which trim sizes can you choose? · Regular vs large trims · The five ink and paper options · What each option costs · Which trim and paper suit your book?

These two choices set your page limits, spine width, printing cost and royalties. Start from the [KDP trim sizes](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes) drawn to scale, compare the five ink and paper options and what they cost, then use the picks by genre at the end of this guide.

#### Which trim sizes can you choose on KDP?

KDP offers 16 standard paperback sizes and 5 hardcover sizes (5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10, 8.25 × 11 in); the trim size is the size of the finished book. Paperbacks can also use a custom size between 4 × 6 in and 8.5 × 11.69 in.

See every size drawn to scale, with its page limits, in the [trim size tool](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes). For hardcover costs and royalties, read [KDP paperback vs hardcover](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-paperback-vs-hardcover).

#### Regular vs large trims

KDP calls a trim **large** when it is wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in. Large trims cost more to print per page. 6 × 9 in is the biggest size that still counts as regular, one reason it is so popular. Large sizes: 6.14 × 9.21, 6.69 × 9.61, 7 × 10, 7.44 × 9.69, 7.5 × 9.25, 8 × 10, 8.25 × 6, 8.25 × 8.25, 8.5 × 8.5, 8.5 × 11, 8.27 × 11.69, 8.25 × 11 in.

#### The five ink and paper options

| Option | Best for | Pages (most trims) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Premium color · white paper** 60–71 lb (88–105 GSM) · paperback & hardcover | Rich, vivid color. Best for full-page illustrations. | 24–828 |
| **Standard color · white paper** 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM) · paperback only | Cheaper color for text-heavy books. | 72–600 |
| **Black & white · white paper** 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM) · paperback & hardcover | Non-fiction, workbooks, coloring books. | 24–828 |
| **Black & white · cream paper** 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM) · paperback & hardcover | The classic look for novels. Slightly thicker spine. | 24–776 |
| **Black & white · groundwood paper** 45 lb (60 GSM) · paperback only | Lighter paper, about 5% lower print cost per page. | 24–812 |

Page limits are lower on the 8.25 in and 8.5 in wide trims, and standard color isn’t available on A4 or on Amazon.com.au. Groundwood is the newest option: a lighter, cheaper paper that isn’t suited to heavy ink coverage. Deciding between the two color inks? Read [KDP premium color vs standard color: cost, quality and when to use each](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-premium-color-vs-standard-color).

#### What each option costs

Printing cost and spine width for the same 6 × 9 in, 200-page paperback on Amazon.com:

| Option | Spine | Printing cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium color · white paper | 0.469 in | $14.00 |
| Standard color · white paper | 0.45 in | $6.10 |
| Black & white · white paper | 0.45 in | $3.40 |
| Black & white · cream paper | 0.5 in | $3.40 |
| Black & white · groundwood paper | 0.47 in | $3.28 |

Compare any configuration across marketplaces with the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator).

#### Which trim size and paper suit your book?

- **Novel**: 5 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5 or 6 × 9 in, black and white on cream.
- **Non-fiction**: 6 × 9 in (or 7 × 10 in with many figures), black and white on white.
- **Picture book**: 8.5 × 8.5 in or 8 × 10 in, premium color with bleed.
- **Illustrated book over 72 pages**: consider standard color to keep the price reasonable.
- **Coloring, activity and workbooks**: 8.5 × 11 in, black and white on white.

Every [kdpbook book type](https://kdpbook.io/book-types) starts from a trim and paper that suit it, and only offers combinations KDP accepts for your page count.

#### Questions

Q: Is cream or white paper better on KDP?
A: Cream is the norm for novels and memoirs: it's warmer and easier on the eyes for long reading. White suits non-fiction, workbooks, coloring books and anything with images. They cost the same to print; cream makes a slightly thicker spine.

Q: What's the difference between premium and standard color on KDP?
A: Premium color is richer and suits full-page illustrations; it's available from 24 pages and for hardcovers. Standard color is much cheaper per page but meant for text with some color, paperback only, and needs 72–600 pages.

Q: Can I change the trim size after publishing?
A: No. KDP treats a new trim size, or a new ink type, as a new edition: you set it up as a new title with a new ISBN. The paper is the one exception: a black-and-white paperback can switch between cream, white and groundwood paper after publishing.

### KDP premium color vs standard color: cost, quality and when to use each (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-premium-color-vs-standard-color)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · Premium vs standard color on KDP: paper, print quality, page limits and printing cost, with worked examples for a 32-page picture book and a 100-page coloring book.

Sections: The difference at a glance · Print quality and paper · What each costs · Example: a 32-page picture book · Example: a 100-page coloring book · Bleed, spine and hardcover · Which ink for which book · Before you choose

On Amazon.com, premium color costs $0.065 per page on regular trims and standard color $0.0255, so premium is about 2.5 times the price per page. Premium prints sharper, richer images on heavier paper and works from 24 pages; standard color is paperback only, needs at least 72 pages and suits long books with fewer images.

#### The difference at a glance

KDP offers two color inks for paperback interiors. Both print on white paper, follow the same formatting rules for the interior and the cover, and earn the same royalty rates. What changes is the paper, the print quality, the page range and the price.

|  | Premium color | Standard color |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paper | 60–71 lb (88–105 GSM), white | 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM), white |
| Paperback pages | 24–828 (fewer on the widest trims) | 72–600 |
| Hardcover | Yes, 75–550 pages | No |
| Amazon.com, regular trim | $3.60 flat up to 40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065/page | $1.00 + $0.0255/page |
| Amazon.com, large trim | $4.20 flat up to 40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.08/page | $1.00 + $0.0402/page |
| Not available | Offered on every paperback trim | 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4); not sold on amazon.com.au |
| Expanded Distribution | 7 of 16 paperback trims | 13 of 16 paperback trims |
| KDP recommends it for | Image-heavy books: children’s books, cookbooks, photo books | High page counts with fewer images, where cost matters |

A large trim is wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in. The rest of KDP’s paper options are explained in [trim sizes and paper types](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-trim-sizes-and-paper-types).

#### Print quality and paper

KDP is open about the trade-off. To keep costs down, standard color paperbacks are printed on the same lighter paper as black-and-white books, on inkjet printers KDP describes as more efficient than toner-based printers. KDP says they have a matte finish and differ from premium color in sharpness and richness of color. Premium color is meant for books where image sharpness and clarity matter most.

- **Image-heavy books gain the most** from premium: full-page illustrations and photos are where sharpness and color richness show. A long book with a few charts or small spot illustrations next to the text gains less, which is the case KDP designed standard color for.
- **Shoppers can’t tell** which ink you picked: KDP’s product pages look the same for both, and KDP advises against publishing one edition in each ink.
- **Order a proof.** KDP recommends a proof copy before you publish to check that the ink and paper suit your book. For color books, it’s the only way to judge your art on paper.

#### What each costs

KDP’s formula is the same for every ink: fixed cost + page count × per-page cost. The per-page rate applies to **every** page, including text-only pages and blank pages, because KDP multiplies the whole page count. Premium color has one exception: from 24 to 40 pages it costs a flat fee.

Printing cost on Amazon.com for a large trim (8 × 10 in; every large trim costs the same):

| Pages | Premium color | Standard color | Black & white |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 24 | $4.20 | Needs 72+ pages | $2.84 |
| 40 | $4.20 | Needs 72+ pages | $2.84 |
| 72 | $6.76 | $3.89 | $2.84 |
| 100 | $9.00 | $5.02 | $2.84 |
| 150 | $13.00 | $7.03 | $3.55 |
| 200 | $17.00 | $9.04 | $4.40 |
| 300 | $25.00 | $13.06 | $6.10 |

On large trims, premium costs about 2 times as much per page as standard color. On regular trims the gap is wider: KDP’s own example, a 120-page regular-trim paperback, costs $4.06 in standard color and $8.80 in premium. Check any size and marketplace with the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator).

#### Worked example: a 32-page picture book

A 32-page picture book in 8.5 × 8.5 in, the default trim of our [picture book generator](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator), sold on Amazon.com at $9.99:

| Ink | Printing cost | Minimum list price | Royalty at $9.99 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Premium color | $4.20 | $8.40 | $1.79 |
| Standard color | Not available: needs at least 72 pages |  |  |
| Black & white, white paper | $2.84 | $5.68 | $3.15 |

- **Premium is the only color option** at this length. Because of the flat fee, 24, 32 and 40 pages all cost $4.20; at 42 pages the formula starts and the cost becomes $4.36.
- A 72-page standard color book in the same size would cost $3.89, less than the 32-page premium book. Padding a story to reach 72 pages isn’t a real option: KDP allows at most 4 blank pages in a row inside a book and 10 at the end, and filler pages make a weaker book.
- Black and white is cheaper, but only suits picture books drawn as line art or in grayscale.

With full-page art, the interior uses bleed: each page is set up at 8.625 × 8.75 in. The full walk-through is in [how to publish a picture book on KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-publish-a-childrens-picture-book-on-kdp).

#### Worked example: a 100-page coloring book

A 100-page coloring book in 8.5 × 11 in, the default size of our [coloring book generator](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-coloring-book-generator), on Amazon.com:

| Ink | Printing cost | Minimum list price | Royalty at $9.99 | Spine |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Premium color | $9.00 | $15.00 | Below the minimum | 0.235 in |
| Standard color | $5.02 | $9.99 | $0.97 | 0.225 in |
| Black & white, white paper | $2.84 | $5.68 | $3.15 | 0.225 in |

Coloring pages are black line art, so a coloring book is almost always a black-and-white book. Color only makes sense if you add colored reference pages (a finished example next to each design, or a color-by-number key), and then every page is billed at the color rate, including the 50 or so blank backs of single-sided designs. If you need color, standard color keeps the minimum price near $9.99; premium pushes it to $15.00.

Whatever the ink, coloring books can’t use Expanded Distribution, and they are print only. See [how to make a coloring book for KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-coloring-book-for-kdp).

#### Bleed, spine and hardcover

- **Bleed isn’t a color feature.** Any interior, including black and white, can bleed. Art that touches the edge extends 0.125 in past the trim, and the page grows by 0.125 in in width and 0.25 in in height. If one page bleeds, the whole file is set up with bleed. KDP says bleed doesn’t change the printing cost. Check sizes with the [margins and bleed tool](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed).
- **Spine.** Premium paper is thicker, so the spine is wider for the same page count: 0.469 in for 200 premium pages, against 0.45 in in standard color. Recalculate the cover if you change ink, with the [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator).
- **Hardcover** offers premium color but not standard color, from 75 pages, with no flat fee for color: $5.65 + $0.08 per page on large trims on Amazon.com. A 76-page 8.25 × 11 in color hardcover costs $11.73 to print.
- **The cover isn’t part of the choice.** The ink option covers the interior pages; KDP’s cover guidelines ask for CMYK images whatever ink the pages use.

#### Which ink for which book

- **Premium color**: picture books, toddler books, comics, photo books, and any color book under 72 pages. In kdpbook it’s the default for [baby & toddler book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-baby-book-generator), [picture book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator), [ABC book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-alphabet-book-generator), [counting book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-counting-book-generator), [illustrated storybook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-storybook-generator), [early reader](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-early-reader-book-generator), [kids' fact book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-kids-fact-book-generator) and [comic & graphic novel](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-comic-book-generator).
- **Standard color**: books of 72 pages or more with photos, diagrams or spot illustrations where price matters, such as story collections, color workbooks and long cookbooks with only a few photos. KDP names cookbooks among premium color’s uses, so a photo-heavy cookbook belongs in premium. In kdpbook standard color is the default for [bedtime story collection](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-bedtime-story-book-generator) and [cookbook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-cookbook-maker).
- **Black and white**: novels, most non-fiction, coloring, puzzle and activity books, journals and manga. Only black-and-white books can use cream or groundwood paper.

Every kdpbook book type starts from a suitable ink and only offers the combinations KDP accepts for your trim and page count. You can change the default before the book is made.

#### Before you choose

1. **Decide before publishing.** The ink is locked once the book is live. A different ink means a new book on your Bookshelf.
2. **Check Expanded Distribution** if you want it. Premium color is eligible on 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 8.5, 8.5 × 11 in; standard color on more sizes. Books that need a high concentration of ink are among the content KDP says distributors don’t accept.
3. **Price it.** Run your page count through the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator): below $9.99 on Amazon.com the royalty rate drops from 60% to 50%.
4. **Order a proof** for your first color book in a new ink or trim.

#### Questions

Q: What is the difference between premium and standard color on KDP?
A: Premium color prints sharper, richer images on heavier 60–71 lb (88–105 GSM) white paper and works from 24 pages, for paperbacks and hardcovers. Standard color is cheaper per page ($0.0255 vs $0.065 on Amazon.com regular trims), uses the lighter paper of black-and-white books, is paperback only and needs 72–600 pages.

Q: Can I use standard color for a 32-page picture book?
A: No. Standard color needs at least 72 pages, so a shorter color book must use premium color. From 24 to 40 pages, premium costs a flat $3.60 on regular trims and $4.20 on large trims such as 8.5 × 8.5 in on Amazon.com.

Q: Do black-and-white pages in a color book cost less on KDP?
A: No. KDP multiplies the whole page count by the per-page cost of the ink you chose, so text-only pages in a color book are charged at the color rate.

Q: Does bleed cost extra on KDP?
A: No. KDP says bleed settings and cover finish don't affect printing cost. Bleed changes the page size of your PDF, not the price.

Q: Can I switch from standard to premium color after publishing?
A: No. Once a paperback is published, KDP locks its interior and paper type, so you can't switch between standard color, premium color and black and white. For a version in another ink, you create a new book from your KDP Bookshelf.

Q: Is standard color available for hardcovers?
A: No. KDP hardcovers are printed in black and white or premium color only, from 75 pages.

### How to format a book for a KDP paperback (novel and non-fiction) (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-format-a-novel-for-kdp-paperback)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 9 min read · Trim size, margins, gutter, fonts, chapter openers, front matter, page numbers and PDF settings for a KDP paperback novel or non-fiction book, with numbers.

Short answer: To format a book for a KDP paperback, set the PDF page to the trim size, without bleed, and use mirrored margins: an inside margin of 0.375 in up to 150 pages, rising to 0.875 in past 700, and at least 0.25 in elsewhere. Use a 10.5–12 pt serif, embed the fonts, export single pages.

Key numbers:
- Inside margin: 0.375 in (24–150 pages) to 0.875 in (701+)
- Outside, top and bottom: at least 0.25 in
- KDP's minimum text size: 7 pt
- Spine text only on books with more than 79 pages
- PDF under 650 MB, fonts embedded

Sections: Which trim size and paper? · What margins does KDP require? · Fonts and body text · Front matter, chapters, back matter · Page numbers and running heads · What changes for non-fiction? · Exporting the PDF

The numbers below are worked out for a 300-page novel at 5.5 × 8.5 in, where KDP’s inside margin is 0.5 in. Non-fiction follows the same rules, with a few additions covered near the end.

#### What trim size and paper should a novel use?

Fiction is usually printed at 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5 or 6 × 9 in, black and white on **cream paper**. A smaller trim means more pages for the same text, which makes a thicker, more substantial spine: our 300-page example has a 0.75 in spine on cream, enough for spine text (KDP prints it on books with more than 79 pages).

To see how many pages your manuscript will make before you pick, enter its word count in the [word count to page count calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-count-to-page-count) and try each trim and font size: it shows the page count, the spine width and the Amazon.com printing cost.

A text-only novel doesn’t need bleed. Set your document’s page size to exactly 5.5 × 8.5 in.

#### What margins does KDP require?

KDP’s minimum inside margin (the gutter) depends on page count: for 300 pages it is **0.5 in**. The outside, top and bottom need at least 0.25 in. Those are minimums; a comfortable novel page uses more:

| Margin | KDP minimum | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inside (gutter) | 0.5 in | 0.75 in |
| Outside | 0.25 in | 0.5 in |
| Top | 0.25 in | 0.75 in |
| Bottom | 0.25 in | 0.75 in |

Use mirrored margins, so the gutter is on the left of right-hand pages and on the right of left-hand pages. Try other page counts in the [margins calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed).

#### Fonts and body text

- Pick a book serif designed for long reading (Garamond, Caslon, Baskerville or Literata-style faces) at 10.5–12 pt, with line spacing around 1.3–1.4.
- Justify the text with hyphenation on, and indent the first line of each paragraph instead of adding space between paragraphs. Don’t indent the first paragraph of a chapter or scene.
- Avoid a single line of a paragraph alone at the top or bottom of a page (widows and orphans).
- Use fonts licensed for print and embed them. KDP’s minimum text size is 7 pt, which matters for copyright lines and footnotes.

#### Front matter, chapters, back matter

A typical order: title page, copyright page, dedication, then the story. A table of contents is optional in print fiction (it’s expected in the Kindle edition).

- Chapter openers: start lower on the page, with the chapter number or title set larger than the text.
- Blank pages are fine, but KDP allows at most 4 in a row at the start or in the middle of a book and 10 at the end.
- Back matter can include acknowledgements, an author note and an “also by” page. No links, prices or placeholder text.

#### Page numbers and running heads

Odd page numbers go on right-hand pages, even on left-hand pages. Leave page numbers and running heads off blank pages and chapter openers. Running heads usually carry the author’s name on left pages and the title on right pages.

#### What changes for a non-fiction book?

- **Trim and paper**: 6 × 9 in on white paper is the common choice; 7 × 10 in or larger suits books with many figures or tables.
- **Structure**: a table of contents, consistent heading levels, and back matter such as notes, a bibliography or an index.
- **Figures** at 300 DPI at their printed size, with captions set as text. If any image runs to the page edge, the whole file needs bleed: every page grows by 0.125 in in width and 0.25 in in height.
- Margins, fonts, page numbers and the PDF export follow the same rules as a novel.

#### Exporting the PDF

- One page per PDF page (no spreads), every page at the trim size.
- Fonts embedded, transparency flattened; PDF/X-1a is the safest standard.
- No bookmarks, comments, links or crop marks. Under 650 MB.
- The final page count sets the spine: make the cover last, with the [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator).

kdpbook’s [novel type](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-novel-writer) typesets flowing text this way automatically, including a manuscript you import as .docx, .doc, .pdf, .md or .txt, and the [publishing checklist](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist) covers the rest.

#### Questions

Q: What font size should a novel be on KDP?
A: Most print novels use a serif body font between 10.5 and 12 pt. KDP's own minimum is 7 pt for any text; large-print editions use 16 pt or more.

Q: Do KDP novels need bleed?
A: No. A text-only novel has nothing that reaches the page edge, so set it up without bleed: the PDF page size is exactly the trim size.

Q: Should chapters start on a right-hand page?
A: It's a traditional choice, not a KDP rule. Starting every chapter on a right-hand page adds blank pages; many novels simply start chapters on the next page.

Q: Can I upload a Word file instead of a PDF?
A: KDP accepts DOCX for paperbacks, but a PDF gives you exact control of fonts, spacing and page breaks, and is required for bleed. Most professional interiors are uploaded as PDF.

### KDP cover requirements: how to make a paperback cover that passes review (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-cover-dimensions-and-spine-width)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · KDP cover requirements for paperbacks and hardcovers: one full-wrap PDF, bleed, spine width, spine text, safe areas, the barcode box and the Kindle cover.

Short answer: A KDP paperback cover is one PDF with the back cover, spine and front: width = 0.125 in bleed + back + spine + front + 0.125 in bleed; height = trim height + 0.25 in. The spine is page count × paper thickness; spine text needs 80+ pages, and a 2 × 1.2 in barcode area stays clear.

Key numbers:
- Bleed: 0.125 in on each outside edge
- Barcode area: 2 × 1.2 in, lower right of the back cover
- Spine text only on books with more than 79 pages
- Cover text at least 7 pt; images at 300 DPI
- Kindle cover: 1,600 × 2,560 px

Sections: How big is a paperback cover? · Spine width · Hardcover cover size · Where do text and the barcode go? · Resolution and file · Kindle cover

Get the exact size for your book from the [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator) and the spine from the [spine width calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/spine-width-calculator): both follow KDP’s formula. Below, each rule KDP reviews (bleed, safe areas, spine text, the barcode area and resolution) with a worked example you can check, then the hardcover and Kindle covers.

#### How big is a KDP paperback cover?

Width = bleed + back + spine + front + bleed. Height = trim height + bleed top and bottom. The bleed is 0.125 in (3.2 mm) on each outside edge. The trim width and height of every KDP size are listed on the [trim sizes](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes) page.

Example: a 5.5 × 8.5 in novel with 240 pages on cream paper has a 0.6 in spine, so its cover is 0.125 in + 5.5 + 0.6 + 5.5 + 0.125 in = **11.85 in** wide and **8.75 in** tall.

#### Spine width

The spine is the page count times the thickness of one page, which depends on the paper:

| Ink & paper | Per page |
| --- | --- |
| Premium color · white paper | 0.002347 in |
| Standard color · white paper | 0.002252 in |
| Black & white · white paper | 0.002252 in |
| Black & white · cream paper | 0.0025 in |
| Black & white · groundwood paper | 0.00235 in |

Spine text is only printed on books with more than 79 pages, and must stay 0.0625 in away from each fold. Details and a calculator on the [spine width page](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/spine-width-calculator).

#### Hardcover cover size

A KDP hardcover is case laminate: the printed cover wraps around rigid boards. The file has no bleed; instead it has a **15 mm wrap** on every edge that folds around the boards. Each board is 5 mm wider and 6 mm taller than the trim, the spine gets an extra 4.8 mm, and a 10 mm hinge on each side of the spine must stay free of text.

The same 5.5 × 8.5 in, 240-page book needs a **13.364 × 9.917 in** hardcover cover, with a 0.789 in spine.

#### Where must text and the barcode go?

Inside the safe area, and never in the barcode box:

- Keep text and important art at least 0.125 in inside the trim (paperback) or 0.125 in inside the board edge (hardcover).
- Leave a 2 × 1.2 in white area in the lower right of the back cover: KDP prints the ISBN barcode there unless you add your own.
- Text on the cover must be at least 7 pt.
- The title and author on the cover must match the book details you enter in KDP exactly.

#### Resolution and file

Images at 300 DPI: the example paperback cover is 3,555 × 2,625 pixels. Export a single-page PDF with fonts embedded, and remove every template guide and crop mark first. The [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator) gives you a template with every zone marked on separate layers.

#### Kindle cover

The Kindle eBook cover is a separate front-only JPEG. KDP’s ideal size is 1,600 × 2,560 pixels (height 1.6 times the width), at least 625 × 1,000. Light covers need a thin grey border so they stand out on Amazon’s white pages.

#### Questions

Q: How do I calculate my KDP cover size?
A: Width = 0.125 in + trim width + spine width + trim width + 0.125 in. Height = trim height + 0.25 in. The spine width is the page count times the paper factor.

Q: Can I reuse my paperback cover for the hardcover?
A: Not as is. A hardcover cover is bigger: it wraps around boards, has hinges next to the spine and a wider spine for the same page count. Recalculate it and adjust the layout.

Q: Can I reuse my print cover as the Kindle cover?
A: Use the front panel only, exported as a JPEG. KDP's ideal Kindle cover is 1,600 × 2,560 pixels, which has a different shape from most print trims, so some cropping or extension is usually needed.

### What are low-content books on KDP? Low vs medium content (https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 6 min read · What KDP counts as a low-content book, why coloring and puzzle books aren't, and what the low-content box changes for ISBNs, distribution and Kindle.

Short answer: Low-content books are books KDP describes as having minimal, repetitive interior content meant to be filled in: notebooks, planners, journals, logbooks. Tick the low-content box for them: they need no ISBN, can't use the free KDP ISBN, can't join a series and can't use Expanded Distribution. Puzzle, coloring and children's books aren't low-content, and “medium-content” isn't a KDP term.

Key numbers:
- Barcode box without an ISBN: 2 × 1.2 in on the back cover
- Free KDP ISBN: not available for low-content books
- Expanded Distribution and series: not available
- 4 of kdpbook’s 36 book types are low-content

Sections: What is a low-content book? · Are puzzle and coloring books low-content? · What the low-content box changes · What are medium-content books? · Which one is your book?

The low-content box changes how a book is published, so it matters which side of the line your book falls on. Below: KDP’s definition and examples, what the box changes, what sellers mean by medium-content, and a quick test for your own book.

#### What is a low-content book on KDP?

KDP defines low-content books as books with minimal or no content on the interior pages, generally repetitive and designed to be filled in by the reader. Its examples: notebooks, planners, diaries and journals, prompt journals, logbooks, coupon books, score cards, crafting templates and blank sheet music.

#### Are puzzle and coloring books low-content?

No. KDP lists these as **not** generally low-content: novels, non-fiction, **puzzle books**, **coloring books**, photography books, sheet music, manuals, textbooks and **children’s books**. A coloring book or a word-search book is published like any other book.

#### What the low-content box changes

- **ISBN**: publish without an ISBN or with your own; the free KDP ISBN isn’t offered. Without an ISBN, KDP prints a barcode in a 2 × 1.2 in white box on the back cover, so keep that area clear. See [free KDP ISBN vs your own](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-isbn-free-vs-your-own).
- **Look Inside**: not available without an ISBN, so buyers can’t preview the interior (A+ Content can show it instead).
- **Expanded Distribution**: not supported for low-content books, whatever the ISBN option (see the full list below).
- **No series, no scheduled release date, no Kindle edition.** KDP lists blank journals among books not suited to Kindle.

Expanded Distribution has its own content rules, set by the distributors, and they reach well beyond low-content books:

KDP’s Expanded Distribution page says its distributors “may not accept books according to their guidelines and policies”, and that content not currently accepted includes, but is not limited to:

- **paperbacks with frequent lined or blank pages (journals, notebooks, planners, calendars, agendas, organizers)**
- summaries of, or insight into, another published book without the original author’s permission
- interiors that need a high concentration of ink
- public domain content
- **coloring books**
- poorly translated content
- content rebranded or re-released with significant metadata changes
- content excessively reused, recycled or repeated within or across books

The same list continues with a table of topics: sport, cryptocurrency, cookbooks, travel guides, Bitcoin, keto, biographies, options trading, intermittent fasting, cryptography, Python, plant-based, guided exercise, NFTs, Mediterranean, word scramble, **workbooks**, dark psychology, motivational quotations, handwriting practice, manipulation, manifestation, scissor skills, mind control, mindfulness, **activity books**, hypnosis, fitness and dieting, drawing books, narcissism, ChatGPT, **puzzle books**, crafting books, word search, trivia books, Cricut, sudoku, how-to books, knitting, crossword, title count over 99, crocheting, maze, joke books, cross stitch. Hardcovers aren’t eligible at all. Source: [KDP Help: Expanded Distribution](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45), read on September 28, 2026.

The box is in the Categories section of the paperback or hardcover details, and the ISBN choice can’t be changed after publishing.

#### What are medium-content books?

“Medium-content” isn’t a KDP term; sellers use it for books between the two: activity books, workbooks, puzzle books. Because their pages carry real, non-repeating content, KDP treats them as regular books: ISBN (the free one is fine), Look Inside, series allowed. Guided journals sit on the line: KDP names prompt journals among its low-content examples, so one that is mostly writing space under a short prompt belongs in the low-content category, while one whose pages carry substantial content is closer to a workbook. See [how to make a journal for KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-journal-for-kdp).

In a puzzle book, every puzzle is different and has its own solution. You can see what that content looks like with our free [word search maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-search-maker), [sudoku maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/sudoku-maker) and [maze maker](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/maze-maker), which print pages and answer keys from the generators kdpbook’s puzzle books use.

#### Which one is your book?

- Every page repeats the same template (lines, grid, tracker, planner spread)? Low-content: tick the box.
- Pages carry unique content: puzzles, illustrations, text, exercises? Not low-content: publish with an ISBN.
- Mostly writing space under a different short prompt on each page? KDP lists prompt journals as low-content, so ticking the box is the careful choice.

In kdpbook, only [planner & logbooks](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/planner-and-logbook-maker), [lined notebooks](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/lined-notebook-interior-maker), [sketchbooks](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/sketchbook-interior-maker) and [password books](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/password-book-maker) are flagged as low-content; the [guided journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker), [puzzle book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/puzzle-book-generator) and [coloring book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-coloring-book-generator) types are regular books, and the export sheet tells you which box to tick. For a guided journal, weigh KDP’s prompt-journal example above before you publish.

Comparing low-content tools? Read [kdpbook.io vs LowContent.ai](https://kdpbook.io/compare/lowcontent-ai-alternative) and [kdpbook.io vs KDP Builder](https://kdpbook.io/compare/kdp-builder-alternative).

#### Questions

Q: Do low-content books need an ISBN on KDP?
A: No. You can publish a low-content book without an ISBN, or with your own. The free KDP ISBN isn't available for low-content books.

Q: Is a puzzle book low-content?
A: No. KDP lists puzzle books, coloring books and children's books as not generally low-content, even though some of them have little text.

Q: Can I publish a low-content book on Kindle?
A: No. Low-content books are print only: KDP lists blank journals among books not suited to Kindle, because they are meant to be written in.

Q: Is a guided journal low-content?
A: It depends on the pages. KDP lists prompt journals among its low-content examples, so a journal that is mostly writing space under a short prompt fits the category. A journal whose pages carry substantial, non-repeating content (exercises, explanations, readings) is closer to a regular book. KDP publishes no exact threshold.

### How many words in a children’s book? Word count by age and format (https://kdpbook.io/guides/childrens-book-word-count-by-age)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · Word counts for board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade and young adult, from agents and editors, with the page counts KDP allows.

Sections: Word count by category · Board books · Picture books · Early readers and chapter books · Middle grade and young adult · From words to KDP pages

Board books run under 100 words, picture books 500 to 600 (rarely over 1,000), early readers up to about 1,500, chapter books 4,000 to 15,000, middle grade 20,000 to 55,000 and young adult 50,000 to 80,000. KDP itself sets no word limit, only page counts: at least 24 pages for a paperback and 75 for a hardcover.

#### Word count by category

The ranges agents and editors give for each children’s category, and the kdpbook.io book type that starts from the same length:

| Category | Reader age | Words (agents and editors) | kdpbook.io type |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Board book** | 0–3 | Under 100 | [Baby & toddler book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-baby-book-generator) 20–200 words · 24–32 pages |
| **Picture book** | 3–7 | 500–600 is the target; stay under 1,000 | [Picture book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator) 200–1,000 words · 24–48 pages |
| **Nonfiction picture book** | 5–9 | 1,000–2,000 (3,000 at most) | [Kids' fact book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-kids-fact-book-generator) 1,000–12,000 words · 24–120 pages |
| **Early reader** | 5–7 | Up to about 1,500 (some agents: 2,500) | [Early reader](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-early-reader-book-generator) 150–2,000 words · 24–64 pages |
| **Chapter book** | 7–9 | 4,000–15,000 (some agents: 20,000) | [Early chapter book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-chapter-book-generator) 4,000–15,000 words · 48–160 pages |
| **Middle grade** | 9–13 | 20,000–55,000 (fantasy runs longer) | [Middle-grade novel](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-middle-grade-novel-writer) 25,000–60,000 words · 120–360 pages |
| **Young adult** | 14+ | 50,000–80,000 (fantasy up to about 100,000) | [Young adult novel](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-young-adult-novel-writer) 45,000–100,000 words · 180–500 pages |

Sources, opened on September 28, 2026: former literary agent Mary Kole’s [length guidelines (opens in a new tab)](https://www.marykole.com/childrens-book-length) and [chapter book guide (opens in a new tab)](https://www.marykole.com/chapter-book-word-count), literary agent Mark Gottlieb’s [word count post (opens in a new tab)](https://literaryagentmarkgottlieb.com/blog/word-counts-in-books-why-they-matter) and [Writer’s Digest’s word count guide (opens in a new tab)](https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post). They are guidelines from traditional publishing, not rules; a publisher’s own submission guidelines always win.

#### Board books: under 100 words

Board books are for babies and toddlers, ages 0 to 3. Mary Kole puts the maximum at 100 words, and Mark Gottlieb says they are usually under 100, with simple, repetitive text.

On KDP there is no true board book. KDP prints on book paper only, the heaviest being premium color’s 60–71 lb (88–105 GSM), so thick card pages aren’t an option. A toddler book is published as a premium-color paperback of at least 24 pages, and a hardcover isn’t possible below 75 pages. Say “paperback” in the description so parents know what arrives. The [baby & toddler book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-baby-book-generator) type plans 20–200 words over 24–32 pages.

#### Picture books: 500 to 600 words, 32 pages

[Writer’s Digest (opens in a new tab)](https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post) puts the standard at text for 32 pages, with 500 to 600 words as a good target, and warns that editors and agents may shy away as a manuscript gets close to 1,000. Mary Kole’s maximum is 600 words for ages 3–7 and 400 for early picture books for ages 0–3; nonfiction picture books run longer, usually 1,000 to 2,000 words and 3,000 at most. Mark Gottlieb gives 500 to 1,000.

The 32 pages are a printing convention, not a KDP rule. KDP’s minimum is 24 pages, and on Amazon.com a premium color paperback at 8.5 × 8.5 in costs a flat $4.20 to print up to 40 pages, so 24, 32 and 40 pages cost the same. The [picture book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator) type writes 200–1,000 words over 24–48 pages, 10 to 60 words per page. The [picture book guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-publish-a-childrens-picture-book-on-kdp) covers the rest: trim, bleed, art and royalties.

#### Early readers and chapter books

**Early readers** (“I can read” books) are for children starting to read on their own. Mary Kole gives ages 5–7 and a maximum of 1,500 words; Mark Gottlieb gives 200 to 2,500 words for beginning readers aged 4 to 8, with a controlled vocabulary and simple sentences. The [early reader](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-early-reader-book-generator) type is illustrated and printed in premium color by default, like the picture book type.

**Chapter books** are the step before middle grade, for ages 7 to 9. Kole’s [chapter book guide (opens in a new tab)](https://www.marykole.com/chapter-book-word-count) suggests 10,000 to 15,000 words in short chapters of fewer than 1,000 words, for a finished book of 60 to 120 pages; her overview allows 4,000 to 15,000, and Gottlieb 5,000 to 20,000. They are mostly text with black-and-white spot art. On Amazon.com a black-and-white paperback costs the same flat fee at any page count up to 108, so the [chapter book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-chapter-book-generator) type’s default 96 pages at 5.5 × 8.5 in cost $2.30 to print.

#### Middle grade and young adult

**Middle grade** (ages 9 to 13): [Writer’s Digest (opens in a new tab)](https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post) gives 20,000 to 55,000 words, 20,000–35,000 for simpler stories and 40,000–55,000 for upper middle grade. Gottlieb gives 20,000 to 50,000. Kole splits the category further: young middle grade (9–11) at 15,000 to 35,000 words, and middle grade (11–13) from 35,000 up to 65,000 for fantasy, sci-fi and historical.

**Young adult** (ages 14 and up, or 16 and up for some content): Writer’s Digest calls 55,000 to 79,999 a great range, and Gottlieb gives 50,000 to 80,000 or more. Kole’s maximums are 80,000 for contemporary, mystery and romance and 100,000 for fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal.

Genre moves the numbers: fantasy and sci-fi need room for world-building and run longer. Too short is a problem too; Kole notes that agents and publishers enforce a lower limit and reject books that are too short for their category.

#### From words to KDP pages

KDP never counts your words. It checks pages:

| KDP rule | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Paperback page count | 24–828 (lower on 8.25 and 8.5 in wide trims) |
| Hardcover page count | 75–550 |
| Standard color (paperback only) | 72–600 |
| Text on the spine | More than 79 pages |
| Odd page counts | Rounded up to the next even number |

So a board book or a 32-page picture book is paperback-only (below the hardcover minimum) and has no spine text. Longer books convert words to pages at the density of the trim and type size; these are the kdpbook.io defaults for the text-heavy children’s categories:

- [**Early chapter book**](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-chapter-book-generator): 8,000 words on 96 pages at 5.5 × 8.5 in, about 100–180 words per page.
- [**Middle-grade novel**](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-middle-grade-novel-writer): 40,000 words on 208 pages at 5.5 × 8.5 in, about 220–280 words per page.
- [**Young adult novel**](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-young-adult-novel-writer): 70,000 words on 320 pages at 5.5 × 8.5 in, about 250–300 words per page.

Already have a middle-grade or young adult manuscript? The [word count to page count calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/word-count-to-page-count) turns its word count into KDP pages for each trim and font size. Page count drives the printing cost, the minimum list price and the spine width; check them with the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator) and the [spine width calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/spine-width-calculator). Each kdpbook book type starts at a length that fits its category, and you can change the word count and page count before anything is written, or import your own manuscript.

##### Word count sources

- [Mary Kole Editorial: Children’s Book Length Guidelines (opens in a new tab)](https://www.marykole.com/childrens-book-length)
- [Mary Kole Editorial: Chapter Book Word Count Guide (opens in a new tab)](https://www.marykole.com/chapter-book-word-count)
- [Mark Gottlieb (Trident Media Group): Word Counts in Books (opens in a new tab)](https://literaryagentmarkgottlieb.com/blog/word-counts-in-books-why-they-matter)
- [Writer’s Digest: Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books (opens in a new tab)](https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post)

#### Questions

Q: How many words should a children's picture book have?
A: Most agents and editors aim for 500 to 600 words and get wary as a manuscript nears 1,000. Former literary agent Mary Kole puts the maximum at 600 words for ages 3–7 and 400 for early picture books (ages 0–3). Nonfiction picture books run longer, usually 1,000 to 2,000 words.

Q: How many pages does a children's book need on KDP?
A: KDP sets no word limit, only page counts: at least 24 pages for a paperback and 75 for a hardcover. Picture books are traditionally 32 pages, and finished chapter books usually print at 60 to 120 pages.

Q: How long is a middle grade novel?
A: Usually 20,000 to 55,000 words. Writer's Digest suggests 20,000–35,000 for simpler stories and 40,000–55,000 for upper middle grade. Former agent Mary Kole allows up to 65,000 for fantasy, sci-fi and historical stories.

Q: How many words is a young adult novel?
A: Usually 50,000 to 80,000 words. Writer's Digest calls 55,000–79,999 a great range, and Mary Kole allows up to 100,000 for fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal YA.

Q: Can I publish a board book on KDP?
A: Not with thick card pages: KDP prints on regular book paper only. A toddler book is published as a premium-color paperback of at least 24 pages, and it's worth saying so in the description.

### Kindle Kids’ Book Creator is gone: how to make a fixed-layout Kindle picture book in 2026 (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kindle-kids-book-creator-alternative)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · Amazon retired Kindle Kids’ Book Creator in 2025. What to use now for a fixed-layout Kindle picture book (Kindle Create or EPUB), with KDP’s rules.

Sections: What changed, and when · Fixed layout vs reflowable · Three ways to make one now · KDP’s rules for picture books · File size and royalties · How kdpbook.io exports it

Kindle Kids’ Book Creator was pulled from download on February 6, 2025, and since March 18, 2025 KDP no longer accepts the MOBI files it produced. A fixed-layout Kindle picture book is now uploaded as a KPF file made in Kindle Create or as a fixed-layout EPUB. Books already published with the old tool stay live.

#### What changed, and when

| Date | What happened |
| --- | --- |
| January 2025 | KDP announced the retirement of Kindle Kids’ Book Creator and Kindle Comic Creator, and recommended KPF files made with Kindle Create, or EPUB, for fixed-layout kids’ books and comics. |
| February 6, 2025 | Both tools stopped being available for download. |
| March 18, 2025 | KDP stopped accepting MOBI files for fixed-layout eBooks. Reflowable MOBI uploads had already ended on August 1, 2021. |
| Since then | Upload KPF or EPUB. Published titles remain live, but a revision counts as a new upload, so an update to an old picture book also needs a KPF or EPUB file. |

One trap: on September 28, 2026, KDP’s [How to publish your children’s book (opens in a new tab)](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/how-to-publish-childrens-books) page still told readers to download Kindle Kids’ Book Creator. The Help pages listed in the sources are the current ones.

The other KDP rule changes since 2023, from the Kindle royalty band to the weekly title limit, are dated and sourced in the [KDP rule changes timeline](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/changes).

#### Fixed layout vs reflowable

A **reflowable** eBook lets readers change the font and its size, and the text flows to fit the screen. It suits novels and chapter books. A **fixed-layout** eBook keeps every page as designed, usually as an image with the text placed on it, and the reader can’t resize the text. Picture books need fixed layout, because the words belong to the art. KDP doesn’t allow a mix: a book is either entirely reflowable or entirely fixed.

- **Fixed layout** (kdpbook.io types): Baby & toddler book, Picture book, ABC book, Counting book, Illustrated storybook, Early reader, Kids' fact book.
- **Reflowable**: Bedtime story collection, Early chapter book, Middle-grade novel, Young adult novel.
- **No Kindle edition**: coloring, activity and puzzle books. KDP lists them as unsuited to Kindle, so they are print only.

#### Three ways to make one now

| Option | You provide | Good at | Watch for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Kindle Create** free, by Amazon, Windows and Mac | Finished pages as a PDF, or as JPEG or PNG images, with the text already on them | Free and official. Adds Guided View, which leads a young reader through the art in order. Exports a KPF file to upload to KDP. | No text tools for kids’ books: text must be placed on the images before import. KPF is a Kindle-only format. |
| **Fixed-layout EPUB** built by hand or in layout software | XHTML pages, images and a package file with fixed-layout metadata | Full control: live text, text pop-ups, and an open format other eBook stores also use. KDP takes EPUB 2 and EPUB 3. | Technical: fixed-layout metadata, an original resolution for every page, and testing in Kindle Previewer. |
| **kdpbook.io** | A one-sentence idea, or your own manuscript | Writes, illustrates and lays out the book, then exports the print PDF and a fixed-layout EPUB from the same pages. | The text is part of each page image: no text pop-ups and no Guided View. Free-plan files carry a preview watermark. |

If you already have a print-ready interior PDF from another tool, Kindle Create is the shortest path. If you want text that readers can enlarge on its own, you need an EPUB with text pop-ups. For a side-by-side look, read [kdpbook.io vs Kindle Create: an honest comparison](https://kdpbook.io/compare/kindle-create-alternative).

#### KDP’s rules for fixed-layout picture books

- **Metadata**: the package declares fixed layout (the `rendition:layout` property or the older `fixed-layout` tag) and an `original-resolution`, the pixel size the pages were designed at, in the page’s proportions. This applies to an EPUB you build; Kindle Create exports a KPF file instead.
- **Text size**: on a 7-inch tablet, capital letters must be at least 4 mm tall in children’s books (2 mm in other books). Smaller text needs text pop-ups, which KDP calls Region Magnification.
- **Images**: for books with image pop-ups, KDP asks for JPEG images, recommends at least 300 ppi and suggests planning for 2× magnification. For books without pop-ups, each page’s background image should be larger than the screen.
- **Back cover**: KDP suggests ending a children’s eBook with a back cover, without the barcode, price or promotional text.
- **Kindle cover**: uploaded separately. KDP’s ideal size is 1,600 × 2,560 pixels.
- **Test it**: KDP asks you to check fixed-layout files in Kindle Previewer before you publish.

#### File size and royalties

Picture-book files are large, and that matters for the 70% royalty option: on Amazon.com, KDP subtracts a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB. At a $4.99 list price, a 5 MB file earns $2.97 at 70% ($0.75 delivery) against $1.75 at 35%. A 25 MB file earns $0.87 at 70% ($3.75 delivery), so 35% pays more. Compare both options for your own file in the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator).

#### How kdpbook.io exports a fixed-layout EPUB

Every fixed-layout kdpbook book type gets its Kindle edition from the same pages as the print interior, without the bleed:

- An EPUB 3 file with `rendition:layout` set to `pre-paginated`, an `original-resolution` and a viewport on every page.
- Each page is one JPEG in the book’s trim proportions, 1,600 pixels on the short side: 1,600 × 1,600 for a picture book at 8.5 × 8.5 in, 1,600 × 2,000 at 8 × 10 in.
- Page 1 is a right-hand page, as in print, and pages are paired into spreads when the tablet is turned sideways.
- Each page’s words are in the image’s alt text, and the table of contents takes readers straight to the start of the story.
- Every export is checked with EPUBCheck, the W3C’s EPUB validator. The Kindle cover comes as a separate JPEG.

The trade-off is the one in the table above: the text is baked into the page, so readers can’t resize it. The preflight reminds you of KDP’s 4 mm rule; keep picture-book text large and short. Free-plan exports carry a kdpbook.io preview watermark and aren’t for sale; paid plans export clean files. Start from the [AI picture book generator](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator), or read the full [picture book guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-publish-a-childrens-picture-book-on-kdp).

#### Questions

Q: Can I still use Kindle Kids' Book Creator?
A: Not for new uploads. Amazon removed it from download on February 6, 2025, and KDP has not accepted MOBI files for fixed-layout eBooks since March 18, 2025. Books already published with it stay live, but any revision has to be uploaded as a KPF or EPUB file.

Q: What replaced Kindle Kids' Book Creator?
A: Kindle Create, Amazon's free app for Windows and Mac, which turns a PDF or JPEG/PNG pages into a KPF file you upload to KDP. KDP also accepts fixed-layout EPUB files (EPUB 2 or EPUB 3).

Q: Does a Kindle picture book have to be fixed layout?
A: In practice, yes: the text sits on the art, and a reflowable eBook would separate them. KDP also says a book can't be partly reflowable and partly fixed layout, so the whole book is one or the other.

Q: How big should the text be in a Kindle picture book?
A: On a 7-inch tablet, capital letters should be at least 4 mm tall in children's books (2 mm in other books). Smaller text needs text pop-ups (Region Magnification) so readers can enlarge it.

### KDP paperback vs hardcover: trims, page counts, printing cost and royalties (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-paperback-vs-hardcover)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · KDP paperback vs hardcover: trim sizes, page limits, paper, marketplaces, printing cost, minimum price and royalty per copy, with worked examples.

Sections: At a glance · Trim sizes and page counts · Printing cost · Royalties and minimum price · The cover file · When each makes sense

A KDP hardcover costs more to print and needs more pages. On Amazon.com a 6 × 9 in, 300-page black-and-white book costs $4.60 to print as a paperback and $9.25 as a hardcover, so at the same list price the hardcover earns $4.65 less per copy. Hardcovers come in 5 trims and 75–550 pages; paperbacks in 16 trims and 24–828 pages.

#### At a glance

| Feature | Paperback | Hardcover |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Trim sizes** | 16 standard sizes, plus custom sizes from 4 × 6 in to 8.5 × 11.69 in | 5: 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10, 8.25 × 11 in. No custom sizes. |
| **Page count** | 24–828, depending on trim and paper | 75–550 on every trim |
| **Ink and paper** | Premium color · white paper; Standard color · white paper; Black & white · white paper; Black & white · cream paper; Black & white · groundwood paper | Premium color · white paper; Black & white · white paper; Black & white · cream paper |
| **Build** | Soft cover on 80 lb (220 GSM) white stock, glossy or matte | Case laminate: the cover is printed on the case over 2 mm boards, glossy or matte, with no dust jacket. Endpapers match the interior paper, and books over 120 pages get a black-and-white headband. |
| **Amazon marketplaces** | All 14 print marketplaces | 11 marketplaces, plus Amazon.ca only through Amazon.com. Not on Amazon.co.jp. For Amazon.com.au, KDP’s help pages disagree: it is missing from the hardcover distribution list, but the Hardcover page says to reach it through Amazon.com. |
| **Expanded Distribution** | Yes, at 40%, on eligible trims and papers | No |
| **ISBN** | Free KDP ISBN or your own | Its own ISBN, never the paperback’s (free KDP ISBN or your own) |
| **Printing cost (6 × 9 in, 300 pages, B&W, Amazon.com)** | $4.60 | $9.25 |
| **Minimum list price** (same book) | $9.20 | $15.42 |
| **Royalty rate** | Same for both: 60% from $9.99, 50% below, minus the printing cost |  |

#### Trim sizes and page counts

Every hardcover trim also exists as a paperback except 8.25 × 11 in, which is hardcover only. The popular paperback-only sizes are the small novel trims (5 × 8 in and similar), the square and landscape picture-book sizes and 8.5 × 11 in. See them all to scale in the [trim size tool](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes).

The page floor is the bigger difference. A hardcover needs at least 75 pages, so a 32-page picture book, a 24-page toddler book or a short activity book can only be a paperback. Paperback limits depend on the trim and paper (lower on 8.25 and 8.5 in wide trims); every hardcover trim allows 75–550 pages. Standard color and groundwood paper are paperback only.

#### Printing cost

On Amazon.com, a black-and-white paperback costs a flat $2.30 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page. A black-and-white hardcover costs a flat $6.80 from 75 to 108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012 per page. In premium color it is $1.00 + $0.065 per page for the paperback (a flat $3.60 up to 40 pages) and $5.65 + $0.065 per page for the hardcover. Large trims cost more per page in both bindings. Because the per-page rates match, a hardcover costs a fixed $4.65 more per copy once both are past the flat range.

Printing cost of the same 6 × 9 in book on Amazon.com:

| Pages | Paperback B&W | Hardcover B&W | Paperback premium color | Hardcover premium color |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 76 | $2.30 | $6.80 | $5.94 | $10.59 |
| 108 | $2.30 | $6.80 | $8.02 | $12.67 |
| 120 | $2.44 | $7.09 | $8.80 | $13.45 |
| 200 | $3.40 | $8.05 | $14.00 | $18.65 |
| 300 | $4.60 | $9.25 | $20.50 | $25.15 |
| 400 | $5.80 | $10.45 | $27.00 | $31.65 |
| 550 | $7.60 | $12.25 | $36.75 | $41.40 |

Other marketplaces have their own tables (hardcovers reach Amazon.ca only through Amazon.com). Compare any configuration with the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator).

#### Royalties and minimum price

Both bindings use the same formula: royalty = rate × list price − printing cost, with 60% at $9.99 and above on Amazon.com and 50% below. KDP won’t let the royalty drop below zero, which sets the minimum list price: $9.20 for the example paperback and $15.42 for the hardcover.

| List price | Paperback royalty | Hardcover royalty |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $14.99 | $4.39 | Below the $15.42 minimum |
| $19.99 | $7.39 | $2.74 |
| $24.99 | $10.39 | $5.74 |

To earn what the paperback earns at $19.99, the hardcover would need a list price of about $27.73. Paperbacks can also be sold through Expanded Distribution, KDP’s channel outside Amazon, at 40%: the same paperback at $19.99 earns $3.40 there. Hardcovers can’t use it. Try your own numbers in the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator).

#### The cover file

A paperback cover has 0.125 in of bleed on each outside edge. A hardcover cover wraps around the boards instead: 15 mm of wrap on every edge, boards 5 mm wider and 6 mm taller than the trim, and a 10 mm hinge on each side of the spine that must stay free of text. For the 6 × 9 in, 300-page example, the paperback cover is 12.926 × 9.25 in with a 0.676 in spine; the hardcover cover is 14.439 × 10.417 in with a 0.865 in spine. You can’t reuse one for the other. The [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator) gives both, and the [cover dimensions guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-cover-dimensions-and-spine-width) explains every zone.

#### When each makes sense

- **Paperback only**: books under 75 pages (picture books, toddler books, short activity books), square or landscape trims, standard color or groundwood paper, low list prices, Expanded Distribution, and sales on Amazon.co.jp.
- **Paperback first**: for most novels, non-fiction and workbooks it’s the edition with the lowest price and the widest reach.
- **Hardcover as a second edition**: books readers keep or give, such as gift books, illustrated storybooks of 75 pages or more at 8.25 × 11 in, and novels or non-fiction for readers who prefer a hardcover. Its list price has to carry the extra printing cost.
- **Adding one**: a hardcover edition needs its own ISBN and a new cover file, and it counts toward KDP’s limit of 2 new titles per format per week.

kdpbook.io offers a hardcover on 30 of its 36 book types, only in the trims and page counts KDP accepts, and builds the hardcover case cover from the final page count. The [trim sizes and paper guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-trim-sizes-and-paper-types) covers the paperback options in more detail.

#### Questions

Q: Is a KDP hardcover more expensive to print than a paperback?
A: Yes. On Amazon.com a 6 × 9 in, 300-page black-and-white book costs $4.60 to print as a paperback and $9.25 as a hardcover. Above 108 pages the difference is a fixed $4.65 per copy, because both bindings use the same per-page rate.

Q: What is the minimum page count for a KDP hardcover?
A: 75 pages (KDP rounds odd counts up, so 76 in practice), up to 550. Paperbacks start at 24 pages.

Q: Do KDP hardcovers have a dust jacket?
A: No. KDP hardcovers are case laminate: the cover art is printed on the case itself, with a glossy or matte finish, and there is no dust jacket.

Q: Can a paperback and a hardcover share an ISBN?
A: No. Each format needs its own ISBN. KDP offers a free ISBN for the hardcover, or you can enter your own.

Q: Can a KDP hardcover use Expanded Distribution?
A: No. Expanded Distribution (40% royalty) is for paperbacks only; hardcovers are sold on Amazon marketplaces.

### Free KDP ISBN vs your own ISBN: what changes and which to choose (https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-isbn-free-vs-your-own)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · The free KDP ISBN vs one you buy: the “Independently published” imprint, KDP-only use, one ISBN per format, eBooks, low-content books and what an ISBN costs.

Sections: Free vs your own at a glance · Which formats need an ISBN · The imprint on your product page · Selling outside Amazon · What your own ISBN costs · Barcodes · You can’t switch later · Which one to pick

Use the free KDP ISBN if KDP will be the only service that prints this edition: it costs nothing, but Amazon shows the publisher as “Independently published” and the number can’t be used outside KDP. Buy your own (in the US, Bowker charges $125 for one or $295 for ten) to show your own imprint or publish the same edition elsewhere. Kindle eBooks need no ISBN.

#### Free vs your own at a glance

An ISBN is a 13-digit number, usually starting with 978 or 979, that identifies one format and edition of a book. KDP gives you two ways to get one for a print book:

| Feature | Free KDP ISBN | Your own ISBN |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Cost** | Free | Set by your national agency: $125 for one from Bowker in the US, free in Canada for eligible publishers |
| **Publisher shown on Amazon** | “Independently published” | Your registered imprint, up to 100 characters |
| **Where it can be used** | KDP only | KDP and any other publishing service |
| **Formats** | Paperback and hardcover (one ISBN each) | Any format, one ISBN per format |
| **Low-content books** | Not offered | Optional (you can also publish without one) |
| **Expanded Distribution** | Allowed | Allowed, if the ISBN hasn’t been submitted for distribution through another service |
| **Setup in KDP** | “Get free KDP ISBN”, then “Assign ISBN” | “Add your own ISBN”, with the title, author, format and imprint exactly as registered |
| **After publishing** | Can’t be changed in either case |  |

#### Which formats need an ISBN

KDP’s rule is one ISBN per format and per new edition. The same number can’t be reused across formats, or for a new edition with significant changes.

| Format | ISBN | Free KDP ISBN |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paperback | Required | Yes |
| Hardcover | Required, never the paperback’s number | Yes |
| Kindle eBook | Optional; Amazon assigns an ASIN either way | Not offered (not needed) |
| Low-content paperback or hardcover | Optional | No: your own ISBN or none |
| New edition with significant changes | A new ISBN | Yes, for print |

The low-content exception applies to books with minimal, repetitive interiors meant to be filled in, such as notebooks, planners and logbooks (in kdpbook, the [planner & logbook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/planner-and-logbook-maker), [lined notebook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/lined-notebook-interior-maker), [sketchbook](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/sketchbook-interior-maker) and [password book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/password-book-maker) types). Published without an ISBN, a low-content book is identified by its ASIN and gets no Look Inside sample; Expanded Distribution isn’t available to low-content books with or without an ISBN. Coloring, puzzle and children’s books are not low-content, so they need an ISBN like any other book. The [low-content guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp) explains the difference.

#### The imprint on your product page

The imprint is the publisher name tied to the ISBN, and Amazon shows it on the product page. With the free KDP ISBN it is always “Independently published”. With your own ISBN, it is whatever you registered with the agency: your name, a press name or a brand.

With your own ISBN, KDP checks your entry against the agency’s record, and a mismatch blocks publishing:

- Register the ISBN with the right **title, author name, format and imprint** before you enter it in KDP. The fields are case-sensitive, and a spelling, spacing or punctuation difference is enough for a mismatch, so copy and paste from the agency’s site.
- The imprint field in KDP takes up to 100 characters.
- After you update the record at the agency (Bowker in the US), KDP can take up to 5 business days to pick up the change before you can save the book.

#### Selling outside Amazon

KDP is explicit that its free ISBNs can only be used on KDP. That doesn’t keep a KDP paperback off other stores: **Expanded Distribution**, KDP’s own channel to other retailers and libraries, works with either ISBN and pays 40% of the list price minus printing cost. It is paperback only and excludes low-content books, coloring books and journals, among others.

What the free ISBN rules out is publishing the **same edition through another service**. For that you need your own ISBN, and KDP adds a condition for Expanded Distribution: your book’s ISBN must not have been submitted for distribution through another service. In practice, choose one route per ISBN: KDP with Expanded Distribution, or KDP for Amazon plus another distributor for everywhere else.

#### What your own ISBN costs

ISBNs come from national ISBN agencies. In the US the official agency is **Bowker** (myidentifiers.com), which warns that an ISBN obtained from another source might not identify the publisher accurately. Its prices on September 28, 2026:

| Bowker pack | Price | Per ISBN |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 ISBN | $125 | $125 |
| 10 ISBNs | $295 | $29.50 |
| 100 ISBNs | $575 | $5.75 |
| 1,000 ISBNs | $1,500 | $1.50 |

ISBNs never expire, so leftovers keep. Because each format needs its own number, the cost adds up faster than the number of books. From 3 ISBNs, the 10-pack costs less than buying singles:

| You publish | ISBNs | Cheapest Bowker option |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One book, paperback only | 1 | $125 (1 single ISBN) |
| One book, paperback and hardcover | 2 | $250 (2 single ISBNs) |
| One book, paperback, hardcover and an eBook ISBN | 3 | $295 (10-pack) |
| A 3-book series, paperback and hardcover | 6 | $295 (10-pack) |
| 5 books, paperback and hardcover | 10 | $295 (10-pack) |

- **KDP discount.** KDP’s help page links to a discounted Bowker rate for KDP authors. The discounted price isn’t stated on KDP’s page, so check it on Bowker’s site before you buy.
- **Canada.** ISBN Canada (Library and Archives Canada) gives free ISBNs to eligible publishers. It currently says new accounts can take up to two months to process, so apply before you need the number.
- **Elsewhere.** The International ISBN Agency lists the official agency for each country. Prices and eligibility vary by agency.

#### Barcodes

You don’t need to buy a barcode for a KDP print book. If your cover PDF doesn’t include one, KDP adds a barcode for free in a 2 × 1.2 in area in the lower right of the back cover, so keep that area clear. Bowker sells an ISBN with a barcode for $150, $25 more than the ISBN alone.

If you add your own barcode, KDP asks for 100% black on a solid white background, at least 1.4 × 0.8 in, and an ISBN that matches the book exactly. The [cover size calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator) marks the barcode area on its template.

#### You can’t switch later

KDP says ISBNs cannot be changed once a book is published. To move from the free ISBN to your own (or the other way), you unpublish the book and publish a new edition, created like the first one. The imprint and the trim size are locked the same way, and so is the ink; only black-and-white books can switch paper type after publishing (see [trim sizes and paper types](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-trim-sizes-and-paper-types)). While the book is a draft, you can still change the ISBN in its Paperback or Hardcover Content page.

A new edition is a new book in KDP: it needs its own ISBN, and it counts toward KDP’s limit of 2 new titles per format each week. Decide on the ISBN before the first publish, for every format you plan.

#### Which one to pick

- **Free KDP ISBN**: your book will be printed and sold through KDP only (Amazon plus, for paperbacks, Expanded Distribution), you’re fine with “Independently published”, or you’re testing a first book or a new niche.
- **Your own ISBN**: you want your imprint on the product page, you plan to publish the same edition through another service, you publish many books and formats (at pack prices), or you want Look Inside on a low-content book.
- **No ISBN**: Kindle eBooks, and low-content books where you accept no Look Inside and no Expanded Distribution.

Hardcovers start at 75 pages and always need their own ISBN; the [paperback vs hardcover guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-paperback-vs-hardcover) covers the rest of that choice. kdpbook.io doesn’t sell or assign ISBNs: you pick one in KDP when you set up each print format, and the listing sheet of every book says whether it is low-content, which decides whether the free KDP ISBN is offered.

#### Questions

Q: Should I use the free KDP ISBN or buy my own?
A: Use the free KDP ISBN if KDP will be the only service that prints and sells this edition and you don't mind the publisher reading “Independently published”. Buy your own if you want your imprint name on the product page or plan to publish the same edition through another service.

Q: Do I need an ISBN for a Kindle eBook?
A: No. KDP says you don't need an ISBN for eBooks. Amazon assigns every book an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), which identifies the Kindle edition in the store.

Q: Can I use my free KDP ISBN on another platform, such as IngramSpark?
A: No. KDP says its free ISBNs can only be used on KDP and cannot be used to publish outside KDP. To publish the same edition elsewhere, buy your own ISBN from your national ISBN agency.

Q: Do the paperback and the hardcover need different ISBNs?
A: Yes. KDP requires one ISBN per format, so the paperback and the hardcover each get their own. KDP offers a free ISBN for each, or you can enter two of your own.

Q: Can I change the ISBN after my book is published?
A: No. KDP says ISBNs cannot be changed once a book is published. You would unpublish the book and publish a new edition. A draft's ISBN can still be changed.

Q: How much does an ISBN cost in the US?
A: Bowker, the official US ISBN agency, charged $125 for one ISBN and $295 for ten when we checked on September 28, 2026. In Canada, ISBN Canada gives ISBNs to eligible publishers for free.

### How to price a book on KDP: minimum prices, royalty bands and worked examples (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 10 min read · KDP pricing with real numbers: minimum list price, the 50% to 60% jump at $9.99, Kindle’s 35% and 70% bands, delivery costs, KDP Select and three worked examples.

Sections: The rules that set a KDP price · Print: from printing cost to minimum price · The $9.99 threshold · Three worked examples · Kindle eBook prices · KDP Select basics · Other marketplaces and VAT · A pricing routine

On Amazon.com, print books earn 60% of the list price from $9.99 (50% below) minus the printing cost, and KDP’s minimum price is where that royalty covers the printing cost. Kindle eBooks earn 70% from $2.99 to $12.99, minus $0.15 per MB for delivery, and 35% outside that band.

#### The rules that set a KDP price

KDP doesn’t tell you what to charge, but it fixes the floor, the ceiling and the royalty bands. On Amazon.com:

| Rule | Print (paperback, hardcover) | Kindle eBook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Royalty rate** | 60% from $9.99, 50% at $9.98 and below | 70% from $2.99 to $12.99; 35% at any price |
| **Deducted** | The printing cost of each copy | On 70% only: a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB of the converted file |
| **Minimum price** | Where the royalty covers the printing cost | $0.99, $1.99 or $2.99 at 35%, by file size (under 3 MB, 3 to 10 MB, 10 MB and more); $2.99 at 70% |
| **Maximum price** | $250.00 | $200.00 at 35%; $12.99 at 70% |
| **Other conditions** | Expanded Distribution (paperback only): 40% minus printing cost | For 70%: at least 20% below the print list price, no public-domain works, and KDP Select for sales in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico |

#### Print: from printing cost to minimum price

KDP’s formula is royalty = rate × list price − printing cost. The printing cost depends on the ink, the trim and the page count. On Amazon.com a black-and-white paperback costs a flat $2.30 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page; premium color costs a flat $3.60 up to 40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065 per page. Those are regular-trim rates; large trims cost more. The [premium vs standard color guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-premium-color-vs-standard-color) has the full tables.

The minimum list price is the lowest price at which the royalty isn’t negative. In practice:

- If twice the printing cost is $9.98 or less, the minimum is twice the printing cost (royalty 50%).
- If the printing cost is between about $5.00 and $5.99, the minimum is $9.99 itself.
- Above that, the minimum is the printing cost divided by 0.6 (royalty 60%).

The minimum is a floor, not a recommendation: at the minimum you earn nothing per copy. The printing cost is the same for every copy, however many you sell, so the levers are the price, the page count and the ink.

#### The $9.99 threshold

The rate change makes one price point stand out. Moving from $9.98 to $9.99 adds about $1.00 to the royalty on every copy, because 60% now applies to the whole price. A book priced at $9.99 earns what it would earn at about $11.99 if the 50% rate still applied. Prices just under $9.99 therefore earn noticeably less than $9.99 itself, as the table below shows. Other currencies have their own threshold (see [other marketplaces](https://kdpbook.io/#marketplaces)).

#### Three worked examples

Three paperbacks in the default trim and ink of a kdpbook book type, sold on Amazon.com. Printing costs come from KDP’s printing cost tables; minimum prices and royalties (per copy) follow KDP’s royalty formula.

| Book | Trim, ink, pages | Printing cost | Minimum price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Picture book](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator) | 8.5 × 8.5 in, premium color · white paper, 32 pages | $4.20 | $8.40 |
| [Guided journal](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/guided-journal-maker) | 6 × 9 in, black & white · white paper, 120 pages | $2.44 | $4.88 |
| [Novel](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-novel-writer) | 5.5 × 8.5 in, black & white · cream paper, 300 pages | $4.60 | $9.20 |

Royalty per copy on Amazon.com at common list prices:

| List price | Picture book | Guided journal | Novel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $7.99 | Below minimum | $1.56 | Below minimum |
| $8.99 | $0.30 | $2.06 | Below minimum |
| $9.98 | $0.79 | $2.55 | $0.39 |
| $9.99 | $1.79 | $3.55 | $1.39 |
| $12.99 | $3.59 | $5.35 | $3.19 |
| $14.99 | $4.79 | $6.55 | $4.39 |
| $19.99 | $7.79 | $9.55 | $7.39 |

##### 32-page picture book

Premium color costs a flat $4.20 on this large trim up to 40 pages, so 24, 32 and 40 pages cost the same. The minimum is $8.40, and at $9.99 the book earns $1.79 per copy against $0.79 one cent lower. A hardcover isn’t an option at this length: KDP hardcovers need 75 pages or more. Expanded Distribution is offered on this trim and ink, but KDP excludes paperbacks whose interior pages require a high concentration of ink to print, which can include full-page color art.

The Kindle edition is a fixed-layout eBook, and picture-book files are large. Assuming a 12 MB file at $4.99, 70% pays $2.23 after a $1.80 delivery cost and 35% pays $1.75. With the paperback at $9.99, the eBook must stay at $7.99 or less to keep 70%. See [fixed-layout Kindle picture books](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kindle-kids-book-creator-alternative).

##### 120-page guided journal

In black & white on white paper, past 108 pages the cost uses the per-page formula: $1.00 + 120 × $0.012 = $2.44. The minimum is $4.88, so every price up to $9.98 falls in the 50% band: $2.55 at $9.98, then $3.55 at $9.99.

A journal is print only: KDP’s Kindle content guide lists books whose main purpose is to be written or colored in as better suited to print. Expanded Distribution excludes paperbacks with frequent lined or blank pages such as journals, so plan on Amazon sales only. A hardcover edition would cost $7.09 to print, for a minimum of $11.82.

##### 300-page novel

On 5.5 × 8.5 in cream paper, the novel costs $4.60 to print and has a minimum of $9.20. Between that minimum and $9.98 it earns at most $0.39; at $9.99 it earns $1.39, and at $14.99 $4.39. Through Expanded Distribution the same copy at $14.99 would earn $1.40 (40% minus printing cost).

A 2 MB Kindle edition at $4.99 earns $3.28 at 70% (delivery $0.30) or $1.75 at 35%. With the paperback at $14.99, 70% allows up to $11.99. The top of the band matters: at $12.99 the eBook earns $8.88, but at $13.99 it drops to 35% and earns $4.90.

#### Kindle eBook prices

On Amazon.com, the 70% option covers list prices from $2.99 to $12.99; KDP raised the ceiling from $9.99 on July 7, 2026. It pays 70% of the price without VAT minus the delivery cost: $0.15 per MB of the converted file, rounded up to the kilobyte. The 35% option has no delivery cost. So 70% pays more only while the list price is more than 2 times the delivery cost, which is why large, image-heavy eBooks sometimes earn more at 35%.

| List price | 35% | 70%, 2 MB file | 70%, 12 MB file | 35% pays more for files over |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $2.99 | $1.05 | $1.88 | $0.83 | about 10 MB |
| $4.99 | $1.75 | $3.28 | $2.23 | about 16.6 MB |
| $7.99 | $2.80 | $5.38 | $4.33 | about 26.6 MB |
| $9.99 | $3.50 | $6.78 | $5.73 | about 33.3 MB |
| $12.99 | $4.55 | $8.88 | $7.83 | about 43.3 MB |

- **The 20% rule.** For 70%, KDP asks that the eBook’s list price be at least 20% below the Amazon list price of any physical edition. A $9.99 paperback caps the 70% eBook at $7.99.
- **Public domain.** Works in the public domain, or made mostly of public-domain content, only earn 35%.
- **Price matching.** KDP says Amazon may sell your eBook below your list price, for example to match another store’s price.

#### KDP Select basics

KDP Select is a free, optional program for Kindle eBooks only. It trades the right to sell the eBook elsewhere for Amazon’s subscription and promotion tools:

- **Exclusivity.** For each 90-day term, the eBook must be exclusive to the Kindle Store. Print, audio and other formats can still be sold anywhere. Terms renew automatically unless you opt out.
- **Kindle Unlimited.** Enrolled eBooks are included in Kindle Unlimited, and you earn a share of the monthly KDP Select Global Fund based on pages read the first time (up to 3,000 normalized pages per title per customer). The rate per page isn’t fixed: KDP sets the fund each month.
- **Promotions.** One type per 90-day term: either up to 5 free days (no royalty while free) or a Kindle Countdown Deal, a time-limited discount on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
- **70% in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico.** Sales to these countries earn 70% only if the book is enrolled and priced within the band.

Whether Select pays off depends on your readers, not on the rules: it makes sense if you only planned to sell the eBook on Amazon anyway, and costs you the other eBook stores if not.

#### Other marketplaces and VAT

Each marketplace has its own printing costs, thresholds and minimums. In the UK and EU you enter print prices **without VAT**; Amazon adds VAT at checkout and KDP calculates the royalty on the VAT-exclusive price. Minimum list prices of the three examples:

| Marketplace | 60% from | Picture book | Guided journal | Novel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Amazon.com | $9.99 | $8.40 | $4.88 | $9.20 |
| Amazon.co.uk | £7.99 | £6.48 | £4.10 | £7.70 |
| Amazon.de | €9.99 | €7.22 | €4.38 | €8.70 |
| Amazon.ca | CA$13.99 | CA$10.52 | CA$6.36 | CA$12.12 |
| Amazon.com.au | A$13.99 | A$12.84 | A$10.12 | A$15.03 |

Check any trim, ink, page count and marketplace with the [printing cost calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator) and the [royalty calculator](https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator).

#### A pricing routine

1. **Fix the format first.** Trim, ink and page count set the printing cost, and trim and ink are locked once the paperback is published. They move the minimum price more than anything else.
2. **Find the minimum** for each format and marketplace you’ll sell in.
3. **Look at comparable books** in your category on Amazon: same format, similar length. That part is your judgment; KDP’s rules only set the limits.
4. **Mind the threshold.** If your price lands just under $9.99, compare it with $9.99 itself.
5. **Price the eBook under the print edition**, at least 20% lower if you want 70%, and check the delivery cost for image-heavy files.
6. **Decide on KDP Select** for the eBook before you publish it elsewhere.

kdpbook.io builds the print and Kindle files; the price stays your decision. If you’re still choosing the format, compare [paperback and hardcover](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-paperback-vs-hardcover), or see the default trim and ink of each book type on the [book types](https://kdpbook.io/book-types) page.

#### Questions

Q: What is the minimum list price for a KDP paperback?
A: It depends on the printing cost: KDP won't accept a price whose royalty doesn't cover it. On Amazon.com, a 300-page 5.5 × 8.5 in novel on cream paper costs $4.60 to print, so its minimum list price is $9.20; a 32-page 8.5 × 8.5 in premium color picture book costs $4.20 and starts at $8.40.

Q: Why price a KDP paperback at $9.99 instead of $9.98?
A: Because the royalty rate on Amazon.com rises from 50% to 60% at $9.99. One more cent adds about $1.00 to the royalty on every copy, whatever the printing cost.

Q: What price range earns 70% on a Kindle eBook?
A: On Amazon.com, $2.99 to $12.99 since July 7, 2026. The 70% option also subtracts a delivery cost of $0.15 per MB, and the eBook must be at least 20% cheaper than the print edition's list price. Outside that range the royalty is 35%.

Q: Is KDP Select required for the 70% royalty?
A: Only for sales in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico. Elsewhere, 70% depends on the price band, not on KDP Select. Select makes the eBook exclusive to Amazon for 90 days at a time and pays Kindle Unlimited page reads from a monthly fund.

Q: Does VAT change my KDP royalty?
A: No. In the UK and EU marketplaces you enter print list prices without VAT, Amazon adds VAT at checkout, and KDP calculates the royalty on the VAT-exclusive price. eBook royalties are also calculated on the price without VAT.

### How to make a children’s book with AI and keep the characters consistent (https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-childrens-book-with-ai-and-keep-characters-consistent)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 10 min read · Why AI characters change from page to page and how to stop it: reference sheets, a locked style, prompt tips, DIY methods and limits, print specs and AI disclosure.

Sections: Why AI characters drift · Design a character you can repeat · Make a character reference sheet · Lock the style · Prompt tips · DIY methods and their limits · How kdpbook.io does it · Print specs for a picture book · AI disclosure and rights

To keep an AI character consistent, fix its look once and reuse it: make a character reference sheet (front, three-quarter and action views on a plain background), attach it to every illustration the character appears in, paste the same style description into every prompt, and redraw the pages that drift. A text description alone isn’t enough, because each picture is drawn from scratch.

#### Why AI characters drift

Unless it is given the earlier picture, an image model doesn’t know what the fox on page 3 looked like when it draws page 4. Given only words, it draws a new fox that fits the description, and “a small red fox in a yellow scarf” fits thousands of foxes. Readers notice quickly, and in a picture book the main character is on almost every spread and on the cover. What changes, and what helps:

| What drifts | Why | What helps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Face and proportions | Each picture is generated from scratch; a description fits many faces | A reference image of the character with every picture |
| Outfit details | Patterns, buttons and logos are the first details to change | A simple signature outfit, shown on the reference sheet |
| Colors | Scene lighting and style words shift the palette | A sheet drawn in flat, even light; colors named in the description |
| Art style | Each prompt is worded a little differently | One style paragraph, pasted word for word |
| Two characters in one scene | Traits blend when references and descriptions overlap | One sheet per character, and only the sheets of the characters in that scene |
| Relative size | Nothing tells the model how big each character is | Sizes stated in the description |

#### Design a character you can repeat

Some designs survive dozens of illustrations better than others. A clear silhouette, two or three main colors and one signature item (a scarf, a hat, a backpack) are easy to repeat. Tiny patterns, text or logos on clothes, jewelry and complicated hair are hard, and they are the details children point at when they change.

Write the look down once, in a fixed order, and reuse it unchanged:

`Pip: a young red fox, small and round. Face: short snout, big amber eyes, white chest patch, black-tipped ears. Fur: bright orange-red, white tip on the tail. Outfit: a plain mustard-yellow knitted scarf, always worn. Size: comes up to the shoulder of Bramble the badger.`

Species or age, build, face, hair or fur, colors, outfit and distinctive marks: the same fields every time. If a detail doesn’t matter to the story, leave it out rather than let it change from page to page.

#### Make a character reference sheet

A reference sheet is the image every later picture is matched against, so it has to be clean and unambiguous:

- **Three views side by side**: front view (full body, neutral pose), three-quarter view (full body) and one action pose that shows the character’s personality.
- **Identical in every view**: face, proportions, colors, clothing and marks, drawn at the same scale, with nothing cropped.
- **Plain, light background and even lighting**, so the true colors are clear. No props, scenery or other characters.
- **No text**: no name, labels, arrows or color swatches, which can end up in the pages.
- **In the book’s final style and color mode**. A sheet in watercolor won’t anchor a book in flat vector art, and a coloring book needs a black-and-white line-art sheet.

Make one sheet per main character, check it carefully before any page is drawn, and keep it: it is also what brings the same character back in book two of a series.

#### Lock the style

Style drift is as visible as character drift. Write one style paragraph and paste it, unchanged, into every prompt, including the cover. Keep the same tool and model for the whole book; different models draw the same words differently.

`Soft watercolor picture-book illustration, warm muted palette, visible paper texture, loose ink outlines, gentle daylight, calm background areas. No text or letters.`

A style reference image helps if your tool accepts one, but restate the style in words as well: references alone can drift. Browse the [40 illustration styles](https://kdpbook.io/styles) for wording that suits children’s books.

#### Prompt tips

- **Say what each attached image is.** “Image 1 is the character sheet of Pip: match the face, proportions, colors and scarf exactly, but ignore its poses, layout and background.” Without that, models can copy the sheet’s pose or white background.
- **Attach only the characters in the scene.** A sheet for a character who isn’t on the page can add them to the scene.
- **Describe the scene, not the look.** The look comes from the sheet and the fixed description; the prompt adds the action, the place, the emotion and the camera.
- **Keep text out of the art.** Set the words as real text in the layout, so they stay sharp and editable, and ask for a calm area where the text will sit.
- **Mind the edges.** For full-bleed pages, keep faces and key objects well inside the page: we keep them at least 8% from every edge and 12% from the binding side, so nothing is lost in the trim or the gutter.
- **Keep a good earlier page at hand.** Attaching a page you’re happy with, as a style reference, helps later pages match its colors and light.

A page prompt put together this way:

`Image 1 is the character sheet of Pip: match face, proportions, colors and scarf exactly; ignore its poses and background. Scene: Pip kneels at the edge of a stream at dawn, reaching for a paper boat, surprised. Wide shot, Pip in the lower left third, calm sky in the upper half for the text. [style paragraph, word for word] Avoid: text, letters, extra characters, a second scarf.`

#### DIY methods and their limits

Every method below can work for a short book. None removes the need to look at every page.

| Method | Good for | Limits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fixed written description in every prompt | Species, main colors, outfit | Faces and small details still change from picture to picture |
| A reference image per character in an image tool that accepts image inputs | Face, proportions, colors | Poses and fine details can still drift; scenes with several characters are the hardest |
| Midjourney Omni Reference (V7) | Putting one character or object from an image into new scenes | One reference image only, 2× the GPU time of a regular image, and Midjourney says intricate details like freckles or logos may not match |
| Editing a detail on one page (inpainting, regional redraw) | Fixing a scarf color or an eye without redrawing the page | Manual and page by page |
| Training a small custom model on your character | A strong identity lock over many images | Technical setup, and you need a consistent set of images to train on first |
| Drawing the art yourself or hiring an illustrator | Full control, and no AI images to declare | Time or budget |

About Midjourney (checked September 28, 2026): Omni Reference works with version 7, takes a weight from 1 to 1,000 (default 100), and for several characters its docs suggest one image that contains them all. For version 8, Midjourney points to its Edit Model, which takes up to 4 reference images. Whatever the tool, you still assemble the pages, the text, the print PDF and the cover yourself.

#### How kdpbook.io does it

kdpbook applies the method above automatically, inside a tool that also builds the KDP files:

1. **Cast.** Each main character gets a name, a role and a written look, or up to 3 photos or drawings that are described and redrawn in the book’s style.
2. **Sheets first.** A three-view reference sheet is drawn for up to 4 main characters and locked before any page is painted. A sheet costs 15 credits, a little more when it is drawn from your pictures. You can pause after the plan to review the story and the page plan first.
3. **Every page gets its references.** Each illustration is painted with the sheets of the characters in that scene, up to 2 earlier pages for continuity, and the style restated in words, in one of [40 styles](https://kdpbook.io/styles) or your own (described in words or from up to 3 style images).
4. **Fix what drifts.** In the editor, redo any illustration with the same references, or without them for a fresh start. Redraws use credits.
5. **Series.** Character sheets from your finished books stay in your library, so a character can come back in the next book.

The limits are real: image models don’t follow references perfectly, so a small detail can still change on a page, and if a sheet can’t be drawn the pages are painted from the written description (you aren’t charged for the failed sheet). You still read and check every page. New accounts get 2,000 free credits once, with no card required. Free-plan books carry a kdpbook.io preview watermark and are shared in the community; any paid plan exports clean files. A 32-page picture book is estimated at about 1,624 credits, within the free credits. For other tools, see [AI children’s book generators compared](https://kdpbook.io/best/ai-childrens-book-generators).

#### Print specs for a picture book

Consistent art still has to fit KDP’s print rules. The common setup, and the default of the [AI picture book generator](https://kdpbook.io/book-types/ai-picture-book-generator), is an 8.5 × 8.5 in premium color paperback of 32 pages:

- **Bleed**: full-page art runs past the trim, so each interior page is 8.625 × 8.75 in.
- **Resolution**: KDP asks for 300 DPI at print size, so a full-bleed page needs about 2,588 × 2,625 pixels. Many image tools output less, so check the size and upscale before layout.
- **Pages**: at least 24. At 32 pages the spine stays blank: KDP prints spine text only on books with more than 79 pages.
- **Cost**: on Amazon.com this book costs $4.20 to print (a flat fee up to 40 pages), so the minimum list price is $8.40. See [how to price a book on KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp).
- **Kindle**: picture books are usually published as fixed-layout eBooks, which keep every page’s design; see [fixed-layout Kindle picture books](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kindle-kids-book-creator-alternative).

The step-by-step version is in [how to publish a children’s picture book on KDP](https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-publish-a-childrens-picture-book-on-kdp), and word counts by age are in [children’s book word count](https://kdpbook.io/guides/childrens-book-word-count-by-age).

#### AI disclosure and rights

KDP defines AI-generated content as text, images or translations created by an AI tool, even if you edited them substantially afterwards, and asks you to declare it when you publish or republish. Images include the cover and the interior art. If you designed the character yourself but an AI painted the pages, the pages are AI-generated images. Content you created and only refined with AI tools is AI-assisted and doesn’t need to be declared.

For a book whose illustrations were all generated, the images answer is usually “Many AI-generated images, with minimal or no editing”. KDP also makes you responsible for intellectual property: don’t recreate trademarked or well-known characters, and base a character on a real person only with their agreement. Details in the [AI disclosure guide](https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure) and [can you publish AI-generated books on KDP?](https://kdpbook.io/guides/can-you-publish-ai-generated-books-on-kdp)

#### Questions

Q: How do I keep the same character in every AI illustration?
A: Give the image tool a fixed reference instead of a description alone: a character reference sheet (front, three-quarter and action views on a plain background) attached to every picture the character appears in, the same written description and the same style paragraph in every prompt. Then check each page and redraw the ones that drift.

Q: What is a character reference sheet?
A: One image that shows a character several times side by side, usually a front view, a three-quarter view and an action pose, on a plain background with even lighting and no props or text. It is the visual source of truth that every later illustration is matched against.

Q: Can I use a photo of my child as the main character?
A: In kdpbook.io you can add up to 3 photos or drawings per character; the character sheet is drawn from them in the book's illustration style, not as a photo. The image service's safety filter can refuse a photo for a given picture, and that page is then painted from the character sheet. Use photos you took yourself, of people who agreed (for a child, a parent or guardian).

Q: Do I have to disclose AI illustrations on KDP?
A: Yes. KDP asks you to declare AI-generated images, including the cover and interior art, when you publish or republish a book. This applies even if you edited the images afterwards, and even if the character was designed by you and only the pages were painted by AI.

Q: How many characters can stay consistent in one book?
A: There is no fixed limit in general, but each extra character in a scene is one more reference for the model to match, and scenes with several characters drift the most. kdpbook.io draws a reference sheet for up to 4 main characters per book; others keep their written description.


## Glossary (https://kdpbook.io/glossary)

- **A+ Content**: Images and text modules added below the description on an Amazon product page. Useful to show interior pages of books without Look Inside.
- **AI-assisted content**: Content you created yourself, using AI only to brainstorm ideas or to edit, refine or error-check your work. KDP doesn't require you to disclose it. See https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure.
- **AI-generated content**: Text, images or translations created by an AI tool, even if you edited them heavily afterwards. KDP requires you to declare it when you publish a book or republish it after edits. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/ai-generated and https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-ai-content-disclosure.
- **ASIN**: The 10-character Amazon Standard Identification Number that Amazon assigns to each book, next to its ISBN. eBooks, and low-content books published without an ISBN, are identified by their ASIN alone, and amazon.com/dp/ followed by the ASIN links straight to the book's page. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/isbn.
- **Author Central**: Amazon's free service for building an Author Page with your biography, photo and books. You join it separately from KDP, with your KDP account details, and claim a book you've written by its ISBN, ASIN or author name.
- **Author copy**: A copy of your own published book that you order at printing cost plus shipping and tax. Unlike a proof, it has no “Not for resale” mark.
- **Back matter**: Pages after the main content: acknowledgements, about the author, an “also by” list, answer keys, an index.
- **Barcode area**: The 2 × 1.2 in space in the lower right of the back cover where KDP prints the ISBN barcode. Keep it clear of text and important art. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/barcode-area and https://kdpbook.io/kdp/cover-size-calculator.
- **Bleed**: Artwork that extends 0.125 in beyond the trim line on the outside, top and bottom edges, so no white edge shows after cutting. If one page bleeds, the whole interior must be set up with bleed. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/bleed and https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed.
- **Case laminate**: The only KDP hardcover binding: the printed cover is laminated and glued around rigid boards. There is no dust jacket. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/case-laminate.
- **Categories**: The Amazon browse categories your book is listed in. KDP lets you choose up to 3 per format.
- **Character reference sheet**: One image that shows a character several times side by side (typically front, three-quarter and an action pose) on a plain background. It is attached to every illustration so the character looks the same on each page. See https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-make-a-childrens-book-with-ai-and-keep-characters-consistent.
- **Cream paper**: A warm, off-white paper used for most novels. It is slightly thicker than white paper (0.0025 in per page) and costs the same to print. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/cream-paper.
- **Delivery cost**: A per-megabyte fee KDP subtracts from 70% Kindle royalties (0.15 USD per MB on Amazon.com). Large, image-heavy eBooks can earn more at 35%. See https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator.
- **DPI (dots per inch)**: Image resolution at printed size. KDP recommends 300 DPI; lower resolutions can look blurry and are flagged in review. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/dpi.
- **Embedded fonts**: Fonts stored inside the PDF so it prints exactly as designed. KDP requires every font in the interior and cover PDFs to be embedded.
- **EPUB**: The open eBook format KDP accepts for Kindle books. It can be reflowable (text adapts to the screen) or fixed layout (pages keep their design). See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/epub.
- **Expanded Distribution**: A paperback-only option that offers your book to bookstores, libraries and other retailers through KDP's distributors, at a 40% royalty minus the printing cost. Hardcovers and paperbacks in Hebrew, Yiddish or Japanese aren't eligible, and only some trim, ink and paper combinations are: an 8.5 × 8.5 in paperback qualifies only with color ink, and the 8.25 in wide trims never do. Distributors don't currently accept books with frequent lined or blank pages (journals, notebooks, planners), coloring books, interiors that need a lot of ink, public domain content or summaries of other books, and KDP's list also names topics they may decline, such as puzzle books, word search, sudoku, activity books, workbooks and cookbooks. Enrolling doesn't guarantee that a distributor takes the book. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/expanded-distribution.
- **Fixed layout**: An eBook where every page keeps its exact design, like the print edition. Used for picture books, comics and illustrated books. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/fixed-layout.
- **Front matter**: Pages before the main content: title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, a “This book belongs to” page.
- **Full-wrap cover**: The single print cover file that holds the back cover, the spine and the front cover side by side, plus bleed or wrap. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/full-wrap-cover and https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-cover-dimensions-and-spine-width.
- **Groundwood paper**: A lighter, cheaper black-and-white paper offered for paperbacks only. It isn't suited to heavy ink coverage.
- **Gutter**: The inside margin, on the binding side of each page. KDP's minimum grows with page count, from 0.375 in (24–150 pages) to 0.875 in (701+ pages). See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/gutter and https://kdpbook.io/kdp/margins-and-bleed.
- **Headband**: A decorative strip at the top and bottom of a hardcover's spine. KDP adds headbands to hardcovers of more than 120 pages.
- **Hinge**: On a hardcover cover, the 10 mm strip on each side of the spine where the cover bends. No text or barcode may be placed there.
- **Imprint**: The publisher name tied to an ISBN and shown on the Amazon product page. With KDP's free ISBN it is “Independently published”; with your own ISBN it is the name you registered, up to 100 characters. See https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-isbn-free-vs-your-own.
- **ISBN**: The International Standard Book Number that identifies each print edition. KDP gives a free one for regular books; each format needs its own. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/isbn and https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-isbn-free-vs-your-own.
- **KDP Cover Creator**: KDP's free online tool for designing an eBook, paperback or hardcover cover from templates, with an image from its gallery or your own. Neither the tool nor covers that use its stock images can be downloaded for use outside KDP.
- **KDP Select**: An optional 90-day program that makes your eBook exclusive to Amazon and enrolls it in Kindle Unlimited. Required for 70% royalties in some marketplaces. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/kdp-select and https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp.
- **Keywords**: Up to 7 search phrases you add to your listing to help readers find the book. They must describe the book honestly and can't name other authors or brands.
- **Kindle cover**: The front-only JPEG used for the Kindle eBook. KDP's ideal size is 1600 × 2560 pixels. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/kindle-cover.
- **Kindle Create**: Amazon's desktop app (PC or Mac) that turns a finished manuscript into a Kindle eBook: Word files become reflowable books, PDFs become print replica or comic eBooks. It exports a KPF file, the format KDP prefers, or an EPUB, and the same file can be submitted as a paperback.
- **Kindle Unlimited**: Amazon's eBook subscription. Authors of enrolled KDP Select books are paid per page read from a monthly fund.
- **KPF (Kindle Package Format)**: The eBook file that Kindle Create, Amazon's free formatting tool, produces. KDP accepts it for Kindle eBooks alongside EPUB and Word files. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/epub.
- **Large trim**: A trim wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in. Large trims cost more to print. See https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes.
- **List price**: The price you set for each marketplace. Print list prices exclude VAT; KDP enforces a minimum that covers the printing cost. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/list-price.
- **Live area (safe area)**: The part of the page inside the margins where text and important details must stay, so nothing is cut off or lost in the gutter. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/live-area.
- **Look Inside**: Amazon's preview of a book's first pages. Low-content books published without an ISBN don't get it.
- **Low-content book**: KDP's category for books with minimal, repetitive interiors meant to be filled in: notebooks, journals, planners, logbooks. Coloring, puzzle and children's books are not low-content. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/low-content and https://kdpbook.io/guides/low-content-vs-medium-content-books-on-kdp.
- **Manuscript**: The interior file of your book. For a paperback, KDP accepts PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, HTML or TXT, and requires a PDF when any page bleeds. kdpbook.io can start a book from your own manuscript in Word (.docx or .doc), PDF, Markdown or plain text. See https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-format-a-novel-for-kdp-paperback.
- **Minimum list price**: The lowest price KDP lets you set for a print book in a marketplace: the price at which your royalty covers the printing cost. See https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-price-a-book-on-kdp.
- **Outside margin**: The margin on the edge opposite the binding, plus the top and bottom margins. KDP requires at least 0.25 in, or 0.375 in with bleed.
- **Page count**: The total number of interior pages, blank ones included. KDP rounds odd counts up to an even number. Paperbacks take 24–828 pages, hardcovers 75–550. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/page-count.
- **PDF/X-1a**: A print-ready PDF standard with embedded fonts and flattened transparency. It is KDP's preferred format for print files. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/pdf-x-1a.
- **Pen name**: A name you publish under instead of your own. KDP allows pen names and keeps your real name private, but your real name must be in your KDP account for payments and tax forms, and the author name can't be changed once the book is published.
- **Pre-order**: Lets readers order a Kindle eBook before its release date. On KDP, pre-orders are for eBooks only, the release date can be up to 18 months ahead for pre-orders created on or after September 2, 2026, and the final manuscript is due at least 72 hours before release.
- **Preflight**: Checking print files against the printer's rules before uploading: page size, margins, bleed, resolution, fonts, spine and cover size. See https://kdpbook.io/guides/kdp-publishing-checklist.
- **Premium color**: KDP's high-quality color interior, suited to full-page illustrations. Available for paperbacks and hardcovers. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/premium-color.
- **Print on demand**: Printing each copy when a customer orders it. KDP prints your book on demand and subtracts the printing cost from your royalty, so there is nothing to pay upfront and no stock to hold. See https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator.
- **Printing cost**: What KDP charges to print each copy: a fixed fee plus a price per page (or a flat fee for short books), deducted from your royalty. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/printing-cost and https://kdpbook.io/kdp/printing-cost-calculator.
- **Proof copy**: A printed copy of an unpublished book, ordered to check it before release. It carries a “Not for resale” band.
- **Public domain content**: Works no longer protected by copyright. When a free version of the title is already in Amazon's store, KDP only accepts a differentiated edition, for example with an original translation, annotations, or at least 10 original illustrations, and it may refuse public domain content that's already available on Amazon or other sites. These books aren't eligible for all eBook royalty options or for KDP Select.
- **Reading age**: The optional age range (0–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 or 13–17 years) you set for a children's or teen book. Without one, the book may not be eligible for children's categories and won't appear in age-specific searches on Amazon. See https://kdpbook.io/guides/how-to-publish-a-childrens-picture-book-on-kdp.
- **Recto and verso**: The right-hand (recto, odd-numbered) and left-hand (verso, even-numbered) pages of an open book. Page 1 is always a recto.
- **Reflowable**: An eBook whose text adapts to the reader's screen, font and size. The right choice for novels and non-fiction.
- **Royalty**: What KDP pays you per sale. Print: 60% or 50% of the list price minus the printing cost. Kindle: 35%, or 70% minus a delivery cost within a price band. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/royalty and https://kdpbook.io/kdp/royalty-calculator.
- **Running head**: The line at the top of a page with the book title or chapter name, common in novels and non-fiction.
- **Series page**: An Amazon page that groups the books of a series, set up from your KDP Bookshelf. eBooks, paperbacks and hardcovers can all join a series, but public domain and low-content books such as notebooks and journals can't, and the page appears within 72 hours once titles are live.
- **Spine**: The edge of the book between the covers. Its width is the page count times the paper thickness; KDP prints spine text only on books with more than 79 pages, so from 80 pages (page counts are even). See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/spine and https://kdpbook.io/kdp/spine-width-calculator.
- **Standard color**: A cheaper color interior for text with some color, paperback only, from 72 to 600 pages. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/standard-color.
- **Title creation limit**: KDP's cap on new titles: currently 2 per format per week.
- **Trim size**: The final size of the book after cutting, such as 6 × 9 in. It sets the page size, page limits and printing cost. See https://kdpbook.io/glossary/trim-size and https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes.
- **Widows and orphans**: Single lines of a paragraph stranded at the top (widow) or bottom (orphan) of a page. Good typesetting avoids them.
- **Wrap (hardcover)**: The 15 mm of cover art on each edge of a hardcover file that folds around the boards, in place of paperback bleed.

### What is bleed in KDP printing? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/bleed)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Bleed is the 0.125 in (3.2 mm) of artwork that extends past the trim line on the top, bottom and outside edges of a KDP page, so no white edge shows after the page is cut. A page with bleed is 0.125 in wider and 0.25 in taller than the trim size. If one page bleeds, the whole interior must be set up with bleed.

KDP bleed rules:
- Bleed on the top, bottom and outside edges: 0.125 in (3.2 mm)
- Bleed on the inside (binding) edge: None
- Interior page size with bleed: trim width + 0.125 in × trim height + 0.25 in
- Minimum outside, top and bottom margin: 0.375 in from the trim with bleed (0.25 in without)
- File type for an interior with bleed: PDF only
- Paperback cover: 0.125 in bleed on every outside edge of the full-wrap cover
- Hardcover cover: no bleed: a 15 mm wrap that folds around the boards

Why KDP asks for bleed: Pages are printed on larger sheets and cut to the trim size, and the cut can drift slightly from sheet to sheet. Art that stops exactly at the trim line can end up with a thin white sliver along the edge. Extending backgrounds and full-page images 0.125 in past the trim hides that variation: the extra strip is cut off and the color runs cleanly to the edge. The inside edge gets no bleed because it is glued into the spine. That is why a bleed page is only 0.125 in wider than the trim (bleed on the outside edge) but 0.25 in taller (bleed at the top and at the bottom).
Which books need bleed: Books with white margins all around, such as novels, most non-fiction and puzzle books, don't need bleed. Picture books, comics, photo books and coloring books whose designs touch the edge do. The choice applies to the whole interior: KDP asks you to set up the entire file with bleed even if only one page needs it, and an interior with bleed must be uploaded as a PDF. Bleed also moves the safe margins. Text, page numbers and anything that must not be cut need at least 0.375 in from the outside, top and bottom trim edges, instead of 0.25 in without bleed. The live area page has the full rule.
Example: an 8.5 × 11 in coloring book: A coloring book with full-page designs on 8.5 × 11 in pages needs an interior PDF of 8.625 × 11.25 in: 8.5 + 0.125 in wide and 11 + 0.25 in tall. At 300 DPI, an image that fills the page including the bleed is 2,588 × 3,375 pixels. The lines of each design can run into the bleed, but a page title, a page number or a "colored by" line should sit at least 0.375 in inside the trim, which is 0.5 in from the edge of the PDF page.
Common mistakes:
- Adding bleed on all four sides. KDP interior pages bleed on three edges only, so the page is 0.125 in wider than the trim, not 0.25 in.
- Setting up only the pages that bleed. Every page of the PDF must have the same, bleed-sized page.
- Stretching art to the trim line instead of the bleed edge, which leaves white slivers after cutting.
- Keeping text 0.25 in from the edge in a book with bleed. With bleed the minimum is 0.375 in from the trim.
- Exporting with crop marks or printer's marks to show where the bleed is. KDP asks for files without crop marks, trim marks or printer's marks.
- Uploading a Word file for a book with bleed. KDP requires a PDF when images or elements bleed to the edges of the page.

### What is trim size in KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/trim-size)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Trim size is the final width and height of a printed book after its pages are cut, such as 6 × 9 in. KDP offers 16 standard paperback trims, custom paperback sizes from 4 to 8.5 in wide and 6 to 11.69 in tall, and 5 hardcover trims. The trim sets the page size, the page-count limits and the printing cost.

Common KDP trims: page range and Amazon.com printing cost of a 200-page black-and-white paperback:
- 5 × 8 in; Bindings: Paperback; Size class: Regular; Pages (B&W, white): 24–828; Print cost, 200 pp: $3.40
- 5.5 × 8.5 in; Bindings: Paperback, Hardcover; Size class: Regular; Pages (B&W, white): 24–828; Print cost, 200 pp: $3.40
- 6 × 9 in; Bindings: Paperback, Hardcover; Size class: Regular; Pages (B&W, white): 24–828; Print cost, 200 pp: $3.40
- 7 × 10 in; Bindings: Paperback, Hardcover; Size class: Large; Pages (B&W, white): 24–828; Print cost, 200 pp: $4.40
- 8 × 10 in; Bindings: Paperback; Size class: Large; Pages (B&W, white): 24–828; Print cost, 200 pp: $4.40
- 8.5 × 8.5 in; Bindings: Paperback; Size class: Large; Pages (B&W, white): 24–590; Print cost, 200 pp: $4.40
- 8.5 × 11 in; Bindings: Paperback; Size class: Large; Pages (B&W, white): 24–590; Print cost, 200 pp: $4.40
- 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4); Bindings: Paperback; Size class: Large; Pages (B&W, white): 24–780; Print cost, 200 pp: $4.40
(All 16 paperback trims and their limits are on the trim sizes page.)

Regular and large trims: KDP calls a trim large when it is wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in. Large trims cost more to print: on Amazon.com a 200-page black-and-white paperback costs $3.40 at 6 × 9 in and $4.40 at 7 × 10 in. Being large changes the printing cost only; the royalty rate and the margin rules are the same.
How to choose a trim: Novels usually sit between 5 × 8 and 6 × 9 in; non-fiction often uses 6 × 9 in or larger. Picture books commonly use 8.5 × 8.5 or 8 × 10 in, and coloring, activity and workbook interiors 8.5 × 11 in. These are conventions, not KDP rules. Two things KDP does enforce: wide trims hold fewer pages (black-and-white on white paper tops out at 590 pages at 8.5 in wide, against 828 at 6 × 9 in), and only 5.5 × 8.5 and 6 × 9 in are eligible for Expanded Distribution with every ink and paper. Hardcovers come in 5 trims only: 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10 and 8.25 × 11 in, with no custom sizes.
Example: the same workbook at two trims: A 200-page black-and-white workbook at 8.5 × 11 in costs $4.40 to print on Amazon.com, with a minimum list price of $8.80. The same 200 pages at 6 × 9 in cost $3.40, with a minimum of $6.80. A smaller page holds less, though, so the same content usually needs more pages at 6 × 9 in. Compare both layouts before you commit: changing the trim later means re-laying out every page and rebuilding the cover.
Common mistakes:
- Laying out the interior before choosing the trim. A new trim means re-flowing every page and recalculating the cover.
- Assuming any paperback size works as a hardcover. KDP hardcovers come in 5 sizes only.
- Choosing 8.25 × 6, 8.25 × 8.25 or 8.27 × 11.69 in for a book meant for bookstores and libraries: none of them is eligible for Expanded Distribution, whatever the ink and paper.
- Designing bleed pages at the trim size. With bleed, the PDF page is larger than the trim.
- Picking A4 for a color book with lots of text: standard color isn't offered in A4, so the only color option there is premium color.

### What is the gutter margin in KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/gutter)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
The gutter is the inside margin of a page, on the edge that is bound into the spine. KDP's minimum depends on page count: 0.375 in (9.6 mm) for 24–150 pages, rising in steps to 0.875 in (22.3 mm) for 701–828 pages. Text placed in a thinner gutter can disappear into the binding.

KDP minimum inside (gutter) margin:
- 24–150; Minimum inside margin: 0.375 in; Metric: 9.6 mm
- 151–300; Minimum inside margin: 0.5 in; Metric: 12.7 mm
- 301–500; Minimum inside margin: 0.625 in; Metric: 15.9 mm
- 501–700; Minimum inside margin: 0.75 in; Metric: 19.1 mm
- 701–828; Minimum inside margin: 0.875 in; Metric: 22.3 mm
(Outside, top and bottom margins: at least 0.25 in, or 0.375 in with bleed.)

Which side the gutter is on: Page 1 of a printed book is a right-hand page (recto), so odd pages have their gutter on the left and even pages (versos) on the right. Layout programs call this mirrored or facing-page margins. A PDF with the wide margin on the left of every page puts the text of every even page too close to the binding.
Why it grows with page count: A thick book doesn't open flat: the pages curve into the spine, and the curve hides more of each page as the book gets thicker. That is why KDP's minimum gutter grows from 0.375 in to 0.875 in while the outside minimum stays at 0.25 in. In Microsoft Word, the "Gutter" setting is added on top of the inside margin. KDP's numbers are the total distance from the binding edge to the text, so check the sum, not either setting alone.
Example: a 320-page novel: A 320-page novel needs an inside margin of at least 0.625 in. At 5.5 × 8.5 in with 0.5 in outside margins, the text block is at most 5.5 − 0.625 − 0.5 = 4.375 in wide. Page count thresholds matter late in a project: if edits take a book from 300 to 302 pages, the minimum gutter jumps from 0.5 in to 0.625 in and every page has to be re-flowed.
Common mistakes:
- Using the same margins on left and right pages instead of mirroring them.
- Setting the gutter for the draft page count and not re-checking the final one. Crossing 150, 300, 500 and 700 pages raises the minimum.
- Counting Word's gutter setting twice, or leaving it at zero with an inside margin under KDP's minimum.
- Placing page numbers or running heads close to the binding edge. They must respect the margins too.
- Running important art across the middle of a two-page spread. The center of the spread disappears into the fold.

### What is the live area (safe area) on a KDP page? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/live-area)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
The live area, or safe area, is the part of a page where text, page numbers and other important details must stay. On a KDP interior it begins at least 0.25 in from the outside, top and bottom trim edges (0.375 in with bleed) and at least 0.375 in from the binding edge, more in thicker books.

Minimum distance from the trim edge, interior pages:
- Outside; Without bleed: 0.25 in; With bleed: 0.375 in
- Top; Without bleed: 0.25 in; With bleed: 0.375 in
- Bottom; Without bleed: 0.25 in; With bleed: 0.375 in
- Inside (gutter); Without bleed: 0.375 in–0.875 in by page count; With bleed: 0.375 in–0.875 in by page count
Safe zones on the cover:
- Paperback front and back text: at least 0.125 in inside the trim lines
- Spine text: at least 0.0625 in (1.6 mm) from each spine edge
- Barcode area: 2 × 1.2 in, lower right of the back cover
- Hardcover hinge: 10 mm on each side of the spine: no text or barcode
- Smallest cover text: 7 pt

What must stay inside it: Everything a reader needs: body text, headings, page numbers, running heads, captions, puzzle grids and answer keys, and the parts of an illustration that matter, such as faces and speech bubbles. Backgrounds and decorative art may run past it into the margins and the bleed. KDP doesn't allow text to bleed off the page: all text has to appear within the margins.
Minimums are not a design target: KDP's numbers are minimums. A novel set to the minimum margins is legal but looks cramped; most printed books leave noticeably more white space. What KDP checks is that nothing important is closer to the edge than the minimum. The cover has its own safe area: on a paperback, keep text at least 0.125 in inside the trim lines and leave the barcode area clear. On a hardcover, the hinge next to the spine is off-limits for text too.
Example: live area of two books: A 6 × 9 in paperback of 200 pages without bleed: minimums of 0.5 in inside and 0.25 in on the other three sides give a live area of at most 5.25 × 8.5 in. A 32-page, 8.5 × 8.5 in picture book with bleed: 0.375 in inside and 0.375 in elsewhere leave 7.75 × 7.75 in for text and key details, on a PDF page of 8.625 × 8.75 in.
Common mistakes:
- Placing page numbers close to the bottom edge, outside the live area.
- Putting speech bubbles or a character's face near the gutter of a picture book page.
- Using the no-bleed minimum (0.25 in) in a book with bleed (0.375 in).
- Treating KDP's minimums as the target margins: the file passes, but the book is hard to read.
- Running a cover title to the trim line, where it can be cut.

### What are KDP's page count limits? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/page-count)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Page count is the number of interior pages KDP prints, blank pages included. KDP counts them from your PDF and rounds up to an even number, because every sheet has two sides. Paperbacks take 24–828 pages depending on trim, ink and paper; hardcovers take 75–550; standard color needs at least 72.

KDP page count limits (published minimum–maximum):
- 5 × 8 to 8 × 10 in (11 trims); B&W, white paper: 24–828; B&W, cream paper: 24–776; B&W, groundwood paper: 24–812; Standard color: 72–600; Premium color: 24–828
- 8.25 × 6 and 8.25 × 8.25 in; B&W, white paper: 24–800; B&W, cream paper: 24–750; B&W, groundwood paper: 24–784; Standard color: 72–600; Premium color: 24–800
- 8.5 × 8.5 and 8.5 × 11 in; B&W, white paper: 24–590; B&W, cream paper: 24–550; B&W, groundwood paper: 24–578; Standard color: 72–600; Premium color: 24–590
- 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4); B&W, white paper: 24–780; B&W, cream paper: 24–730; B&W, groundwood paper: 24–764; Standard color: Not offered; Premium color: 24–590
- Hardcover (5 trims); B&W, white paper: 75–550; B&W, cream paper: 75–550; B&W, groundwood paper: Not offered; Standard color: Not offered; Premium color: 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: 80 pages: the minimum for text on the spine (KDP: books with more than 79 pages). 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.

### What DPI does KDP require? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/dpi)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
DPI (dots per inch) measures image resolution at the size the image is printed. KDP asks for at least 300 DPI for every image in the interior and on the cover, and recommends no more than 600 DPI to keep files under 650 MB. A full-page image on an 8.5 × 11 in page with bleed needs 2,588 × 3,375 pixels.

Pixels needed at 300 DPI:
- Full page, 6 × 9 in, with bleed; Printed size: 6.125 × 9.25 in; Pixels at 300 DPI: 1,838 × 2,775
- Full page, 8.5 × 8.5 in, with bleed; Printed size: 8.625 × 8.75 in; Pixels at 300 DPI: 2,588 × 2,625
- Full page, 8.5 × 11 in, with bleed; Printed size: 8.625 × 11.25 in; Pixels at 300 DPI: 2,588 × 3,375
- Full-wrap cover, 6 × 9 in, 200 pages, white paper; Printed size: 12.7 × 9.25 in; Pixels at 300 DPI: 3,811 × 2,775
- Kindle eBook cover (front only); Printed size: not printed; Pixels at 300 DPI: 1,600 × 2,560 (ideal)

DPI depends on the printed size: An image has a fixed number of pixels; its DPI is those pixels divided by the inches it covers on paper. A 1,200-pixel-wide image is 300 DPI when printed 4 in wide, and only 150 DPI when stretched to 8 in. The DPI value stored in the file's metadata doesn't change that. Enlarging a small image adds pixels but not detail, so it can pass a DPI check and still print soft. Start from an image with enough pixels for its printed size, or use an upscaler that rebuilds detail and check the result at 100% zoom.
Kindle images: eBooks are measured in pixels. KDP recommends fixed-layout images of at least 300 ppi (pixels per inch) and a cover of ideally 1,600 × 2,560 pixels; see Kindle cover.
Example: an AI illustration in a picture book: A 1,024 × 1,024-pixel illustration placed as a full page in a picture book at 8.5 × 8.5 in with bleed (8.625 in wide) prints at about 119 DPI, well under 300. The page needs 2,588 × 2,625 pixels: about 2.5 times more in each direction.
Common mistakes:
- Checking the DPI number in the file's metadata instead of pixels divided by printed inches.
- Upscaling a small image and calling it 300 DPI without checking the detail.
- Exporting the PDF with a small-file preset that downsamples images below 300 DPI.
- Using 72 ppi web images or screenshots in a print interior.
- Going far above 600 DPI, which makes files heavy without printing any sharper.

### What is PDF/X-1a, and does KDP require it? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/pdf-x-1a)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
PDF/X-1a is a print-ready PDF standard in which every font is embedded, transparency is flattened and colors are set up for printing. KDP prefers PDF/X-1a but doesn't require it: other PDFs are accepted, though comments, forms and other non-printing objects may be removed during review. The rest of KDP's file rules apply either way.

KDP print file rules (interior and cover):
- Preferred standard: PDF/X-1a; other PDF/X and PDF files are accepted
- Fonts: embedded, preferably fully rather than as subsets
- Transparency: flattened before export
- Pages: single pages, not spreads or 2-up
- Images: at least 300 DPI; up to 600 DPI recommended
- Smallest text and lines: 7 pt text; 0.75 pt (0.01 in) lines
- Gray fills: at least 10%
- Not allowed: crop marks, trim marks, printer's marks, bookmarks, comments, annotations, invisible objects, placeholder text, metadata, locks or encryption
- File size: up to 650 MB (40 MB or less recommended for the cover)

What the standard means: PDF/X is a family of ISO standards for exchanging print files. PDF/X-1a is the strictest common flavor: fonts must be embedded, transparency must be flattened, and colors must be defined for print (CMYK or spot colors, no RGB). A file that passes it leaves little to interpretation at the printer. Drop shadows, soft glows and semi-transparent layers are stored as transparency. Flattening turns them into plain artwork, so they print the way they looked on screen.
How to export one: InDesign, Affinity Publisher and Acrobat Pro have PDF/X-1a export or conversion presets. Microsoft Word and Google Docs can't write PDF/X, but KDP accepts their PDFs as long as the fonts are embedded and the pages are the right size. Either way, check the result in KDP's previewer before you publish.
Example: two ways to a valid file: A picture book laid out in Affinity Publisher at 8.5 × 8.5 in with bleed is exported with the PDF/X-1a preset: fonts embedded, soft shadows flattened, single 8.625 × 8.75 in pages, no crop marks. A novel written in Word is exported as a regular PDF at 6 × 9 in with fonts embedded. Both are file types KDP takes; the first leaves less to chance when the book has transparency or complex art.
Common mistakes:
- Exporting two-page spreads instead of single pages.
- Leaving crop marks or bleed marks on in the export settings.
- Fonts not embedded, often because a font's license forbids embedding.
- Password-protecting or locking the PDF.
- Leaving comments, bookmarks or placeholder text such as "Lorem ipsum" in the file.

### How is spine width calculated on KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/spine)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Spine width is the thickness of a book's spine. KDP calculates it as page count × a per-page paper factor: 0.002252 in on white paper, 0.0025 in on cream and 0.002347 in for premium color. A 200-page paperback on white paper has a 0.45 in spine. KDP prints text on the spine only on books with more than 79 pages.

KDP spine width per page (paperback):
- Premium color · white paper; Per page: 0.002347 in; Per page (mm): 0.0596 mm; 100 pages: 0.235 in; 300 pages: 0.704 in
- Standard color · white paper; Per page: 0.002252 in; Per page (mm): 0.0572 mm; 100 pages: 0.225 in; 300 pages: 0.676 in
- Black & white · white paper; Per page: 0.002252 in; Per page (mm): 0.0572 mm; 100 pages: 0.225 in; 300 pages: 0.676 in
- Black & white · cream paper; Per page: 0.0025 in; Per page (mm): 0.0635 mm; 100 pages: 0.25 in; 300 pages: 0.75 in
- Black & white · groundwood paper; Per page: 0.00235 in; Per page (mm): 0.0597 mm; 100 pages: 0.235 in; 300 pages: 0.705 in
(Hardcover spine = the same calculation + 4.8 mm, per KDP's cover calculator. The groundwood factor also comes from the cover calculator.)

Paperback and hardcover spines: A paperback spine is exactly pages × factor. A hardcover spine is wider for the same book: KDP's cover calculator adds 4.8 mm, so a 300-page hardcover on cream paper has a 0.939 in spine against 0.75 in for the paperback.
Spine text: KDP prints text on the spine only on books with more than 79 pages, with at least 0.0625 in (1.6 mm) between the text and each spine edge, and cover text must be at least 7 pt. On thin books these rules collide: at 80 pages on white paper the spine is 0.18 in wide, which leaves 0.055 in for the text. By our calculation, a 7 pt line fits inside the spine margins from 100 pages on white paper, 90 on cream and 96 in premium color.
Why the cover comes last: The spine width, and so the width of the full cover, depends on the final page count and the paper. Every extra sheet (two pages) adds 0.0045 in on white paper. Finish the interior first, then build the cover from its real page count.
Example: a 300-page novel on white or cream paper: A 6 × 9 in novel with 300 pages has a 0.676 in spine on white paper and a 0.75 in spine on cream. Its full-wrap cover is 12.926 in wide on white paper and 13 in on cream, so a cover made for one paper doesn't fit the other.
Common mistakes:
- Using a cover template made for another page count or paper.
- Adding spine text to a book under 80 pages. KDP doesn't allow it.
- Setting spine text right up to the folds, where it can wrap onto the front or back cover.
- Switching from white to cream paper (or back) after the cover is finished.
- Reusing the paperback spine width for the hardcover edition.

### What is a full-wrap cover on KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/full-wrap-cover)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
A full-wrap cover is the single-page PDF that holds a print book's back cover, spine and front cover side by side. For a KDP paperback, width = 0.125 in bleed + back + spine + front + 0.125 in bleed, and height = trim height + 0.25 in. A 6 × 9 in, 200-page book on white paper needs a 12.7 × 9.25 in cover.

Full-wrap cover geometry:
- Outer edge; Paperback: 0.125 in bleed, trimmed off; Hardcover (case laminate): 15 mm wrap, folded around the boards
- Back and front panels; Paperback: trim size; Hardcover (case laminate): board: trim + 5 mm wide, + 6 mm tall
- Spine; Paperback: pages × paper factor; Hardcover (case laminate): pages × paper factor + 4.8 mm
- Keep text out of; Paperback: 0.125 in inside the trim; 0.0625 in from each spine edge; Hardcover (case laminate): the 10 mm hinge on each side of the spine
- Barcode area; Paperback: 2 × 1.2 in, back cover, lower right; Hardcover (case laminate): 2 × 1.2 in, back cover, clear of the hinge
- 6 × 9 in, 200 pages, white paper; Paperback: 12.7 × 9.25 in; Hardcover (case laminate): 14.214 × 10.417 in
(Hardcover board and spine allowances as used by KDP's cover calculator.)

Back, spine, front: For a book read left to right, the back cover is on the left of the file, the spine in the middle and the front cover on the right. The barcode goes on the back cover, next to the spine. Background art that crosses the spine should run continuously across all three panels. Upload it as one single-page PDF of up to 650 MB (40 MB or less recommended), with images at 300 DPI and no template guides or crop marks.
Why it can't be finished first: The spine width comes from the final page count and paper, and the cover width depends on the spine. A cover built from a draft page count ends up the wrong width. The Kindle eBook doesn't use this file at all: it needs a front-only image (see Kindle cover).
Example: 6 × 9 in, 200 pages, white paper: Paperback: 0.125 + 6 + 0.45 + 6 + 0.125 = 12.7 in wide, and 9 + 0.25 = 9.25 in tall. At 300 DPI the artwork is 3,811 × 2,775 pixels. Hardcover edition of the same book: 14.214 × 10.417 in, with a 0.639 in spine, because of the wrap, the larger boards and the wider hardcover spine.
Common mistakes:
- Uploading only the front cover for a print book.
- Using the spine width of a draft page count.
- Uploading two files or a two-page spread instead of one single-page PDF.
- Leaving the template's guide layer or crop marks visible in the export.
- Reusing the paperback cover file for the hardcover.

### What is the barcode area on a KDP cover? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/barcode-area)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
The barcode area is the 2 × 1.2 in (50.8 × 30.5 mm) white box in the lower right of a print book's back cover, where KDP prints the barcode when your cover file doesn't include one. Keep text and important art out of it. On a paperback it sits at least 0.25 in from the spine and the bottom trim.

KDP barcode rules:
- Barcode KDP adds: 2 × 1.2 in (50.8 × 30.5 mm), in a white box
- Your own barcode, minimum size: 1.4 × 0.8 in
- Background: solid white
- Paperback position: lower right of the back cover, at least 0.25 in from the spine and the trim
- Hardcover position: at least 0.76 in from the bottom of the cover and 0.25 in from the spine hinge
- When KDP adds it: Cover Creator covers, and cover PDFs uploaded without a barcode, with or without an ISBN

When KDP prints the barcode: If you design the cover with Cover Creator, or upload a print-ready cover PDF without a barcode, KDP places one on the back cover for you. That applies to books with or without an ISBN, including low-content books published without one. The box is white, so any art underneath is covered. You can print your own barcode instead. KDP asks for at least 1.4 × 0.8 in, on a solid white background, in the same lower-right zone.
Designing around it: Plan the back cover copy to stop above the box, or to stay beside it. Author photos, logos and QR codes go elsewhere. On a hardcover, the box must also stay off the 10 mm hinge next to the spine, where the cover bends.
Example: the back of a 6 × 9 in paperback: The back cover panel is 6 in wide. With KDP's box 0.25 in from the spine and 0.25 in from the bottom trim, it covers the area from 3.75 in to 5.75 in measured from the outer edge, and up to 1.45 in above the bottom trim. The blurb can use the full width above that line, plus the 3.75 in beside the box.
Common mistakes:
- Placing a photo or pattern behind the barcode area: KDP's white box covers it.
- Letting the blurb or the author bio run into the box.
- Leaving a sample barcode from a cover template on the final file.
- Printing your own barcode smaller than 1.4 × 0.8 in or on a colored background.
- Putting the barcode on the hinge of a hardcover cover.

### What is a case laminate hardcover on KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/case-laminate)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Case laminate is the only hardcover binding KDP offers: the cover art is printed, laminated and wrapped around rigid boards, with no dust jacket. KDP hardcovers come in 5 trims with 75–550 pages, in black and white or premium color, and aren't available on Amazon.co.jp or through Expanded Distribution.

KDP hardcover specs:
- Trims: 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10 and 8.25 × 11 in
- Pages: 75–550
- Ink and paper: black and white on white or cream paper, or premium color
- Cover wrap: 15 mm on every edge, folded around the boards
- Hinge: 10 mm on each side of the spine: no text or barcode
- Boards (KDP cover calculator): trim + 5 mm wide, trim + 6 mm tall
- Spine: pages × paper factor + 4.8 mm
- Headbands: added above 120 pages
- Printing cost, Amazon.com, black ink, regular trim: $6.80 flat for 75–108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012 per page
- Printing cost, Amazon.com, premium color, regular trim: $5.65 + $0.065 per page
- ISBN: its own, separate from the paperback's

Case laminate vs dust jacket: In a case laminate book, the printed cover is the case itself: it is glued to the boards and laminated, like many children's hardcovers and textbooks. There is no separate paper jacket, so the whole design, barcode included, lives on the case. The file wraps around the board edges instead of having bleed, and a hinge next to the spine must stay free of text.
What it costs and where it sells: On Amazon.com a black-and-white hardcover pays a fixed $5.65 per copy against $1.00 for a paperback, with the same $0.012 per page. Past 108 pages, that is $4.65 more per copy, and a higher minimum list price. Hardcovers are sold on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.nl, Amazon.ie, Amazon.com.be, Amazon.pl and Amazon.se. KDP says they aren't available on Amazon.co.jp or through Expanded Distribution.
Example: a 300-page novel in both bindings: A 300-page, 6 × 9 in novel on cream paper costs $4.60 to print as a paperback and $9.25 as a hardcover on Amazon.com. The minimum list prices are $9.20 and $15.42. Its hardcover cover file is 14.514 × 10.417 in with a 0.939 in spine, against 13 × 9.25 in and 0.75 in for the paperback.
Common mistakes:
- Reusing the paperback cover file: the hardcover cover is larger and laid out differently.
- Placing text or the barcode on the hinge next to the spine.
- Planning a 32-page hardcover picture book. KDP hardcovers need at least 75 pages.
- Designing a dust jacket. KDP doesn't print one.
- Giving the hardcover the paperback's ISBN.
- Expecting the hardcover in bookstores through Expanded Distribution.

### What size is a Kindle eBook cover? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/kindle-cover)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
A Kindle eBook cover is a front-only image, separate from the print cover. KDP's ideal size is 1,600 × 2,560 pixels (1.6 times taller than wide), and it suggests at least 2,500 pixels in height for high-definition screens. JPEG is preferred, files must be 5 MB or less, and covers under 500 pixels on the short side aren't shown on Amazon.

KDP Kindle cover specs:
- Ideal size: 1,600 × 2,560 pixels (width × height)
- Shape: height = 1.6 × width
- High-definition screens: at least 2,500 pixels tall
- File format: JPEG preferred
- File size: 5 MB or less
- Color: RGB
- Light or white covers: add a 3–4 pixel medium-gray border
- Not shown on the website: shortest side under 500 pixels

Different from the print cover: The print cover is a full-wrap PDF with bleed, a spine and a back cover. The Kindle cover is the front only, and its shape rarely matches the print trim: a 6 × 9 in front is 1.5 times taller than wide and a square picture book's front is as tall as it is wide, while the Kindle cover is 1.6 times taller than wide.
What KDP doesn't allow on it: prices or promotional offers the spine, the barcode or elements of the back cover typos, watermarks or placeholder text text that contradicts the book's Amazon detail page
Example: adapting a print front cover: A 6 × 9 in front cover scaled to 1,600 pixels wide is 2,400 pixels tall, 160 pixels short of 2,560. Extend the background at the top and bottom, or scale to the full height and crop the sides. A square 8.5 × 8.5 in picture book front is 1,600 pixels tall at 1,600 wide: 960 pixels are missing, so the Kindle cover usually needs its own layout.
Common mistakes:
- Uploading the full-wrap print cover as the Kindle cover.
- Stretching the print front to the Kindle ratio, which distorts faces and lettering.
- Adding a price or a promotional line such as a discount.
- A white cover without a border, which blends into Amazon's white page.
- A title too small to read at thumbnail size.

### What is premium color on KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/premium-color)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Premium color is KDP's high-quality color interior, printed on heavier 60–71 lb (88–105 GSM) white paper and meant for image-heavy books such as picture books, cookbooks and photo books. It works for paperbacks and hardcovers. On Amazon.com it costs $3.60 flat up to 40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065 per page on regular trims.

Amazon.com printing cost, premium color:
- Paperback; Regular trim: $3.60 flat for 24–40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065 per page; Large trim: $4.20 flat for 24–40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.08 per page
- Hardcover; Regular trim: $5.65 + $0.065 per page; Large trim: $5.65 + $0.08 per page
Sample premium color books on Amazon.com:
- 32-page picture book, 8.5 × 8.5 in; Printing cost: $4.20; Minimum list price: $8.40
- 40-page picture book, 8 × 10 in; Printing cost: $4.20; Minimum list price: $8.40
- 120-page cookbook, 8.5 × 11 in; Printing cost: $10.60; Minimum list price: $17.67
- 80-page hardcover, 8.25 × 11 in; Printing cost: $12.05; Minimum list price: $20.08

Premium color vs standard color: KDP also offers standard color, which costs $0.0255 per page instead of $0.065 on regular trims but needs at least 72 pages and is paperback only. KDP positions premium color for image-heavy interiors where sharpness matters, and standard color for longer books with fewer images. Up to 40 pages, a premium color paperback pays one flat fee, so 24, 32 and 40 pages cost the same to print.
Limits: Paperback: 24–828 pages on most trims (590 maximum at 8.5 in wide and in A4). Hardcover: 75–550 pages. Also sold on Amazon.com.au, where standard color isn't. Locked after publishing: you can't switch between premium color, standard color and black and white later.
Example: a 32-page picture book: A 32-page picture book at 8.5 × 8.5 in (a large trim) costs $4.20 to print on Amazon.com, with a minimum list price of $8.40. At $9.99, the royalty is 60% × $9.99 − $4.20 = $1.79 per copy. The same book at 120 pages would cost $10.60, because every page past 40 is charged.
Common mistakes:
- Choosing premium color for a text-heavy workbook where standard color would do.
- Planning a hardcover picture book under 75 pages.
- Assuming you can switch a published color book to black and white to cut costs.
- Forgetting that 8.5 × 8.5 in and 8 × 10 in are large trims, with higher rates.

### What is standard color on KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/standard-color)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Standard color is KDP's lower-cost color interior for books with lots of text and some color, such as workbooks and textbooks. It's paperback only, needs 72–600 pages, and isn't offered in A4 or on Amazon.com.au. On Amazon.com it costs $1.00 + $0.0255 per page on regular trims, against $0.065 for premium color.

Amazon.com per-page printing rates, paperback:
- Black and white; Regular trim: $2.30 flat for 24–108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page; Large trim: $2.84 flat for 24–108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.017 per page; Pages: 24–828
- Standard color; Regular trim: $1.00 + $0.0255 per page; Large trim: $1.00 + $0.0402 per page; Pages: 72–600
- Premium color; Regular trim: $3.60 flat for 24–40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065 per page; Large trim: $4.20 flat for 24–40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.08 per page; Pages: 24–828
A 120-page, 8.5 × 11 in paperback on Amazon.com:
- B&W, white paper; Printing cost: $3.04; Minimum list price: $6.08
- Standard color; Printing cost: $5.82; Minimum list price: $9.99
- Premium color; Printing cost: $10.60; Minimum list price: $17.67

When standard color makes sense: KDP describes standard color as ideal for books with a high page count and fewer images, where cost and quality need to be balanced: workbooks, textbooks, manuals, non-fiction with charts. The saving grows with every page: $0.0395 less than premium color per page on a regular trim, and $0.0398 less on a large one. Standard color is printed on the same 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM) paper as black-and-white books. Against black and white, standard color costs $0.0135 more per page on a regular trim, and it has no flat fee for short books. A book whose color is limited to a few charts can often stay in black and white; one that relies on color on most pages is where standard color pays off.
Limits: At least 72 pages, so short picture books can't use it. Paperback only: hardcovers in color are premium color. Not offered in A4 (8.27 × 11.69 in), and not sold on Amazon.com.au. Right-to-left paperbacks in standard color are distributed on Amazon.co.jp only. Locked after publishing: KDP doesn't let you switch a published book between standard color, premium color and black and white.
Example: a 120-page workbook: A 120-page, 8.5 × 11 in workbook with colored headings and diagrams costs $5.82 to print in standard color and $10.60 in premium color on Amazon.com: $4.78 less per copy. Its minimum list price drops from $17.67 to $9.99.
Common mistakes:
- Choosing standard color for a 32-page picture book: it needs at least 72 pages.
- Expecting a standard color hardcover.
- Planning an A4 book in standard color, or expecting it on Amazon.com.au.
- Using it for full-page photography, where KDP recommends premium color.

### Cream vs white paper on KDP: what's the difference? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/cream-paper)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Cream paper is KDP's warm off-white stock for black-and-white interiors, the classic choice for novels and memoirs; white paper suits non-fiction with images, workbooks and coloring books. Both cost the same to print, but cream is thicker (0.0025 in per page against 0.002252 in), so the spine is wider and the page limit lower: 776 pages instead of 828 on most trims.

KDP ink and paper options:
- Premium color · white paper; Paper weight: 60–71 lb (88–105 GSM); Spine per page: 0.002347 in; Max pages (most trims): 828; Bindings: Paperback, Hardcover
- Standard color · white paper; Paper weight: 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM); Spine per page: 0.002252 in; Max pages (most trims): 600; Bindings: Paperback
- Black & white · white paper; Paper weight: 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM); Spine per page: 0.002252 in; Max pages (most trims): 828; Bindings: Paperback, Hardcover
- Black & white · cream paper; Paper weight: 50–61 lb (74–90 GSM); Spine per page: 0.0025 in; Max pages (most trims): 776; Bindings: Paperback, Hardcover
- Black & white · groundwood paper; Paper weight: 45 lb (60 GSM); Spine per page: 0.00235 in; Max pages (most trims): 812; Bindings: Paperback

Color books are always on white: KDP prints color interiors on white paper only, so cream is a black-and-white choice. Standard color uses the same weight of white paper as black-and-white books; premium color uses a heavier white stock.
The third option: groundwood: KDP also offers a lighter 45 lb (60 GSM) groundwood paper for black-and-white paperbacks, about 5% cheaper per page than white or cream on Amazon.com. It isn't available for hardcovers.
Paper and Expanded Distribution: Paper affects Expanded Distribution: cream is eligible only at 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5 and 6 × 9 in, while white paper is eligible on 12 of the 16 standard paperback trims.
Example: a 300-page novel: A 300-page, 5.5 × 8.5 in novel costs $4.60 to print on Amazon.com on either paper. Its spine is 0.75 in on cream and 0.676 in on white, so the full cover is 12 in wide on cream and 11.926 in on white.
Common mistakes:
- Choosing cream for a large-format book meant for bookstores: cream is only eligible for Expanded Distribution at 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5 and 6 × 9 in.
- Switching paper without resizing the cover. KDP lets a black-and-white paperback move between cream, white and groundwood, even after publishing, but the spine width changes with the paper, so the cover has to change too.
- Planning a very long book on cream: the maximum is 776 pages on most trims, 550 at 8.5 in wide.
- Printing a coloring book or a photo-heavy guide on cream when readers expect bright white pages.

### What is a fixed-layout eBook on Kindle? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/fixed-layout)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
A fixed-layout eBook keeps every page exactly as designed, with text and images locked in place, instead of letting the text reflow to the screen. KDP uses it for picture books, comics, manga and other books where words and art must stay together. Readers can't resize the text, so text under 4 mm on a 7-inch screen (2 mm in other books) needs text pop-ups.

Fixed layout vs reflowable:
- Page design; Fixed layout: locked, like a printed page; Reflowable: text reflows to the screen
- Text size; Fixed layout: set by the publisher; Reflowable: chosen by the reader
- Typical books; Fixed layout: picture books, comics, manga; Reflowable: novels, non-fiction
- Small text; Fixed layout: pop-ups under 4 mm (children's) or 2 mm (other) on a 7-inch screen; Reflowable: not an issue
- Files KDP accepts; Fixed layout: EPUB with fixed-layout metadata, KPF from Kindle Create; Reflowable: EPUB, DOCX, KPF and others
- MOBI; Fixed layout: not accepted since March 18, 2025; Reflowable: not accepted since August 1, 2021

When to use it: KDP recommends reflowable formats for the best reading experience, because readers can adjust the text. Fixed layout is for books where that would break the page: children's picture books, comics, graphic novels and manga. For comics, KDP offers Panel View (image pop-ups) and adds virtual panels when the publisher provides none. KDP also lists puzzle books, blank journals and coloring books as content not suited to Kindle at all, fixed layout or not: they are print books.
Tools: Kindle Kids' Book Creator and Kindle Comic Creator are no longer available (since March 18, 2025). KDP now points to Kindle Create for comics and kids' eBooks, or to an EPUB built with other tools that follows the Kindle Publishing Guidelines. Fixed-layout images should be JPEG, at least 300 ppi.
Example: text size in a square picture book: A square picture book exported at 1,600 × 1,600 pixels per page is shown about 3.54 in wide on a 7-inch tablet. By our calculation, capital letters need to be about 72 pixels tall on the page image to reach 4 mm there (36 pixels for 2 mm in other books). Smaller text needs text pop-ups.
Common mistakes:
- Making a novel fixed layout: readers can't change the font size.
- Keeping small print-sized text without pop-ups.
- Uploading a MOBI file: KDP no longer accepts it.
- Publishing a coloring or puzzle book as an eBook.
- Reusing print pages with margins and bleed as they are, instead of pages sized for screens.

### What is EPUB, and which eBook files does KDP accept? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/epub)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
EPUB is the open eBook format: a zipped package of XHTML, CSS, images and metadata. KDP accepts EPUB for Kindle eBooks when it follows the Kindle Publishing Guidelines, alongside Word (DOCX) and KPF files from Kindle Create. MOBI is no longer accepted: since August 1, 2021 for reflowable eBooks and March 18, 2025 for fixed-layout ones.

eBook files KDP accepts:
- EPUB; What it is: open standard, reflowable or fixed layout; KDP notes: accepted; check it in Kindle Previewer before uploading
- DOC / DOCX; What it is: Word document; KDP notes: recommended; complex formatting may convert less well
- KPF; What it is: Kindle Package Format, made with Kindle Create; KDP notes: recommended
- PDF; What it is: print-style document; KDP notes: accepted in a limited set of languages
- HTML (ZIP, HTM, HTML), RTF, TXT; What it is: text and web formats; KDP notes: accepted
- MOBI; What it is: older Kindle format; KDP notes: no longer accepted

Reflowable and fixed-layout EPUB: The same format covers both kinds of eBook. A reflowable EPUB lets the text adapt to the screen and the reader's settings: right for novels and most non-fiction. A fixed-layout EPUB declares its pages as pre-paginated, so every page keeps its design: right for picture books and comics.
File size costs money on the 70% option: On the 70% royalty option, KDP subtracts a delivery cost based on the converted file size: $0.15 per MB on Amazon.com, with sizes rounded up to the kilobyte. Uncompressed images in an EPUB make every sale cost more.
Example: the same $4.99 price, two file sizes: A 2 MB novel at $4.99 on Amazon.com earns $3.28 at 70% (after a $0.30 delivery cost) or $1.75 at 35%. A 25 MB picture book at the same price earns only $0.87 at 70%, because delivery costs $3.75, so the 35% option ($1.75) pays more.
Common mistakes:
- Uploading a MOBI file.
- Skipping Kindle Previewer: layout problems show up after publishing instead of before.
- Embedding full-resolution print images, which inflates the file and the delivery cost.
- Uploading the print PDF as the eBook: the result reads like a scanned book on a phone.
- Putting text inside images in a reflowable book, where readers can't resize it.

### What is a low-content book on KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/low-content)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
A low-content book is KDP's category for books with minimal, repetitive interiors meant to be filled in: notebooks, planners, journals, logbooks. They don't need an ISBN but can't get a free KDP ISBN, aren't eligible for Expanded Distribution, and are print only. Coloring books, puzzle books and children's books are not low-content.

Low-content vs other print books on KDP:
- Examples; Low-content book: notebooks, planners, diaries and journals, prompt journals, log books, coupon books, crafting templates, blank sheet music; Other print books: novels, non-fiction, children's books, coloring and puzzle books, manuals, textbooks
- ISBN; Low-content book: optional; no free KDP ISBN (publish without one or use your own); Other print books: free KDP ISBN or your own
- Look Inside; Low-content book: only with your own ISBN; Other print books: yes
- Expanded Distribution; Low-content book: not eligible; Other print books: eligible if trim, paper and content qualify
- Series; Low-content book: not eligible; Other print books: yes
- Kindle eBook; Low-content book: print only: KDP lists blank journals as unsuited to Kindle; Other print books: depends on the content
- Barcode; Low-content book: KDP adds a 2 × 1.2 in box if the cover has none; Other print books: the same
- How to mark it; Low-content book: tick the low-content box under Categories; Other print books: leave it unticked

What counts, and what doesn't: KDP defines low-content books as having minimal or no content on the interior pages, generally repetitive and designed to be filled in by the user. Activity books such as puzzle books and coloring books are explicitly not low-content, because their pages aren't repetitive. Neither are children's books, photography books or sheet music. That distinction has consequences: a coloring book gets a free KDP ISBN and Look Inside, while a lined journal doesn't. Both are print only, though: KDP lists puzzle books, blank journals and coloring books as content not suited to Kindle.
Other limits that apply: The weekly title creation limit (2 new titles per format) applies to low-content books like any other. Expanded Distribution is closed to them whatever ISBN they use.
Example: a 120-page guided journal: A 120-page, 6 × 9 in prompt journal is low-content: tick the box under Categories, publish without an ISBN or with your own, and expect no Look Inside unless the ISBN is yours. It costs $2.44 to print in black and white on Amazon.com. A 106-page kids' coloring book is not low-content: leave the box unticked, and it can use a free KDP ISBN and show Look Inside.
Common mistakes:
- Marking coloring, puzzle or activity books as low-content.
- Trying to assign a free KDP ISBN to a low-content book.
- Forgetting to tick the low-content box for a notebook or planner.
- Expecting Look Inside on a low-content book published without your own ISBN.
- Planning a Kindle edition of a journal or planner.

### Do you need an ISBN for KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/isbn)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) identifies one book in one format and edition. KDP gives free ISBNs for paperbacks and hardcovers, and each format needs its own. Kindle eBooks don't need one (Amazon identifies them with an ASIN), and a free KDP ISBN can only be used on KDP, with "Independently published" as the imprint.

ISBN rules on KDP:
- Paperback: free KDP ISBN or your own
- Hardcover: its own ISBN, different from the paperback's
- Kindle eBook: optional; Amazon assigns an ASIN
- Low-content book: optional; not eligible for a free KDP ISBN
- New edition with significant changes: a new ISBN
- Free KDP ISBN outside KDP: not allowed
- Imprint with a free KDP ISBN: Independently published
- Imprint with your own ISBN: must match the ISBN's registration exactly (case and spaces included)
- Expanded Distribution: the ISBN must not have been submitted for distribution through another service

Free KDP ISBN or your own: The free KDP ISBN is the simplest option, but it is tied to KDP: it can't be used to publish the same edition anywhere else, and the book's imprint shows as "Independently published." Your own ISBN, bought from your country's ISBN agency (Bowker in the United States), lets you use your imprint name and publish the same edition through other printers. With your own ISBN, the imprint you enter must match the agency's records exactly. KDP treats these fields as case-sensitive, and even a trailing space causes a mismatch.
ISBN and barcode: KDP prints the barcode on the back cover, in a 2 × 1.2 in white box, whether the ISBN is free or your own, unless your cover already includes one (see barcode area).
Example: one book, three formats: A picture book published as a paperback, a hardcover and a Kindle eBook needs two ISBNs, one per print format; the eBook can go without. If the author also wants to print the paperback through another printer, that edition needs an ISBN the author owns, because the free KDP ISBN can't leave KDP.
Common mistakes:
- Reusing the paperback's ISBN for the hardcover.
- Using a free KDP ISBN for an edition printed elsewhere.
- Typing the imprint differently from the ISBN registration (case, spaces, punctuation).
- Trying to use a free KDP ISBN on a low-content book.
- Keeping the same ISBN for a new edition with significant changes.

### What counts as AI-generated content on KDP? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/ai-generated)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
On KDP, AI-generated content is text, images or translations created by an AI tool, even if you edited them substantially afterwards, and you must disclose it when you publish a book or edit and republish it. AI-assisted content, which you created yourself and only brainstormed, edited, refined or error-checked with AI, needs no disclosure.

AI-generated or AI-assisted?:
- An AI tool wrote the story; you rewrote much of it; KDP category: AI-generated text; Disclose?: Yes
- You wrote the book; an AI tool fixed grammar and suggested edits; KDP category: AI-assisted; Disclose?: No
- An AI tool brainstormed plot ideas; you wrote every word; KDP category: AI-assisted; Disclose?: No
- An AI tool made the illustrations or the cover art; KDP category: AI-generated images; Disclose?: Yes
- An AI tool translated your book; KDP category: AI-generated translation; Disclose?: Yes
- You drew the art; an AI tool cleaned it up; KDP category: AI-assisted; Disclose?: No

The rule: KDP's content guidelines draw the line at who created the content. If an AI tool created the actual text, images or translation, the content is AI-generated, and substantial editing afterwards doesn't change that. If you created it and used AI to edit, refine, error-check or otherwise improve it, it is AI-assisted, and KDP says you don't need to disclose it. The same goes for using AI to brainstorm and generate ideas when you then create the text or images yourself. Disclosure is part of publishing: KDP asks when you publish a new book and again when you make edits and republish. Each format (Kindle eBook, paperback, hardcover) is set up separately in KDP, so answer on each one.
What disclosure doesn't change: Disclosing doesn't make a book acceptable on its own: you remain responsible for AI content following KDP's content guidelines and not infringing anyone's rights. KDP's other rules still apply, including the limit of 2 new titles per format per week.
Example: an AI-made picture book: A picture book whose story and illustrations were both generated with AI: disclose AI-generated text and AI-generated images, cover included, on every format you publish. If you later regenerate some pages and republish, answer the question again for the new version.
Common mistakes:
- Calling heavily edited AI text "AI-assisted". Editing doesn't change who created it.
- Declaring the interior art but forgetting that the cover was AI-generated too.
- Answering for the eBook and not for the paperback or hardcover.
- Not revisiting the answer when republishing with new AI content.
- Treating disclosure as approval: the book still goes through KDP's normal review.

### What is KDP Select? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/kdp-select)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
KDP Select is a free, optional 90-day program for Kindle eBooks. While enrolled, the eBook must be exclusive to the Kindle Store; print and audio editions can still be sold elsewhere. In return it joins Kindle Unlimited, earns a share of the KDP Select Global Fund by pages read, and can use Kindle Countdown Deals and free promotions. Enrollment renews automatically.

KDP Select at a glance:
- Cost: free
- Term: 90 days, renewed automatically unless you turn renewal off
- Formats: Kindle eBook only
- Exclusivity: during the term, the eBook can only be distributed through KDP (and public libraries); print, audio and other formats can be sold anywhere
- Kindle Unlimited: included automatically; paid from the KDP Select Global Fund, by pages read
- Promotions: Kindle Countdown Deals (Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk) and Free Book Promotions (free for up to 5 days)
- 70% royalty in Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.in, Amazon.com.br and Amazon.com.mx: requires KDP Select

The trade-off: What you give up: selling the eBook anywhere else for 90 days at a time, including other eBook stores and your own website. What you get: Kindle Unlimited readers, whose pages read earn a share of the KDP Select Global Fund, the promotional tools, and eligibility for the KDP Select All Stars bonus. Sales to buyers are unchanged: the eBook stays on sale and earns its usual royalty. On Amazon.com the 70% royalty doesn't depend on Select: it is available from $2.99 to $12.99. In Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.in, Amazon.com.br and Amazon.com.mx, the 70% option requires enrollment.
Leaving: Turn off automatic renewal in the KDP Select settings of the eBook. The current 90-day term continues until it ends; the eBook can be published elsewhere after that.
Example: an author on several eBook stores: An author selling a novel on Amazon and on other eBook stores must remove it from the other stores before enrolling it in KDP Select. The paperback can stay on sale everywhere. After 90 days, the author can let the term renew or turn renewal off and go back to the other stores when the term ends.
Common mistakes:
- Enrolling while the eBook is still on sale in another store or on your own website.
- Forgetting that enrollment renews automatically.
- Thinking KDP Select covers paperbacks or hardcovers: it is eBook only.
- Assuming Select is needed for 70% royalties on Amazon.com.

### What is KDP Expanded Distribution? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/expanded-distribution)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Expanded Distribution is an optional KDP setting that makes your paperback available to distributors, so bookstores, online retailers, libraries and academic institutions can order it. It pays 40% of the list price minus the printing cost, is for paperbacks only, and excludes low-content books, coloring books and many other kinds of content. A book can take up to eight weeks to become available.

Paperback trims eligible for Expanded Distribution:
- Premium color · white paper: 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 8.5 and 8.5 × 11
- Standard color · white paper: 5 × 8, 5.06 × 7.81, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 6.69 × 9.61, 7 × 10, 7.44 × 9.69, 7.5 × 9.25, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 8.5 and 8.5 × 11
- Black & white · white paper: 5 × 8, 5.06 × 7.81, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 6.69 × 9.61, 7 × 10, 7.44 × 9.69, 7.5 × 9.25, 8 × 10 and 8.5 × 11
- Black & white · cream paper: 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5 and 6 × 9
- Black & white · groundwood paper: 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5 and 6 × 9
(Not eligible with any ink or paper: 8.25 × 6, 8.25 × 8.25 and 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4 isn't in KDP's chart). Hardcovers are not eligible.)
Royalty on a 200-page, 6 × 9 in black-and-white paperback at $12.99:
- Amazon.com; Rate: 60%; Printing cost: $3.40; Royalty: $4.39
- Expanded Distribution; Rate: 40%; Printing cost: $3.40; Royalty: $1.80

Content KDP excludes: KDP doesn't offer Expanded Distribution to journals, notebooks, planners and calendars (books with frequent lined or blank pages), coloring books, public domain content, unauthorized summaries of other books, interiors that need a high concentration of ink, poorly translated content, rebranded re-releases and content that is excessively reused or repeated. Under that last item, KDP's page adds a table of genres that includes puzzle, activity, word search, sudoku, crossword and maze books, workbooks, cookbooks, travel guides, biographies and how-to books. They aren't excluded by name, so such a book can be enrolled, but distributors may decline it: KDP then removes it from Expanded Distribution, and it stays on sale on Amazon. Check the current list before counting on bookstore sales.
The price math: At 40%, a sale covers the printing cost only when the list price is at least printing cost ÷ 0.4. For a 200-page, 6 × 9 in black-and-white paperback that costs $3.40, that's $8.50 (our calculation). The same sale on Amazon.com pays 60%. The ISBN can be a free KDP ISBN or your own, but it must not have been submitted for distribution through another service.
Example: a 200-page paperback at $12.99: A 200-page, 6 × 9 in black-and-white paperback at $12.99 earns $4.39 per copy sold on Amazon.com and $1.80 per copy sold through Expanded Distribution. Enrolling it doesn't change the Amazon royalty; it adds a lower-margin channel.
Common mistakes:
- Enabling Expanded Distribution for a coloring book or a journal, or counting on it for a puzzle or activity book.
- Pricing so low that the 40% royalty barely covers the printing cost.
- Expecting it for a hardcover.
- Using an ISBN already distributed through another service.
- Choosing 8.25 × 6, 8.25 × 8.25 or 8.27 × 11.69 in: none of them is eligible, whatever the ink and paper.

### How do KDP royalties work? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/royalty)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
A KDP royalty is what Amazon pays you per sale. Print books earn 60% of the list price minus the printing cost (50% below $9.99 on Amazon.com, 40% through Expanded Distribution). Kindle eBooks earn 35% of the price, or 70% after a delivery cost is subtracted, when priced from $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com.

Print royalty thresholds by currency:
- USD (Amazon.com); 60% from: $9.99; 50% up to: $9.98; Maximum list price: $250
- EUR (Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.nl, Amazon.ie, Amazon.com.be); 60% from: €9.99; 50% up to: €9.98; Maximum list price: €250
- GBP (Amazon.co.uk); 60% from: £7.99; 50% up to: £7.98; Maximum list price: £250
- CAD (Amazon.ca); 60% from: 13.99 CAD; 50% up to: 13.98 CAD; Maximum list price: 350 CAD
- AUD (Amazon.com.au); 60% from: 13.99 AUD; 50% up to: 13.98 AUD; Maximum list price: 350 AUD
- JPY (Amazon.co.jp); 60% from: ¥1,000; 50% up to: ¥999; Maximum list price: ¥30,000
- PLN (Amazon.pl); 60% from: 40 PLN; 50% up to: 39 PLN; Maximum list price: 1,200 PLN
- SEK (Amazon.se); 60% from: 110 SEK; 50% up to: 109 SEK; Maximum list price: 2,500 SEK
(Print list prices exclude VAT where it applies.)
Kindle 70% royalty: price band and delivery cost:
- Amazon.com; 70% price range: $2.99–$12.99; Delivery per MB: $0.15; Needs KDP Select: No
- Amazon.co.uk; 70% price range: £1.77–£12.99; Delivery per MB: £0.10; Needs KDP Select: No
- Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.nl; 70% price range: €2.69–€12.99; Delivery per MB: €0.12; Needs KDP Select: No
- Amazon.co.jp; 70% price range: ¥250–¥1,650; Delivery per MB: ¥1; Needs KDP Select: Yes
- Amazon.in; 70% price range: 99 INR–599 INR; Delivery per MB: 7 INR; Needs KDP Select: Yes
- Amazon.ca; 70% price range: 2.99 CAD–12.99 CAD; Delivery per MB: 0.15 CAD; Needs KDP Select: No
- Amazon.com.br; 70% price range: 5.99 BRL–31.99 BRL; Delivery per MB: 0.30 BRL; Needs KDP Select: Yes
- Amazon.com.mx; 70% price range: 34.99 MXN–199.99 MXN; Delivery per MB: 1 MXN; Needs KDP Select: Yes
- Amazon.com.au; 70% price range: 3.99 AUD–15.99 AUD; Delivery per MB: 0.15 AUD; Needs KDP Select: No
(On Amazon.com, the top of the 70% band rose to $12.99 on July 7, 2026.)

Print royalty: Royalty = rate × list price − printing cost. The rate is 60% at or above the threshold ($9.99 on Amazon.com) and 50% below it. Expanded Distribution pays 40% of the list price minus printing cost.
Kindle royalty: 35% option: 35% of the list price without VAT. 70% option: 70% of what is left after VAT and a delivery cost based on file size are subtracted, that is 70% × (list price − VAT − delivery cost), for eBooks priced inside the band. For the 70% option, the eBook must also be priced at least 20% below the list price of any print edition on Amazon. Kindle Unlimited reads are paid separately, from the KDP Select Global Fund (see KDP Select).
Example: one cent, one dollar: A 200-page, 6 × 9 in black-and-white paperback costs $3.40 to print. At $9.98 it earns 50% × $9.98 − $3.40 = $1.59. At $9.99 it earns 60% × $9.99 − $3.40 = $2.59. A 2 MB eBook at $4.99 earns $3.28 at 70% (after a $0.30 delivery cost) or $1.75 at 35%.
Common mistakes:
- Pricing a paperback at $9.98 instead of $9.99.
- Forgetting that the printing cost comes out of every print royalty.
- Pricing an eBook above $12.99 on Amazon.com and expecting 70%.
- Pricing the eBook above 80% of the paperback's price while choosing 70%.
- Choosing 70% for a very large eBook file, where the delivery cost can make 35% pay more.

### How is KDP printing cost calculated? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/printing-cost)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
Printing cost is what KDP charges to print each copy of a paperback or hardcover, taken out of your royalty. It's a fixed fee plus a per-page rate that depends on ink, paper, trim size and marketplace, with a flat fee for short books. On Amazon.com a black-and-white paperback on a regular trim costs $1.00 + $0.012 per page: $4.60 at 300 pages.

Amazon.com printing cost:
- Paperback, black and white (white or cream); Regular trim: $2.30 flat for 24–108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012 per page; Large trim: $2.84 flat for 24–108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.017 per page
- Paperback, black and white on groundwood; Regular trim: $2.23 flat for 24–108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.0114 per page; Large trim: $2.75 flat for 24–108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.0162 per page
- Paperback, standard color; Regular trim: $1.00 + $0.0255 per page; Large trim: $1.00 + $0.0402 per page
- Paperback, premium color; Regular trim: $3.60 flat for 24–40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065 per page; Large trim: $4.20 flat for 24–40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.08 per page
- Hardcover, black and white; Regular trim: $6.80 flat for 75–108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012 per page; Large trim: $7.49 flat for 75–108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.017 per page
- Hardcover, premium color; Regular trim: $5.65 + $0.065 per page; Large trim: $5.65 + $0.08 per page
(Large trim: wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in. Flat-fee page ranges as applied by KDP's printing cost calculator.)

What changes the cost: Ink: black and white is cheapest, then standard color, then premium color. Trim: large trims pay a higher rate per page and a higher flat fee. Page count: past the flat-fee range, every page adds the per-page rate. Odd counts are rounded up to even. Marketplace: KDP publishes rates for each of its 14 print marketplaces, in the local currency. Binding: a hardcover's fixed fee is $5.65 on Amazon.com, against $1.00 for a paperback.
Where it shows up: The printing cost is subtracted from every print royalty, and it sets the minimum list price: the price at which your royalty covers it (see list price).
The same book in other marketplaces: Each marketplace has its own table, so the same file costs different amounts to print. A 200-page, 6 × 9 in black-and-white paperback costs $3.40 on Amazon.com, £2.85 on Amazon.co.uk, €3.15 on the European stores and 4.46 CAD on Amazon.ca. Set each marketplace's list price with its own printing cost in mind.
Example: a 120-page, 8.5 × 11 in workbook: On Amazon.com, the same 120-page, 8.5 × 11 in paperback (a large trim) costs $3.04 in black and white, $5.82 in standard color and $10.60 in premium color. For black and white that is $1.00 + 120 × $0.017.
Common mistakes:
- Forgetting that most picture book and workbook sizes are large trims.
- Comparing costs between marketplaces without converting currencies.
- Choosing premium color for a text-heavy book where standard color would do.
- Counting only the content pages: blank pages and front matter are printed and charged too.

### How does KDP list price work? (https://kdpbook.io/glossary/list-price)
Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.
The list price is the price you set for your book in each Amazon marketplace. For print books it excludes VAT, and KDP enforces a minimum at which your royalty covers the printing cost: printing cost ÷ 50%, or ÷ 60% (never under $9.99) above the threshold. The maximum is $250 on Amazon.com. Kindle prices must fit the 35% or 70% band.

Minimum list price on Amazon.com:
- 6 × 9 in, 200 pages, black-and-white paperback; Printing cost: $3.40; Minimum list price: $6.80
- 5.5 × 8.5 in, 300 pages, cream paperback; Printing cost: $4.60; Minimum list price: $9.20
- 8.5 × 8.5 in, 32 pages, premium color paperback; Printing cost: $4.20; Minimum list price: $8.40
- 8.5 × 11 in, 120 pages, premium color paperback; Printing cost: $10.60; Minimum list price: $17.67
- 6 × 9 in, 300 pages, black-and-white hardcover; Printing cost: $9.25; Minimum list price: $15.42
Maximum print list price by currency:
- USD: $250
- EUR: €250
- GBP: £250
- CAD: 350 CAD
- AUD: 350 AUD
- JPY: ¥30,000
- PLN: 1,200 PLN
- SEK: 2,500 SEK
Kindle list price on Amazon.com:
- 35%, file under 3 MB: $0.99–$200
- 35%, file of 3 to 10 MB: $1.99–$200
- 35%, file of 10 MB or more: $2.99–$200
- 70%: $2.99–$12.99
(The top of the 70% band rose to $12.99 on July 7, 2026.)

How the minimum is set: KDP says it calculates the minimum from the printing cost and the royalty rate, so that the royalty always covers printing. Worked through (our calculation): divide the printing cost by 50%. If the result is $9.98 or less, that is the minimum. If it is higher, the 60% rate applies: the minimum is printing cost ÷ 60%, and never less than the $9.99 threshold. A 120-page, 8.5 × 11 in premium color paperback costs $10.60; ÷ 50% would be $21.20, above the threshold, so its minimum is $10.60 ÷ 60% = $17.67. The same book in standard color costs $5.82: ÷ 50% gives $11.64, above the threshold, but ÷ 60% gives $9.70, under it, so its minimum is $9.99.
Kindle prices: Kindle list prices include VAT where it applies; royalties are calculated on the price without VAT. To earn 70%, the price must sit inside the band and be at least 20% below the list price of any print edition on Amazon.
Example: pricing a paperback and its eBook: A paperback listed at $12.99 on Amazon.com allows an eBook of at most $10.39 on the 70% option (20% below the print price). A price of $9.98 on the paperback would earn 50%; one cent more, $9.99, earns 60%.
Common mistakes:
- Stopping at $9.98, one cent under the 60% threshold.
- Adding pages after setting the price: the printing cost, and so the minimum, goes up.
- Forgetting that print list prices exclude VAT, so European shoppers pay more than the number you enter.
- Pricing the eBook too close to the paperback while choosing the 70% option.


## KDP page count limits by trim, ink and paper (checked 2026-09-26)

Usable even page counts (KDP prints an even number of pages). Details: https://kdpbook.io/kdp/trim-sizes

### Paperback

| Trim | Premium color · white paper | Standard color · white paper | Black & white · white paper | Black & white · cream paper | Black & white · groundwood paper |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 5 × 8 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 5.06 × 7.81 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 5.25 × 8 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 6 × 9 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 6.14 × 9.21 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 6.69 × 9.61 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 7 × 10 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 7.44 × 9.69 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 7.5 × 9.25 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 8 × 10 in | 24–828 | 72–600 | 24–828 | 24–776 | 24–812 |
| 8.25 × 6 in (landscape) | 24–800 | 72–600 | 24–800 | 24–750 | 24–784 |
| 8.25 × 8.25 in | 24–800 | 72–600 | 24–800 | 24–750 | 24–784 |
| 8.5 × 8.5 in | 24–590 | 72–590 | 24–590 | 24–550 | 24–578 |
| 8.5 × 11 in | 24–590 | 72–590 | 24–590 | 24–550 | 24–578 |
| 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4) | 24–590 | not offered | 24–780 | 24–730 | 24–764 |

### Hardcover (Premium color · white paper, Black & white · white paper, Black & white · cream paper)

| Trim | Premium color · white paper | Standard color · white paper | Black & white · white paper | Black & white · cream paper | Black & white · groundwood paper |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | 76–550 | not offered | 76–550 | 76–550 | not offered |
| 6 × 9 in | 76–550 | not offered | 76–550 | 76–550 | not offered |
| 6.14 × 9.21 in | 76–550 | not offered | 76–550 | 76–550 | not offered |
| 7 × 10 in | 76–550 | not offered | 76–550 | 76–550 | not offered |
| 8.25 × 11 in | 76–550 | not offered | 76–550 | 76–550 | not offered |

## Comparisons in detail

### kdpbook.io vs LowContent.ai: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/lowcontent-ai-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. LowContent.ai is a chat-based toolbox that generates individual images, texts and puzzle grids for low-content books. kdpbook.io produces the whole book: laid-out interior, cover and Kindle file. They solve different parts of the job.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | LowContent.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | Individual images, texts and puzzle grids |
| Book assembly (trim, margins, PDF) | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Not documented: its site and docs describe generating content, not laying out a print PDF |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | A cover agent; full-wrap sizing (back cover, spine) not documented |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Not documented |
| Book types | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | Low-content focus: journals, planners, coloring and activity books |
| Character consistency | Character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Manual: upload a reference image and pass its URL with the --cref parameter |
| Editing | Page editor with live preview, AI rewrites and image redraws | Chat with each agent; remix an image or describe one |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | €39–€99/month |

### kdpbook.io vs KDP Builder: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/kdp-builder-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. KDP Builder and kdpbook.io are the closest tools on the market: both turn a brief into a complete book with interior, cover and eBook files, and both keep characters consistent with a reference sheet per character. KDP Builder adds DOCX files, cover templates and built-in niche research; kdpbook.io adds a fixed-layout Kindle eBook for picture books, a 3D book preview and 36 book types.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | KDP Builder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | Interior PDF, cover PDF, EPUB, DOCX, metadata and keywords in one ZIP |
| KDP specs | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Automatic spine-width, bleed, trim and safe-zone checks before download |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | EPUB in every package; its children's package lists an eBook cover (PNG) and a paperback wrap, and a fixed-layout eBook is not documented |
| Book types | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | 18+ types |
| Character consistency | Character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Character model sheets referenced on every page (documented) |
| Editing & preview | Page editor with live preview, AI rewrites and image redraws; 3D book preview and page-turning player | Interior Studio to edit any page in place, drag-and-drop design studio with 161 cover templates; a 3D preview is not mentioned |
| Community | Public library of books made with kdpbook, readable in the player | A public showcase of books made by its authors |
| Credits per book | Picture book ≈ 1,624 · coloring ≈ 1,803 · puzzle ≈ 460 · novel ≈ 5,377 (1 credit ≈ $0.01) | Coloring 230–280 · children's 250–350 · puzzle 100–150 · novel 125–450 (its own credits) |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | Free 75 credits once; $16–$166/month |

### kdpbook.io vs Book Bolt: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/book-bolt-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Book Bolt is best known for KDP niche and keyword research, plus a drag-and-drop studio for covers and interiors, puzzle generators and, per its home page, generators for complete story, puzzle, coloring and journal books. kdpbook.io doesn't do market research: it writes, illustrates and lays out complete books, with a Kindle eBook. Many publishers would use both.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Book Bolt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Write, illustrate and lay out complete books | Research niches and keywords; design covers and interiors |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | Cover and interior PDFs exported from its Studio |
| Full book generation | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | Story, puzzle, coloring and journal books, per its home page; interiors built from templates and generators |
| KDP specs | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Covers auto-sized to trim, bleed and spine from the page count; KDP sizes built into the Studio |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Not documented: its Studio exports print PDFs |
| Market research | Not offered | Niche, keyword and product research; KDP Spy browser extension |
| Puzzles | Word search, sudoku, crosswords, mazes and more, generated and checked by code, with solutions | Sudoku, mazes, word search and crosswords with solutions; its Studio adds cryptograms, Minesweeper and Hangman |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $19.99–$35.99/month; 3-day free trial |

### kdpbook.io vs Childbook.ai: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/childbook-ai-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Childbook.ai writes and illustrates children’s books with consistent characters, up to 32 pages on Hobby or 40 on Premium, and can print a softcover for you. kdpbook.io builds the files Amazon KDP asks for: interior PDF, full-wrap cover and Kindle eBook. Childbook.ai’s commercial-use license and watermark-free output come with its $99/month Business plan.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Childbook.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | Book PDF (described as print-ready) or a printed softcover to order |
| KDP trim and bleed | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check. Picture-book trims: 8.5 × 8.5, 8.25 × 8.25, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 11, 7.5 × 9.25, 8.25 × 6, 6 × 9 in | Not documented: trim sizes and bleed are not listed |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Cover design included; full-wrap sizing (back cover, spine) not documented |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Not documented |
| Page count | Picture book 24–48 pages; 8 picture-book and illustrated-story types, plus chapter books and novels | Up to 32 pages on Hobby, 40 on Premium |
| Character consistency | Character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Characters defined once (description or photo) and reused on every page |
| Languages | 34 KDP-supported languages | “Any language”, per its feature list |
| Selling rights | Commercial license on every paid plan; free-plan exports carry a preview watermark and are not for sale | Commercial-use license and no watermark on Business ($99/month) |
| Printed copies | Not offered: files are for KDP or another printer | Softcover printing to order; Premium includes $20/month of print credit |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $19–$99/month |

### kdpbook.io vs Story.com Storybook Publisher: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/storybook-publisher-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Story.com’s Storybook Publisher creates 8- to 48-page children’s picture books, free to start with pay-per-use credits for regenerations, and gives you paperback files with KDP instructions or publishes the book for you. Its FAQ says Kindle formatting isn’t supported yet. kdpbook.io also exports a fixed-layout Kindle eBook and covers more than picture books.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Story.com Storybook Publisher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | Print-ready PDF at 300 DPI with bleed and crop marks, a cover PDF and a publication-details sheet |
| Trim sizes | Picture books: 8.5 × 8.5, 8.25 × 8.25, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 11, 7.5 × 9.25, 8.25 × 6, 6 × 9 in; 16 paperback trims across all types | 8.5 × 8.5, 8.5 × 11 and 8 × 10 in, per its product page; its KDP setup guide says to choose 6 × 9 in with No Bleed |
| KDP specs | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Margins, bleed and typography handled automatically; a preflight check is not documented |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Not supported yet, per its FAQ |
| Book types | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | Children’s storybooks, 8 to 48 pages |
| Character consistency | Character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Consistent characters on every page; you can upload reference images of your characters |
| Publishing help | Listing sheet (title, description, 7 keywords, categories, AI-disclosure answers); you upload to KDP yourself | Self-Publishing files with KDP instructions, or Fully Managed Publishing for a one-time payment (amount not published) |
| Selling rights | Commercial license on every paid plan; free-plan exports carry a preview watermark and are not for sale | Full commercial rights, per its FAQ |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | Free to start; pay-per-use credits; Fully Managed Publishing fee not published |

### kdpbook.io vs C2Story: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/c2story-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. C2Story is an AI picture-book studio with 50+ art styles, bilingual books and story videos, from $10.99/month. Its books run 8, 12 or 16 pages and export as PDF. kdpbook.io makes picture books of 24–48 pages with a full-wrap cover, a Kindle eBook and a listing sheet, and 36 book types in all.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | C2Story |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | PDF, image and MP4 export, plus a ZIP of all assets |
| Page count | Picture book 24–48 pages (KDP paperbacks need at least 24) | 8 or 12 pages; 16 on Creator and Studio or with 300+ credits |
| Trim sizes | Picture books: 8.5 × 8.5, 8.25 × 8.25, 8 × 10, 8.5 × 11, 7.5 × 9.25, 8.25 × 6, 6 × 9 in | 8.5 × 8.5, 8 × 10 and 8.5 × 11, per its KDP page |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Not documented |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | A “Kindle + Print” badge on its KDP page; EPUB export not documented |
| Languages | 34 KDP-supported languages | 30+ languages, two side by side in bilingual books |
| Character consistency | Character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Consistent characters on every page; private and community characters you can reuse |
| Selling rights | Commercial license on every paid plan; free-plan exports carry a preview watermark and are not for sale | “Full commercial rights to your books”, per its KDP page (its terms require signing in) |
| Extras | Listing sheet, 3D book preview, public community library | Story posters, trailers and movie-style videos |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $10.99–$49.99/month, or one-time credit packs |

### kdpbook.io vs Atticus: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/atticus-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Atticus is a writing and formatting app sold for $147 once: it turns a manuscript you wrote into EPUB, PDF and DOCX files, but it doesn't write, illustrate or make the print cover. kdpbook.io writes and illustrates the book, or imports yours word for word, then builds the interior PDF, the full-wrap cover and the Kindle file.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Atticus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Formats a book you wrote, with a writing editor |
| Your own manuscript | Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten | Write in Atticus or import a .docx |
| Output | Interior PDF, full-wrap cover PDF, Kindle EPUB + Kindle cover, and a KDP listing sheet | EPUB, PDF and DOCX |
| Print cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Not made in Atticus: its guide says the print cover is a separate PDF you create elsewhere |
| Full-bleed images | Full-bleed art where the book type uses it, sized to KDP's interior rule (0.125 in on the top, bottom and outside edge) | Full-page and chapter background images with bleed in print; images inside a chapter stay within the margins |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | EPUB; fixed layout not documented |
| Trim sizes | 16 paperback trims + custom; 5 hardcover trims | Trim picker color-coded for KDP and IngramSpark; full list not documented |
| KDP checks | Continuous KDP preflight in the editor: margins, bleed, image resolution, spine text, page count and listing | Default margins in each theme; a KDP preflight is not documented |
| Illustrations | 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | You supply the images |
| Platforms | Web app in the browser | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook (browser-based, works offline) |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $147 once |

### kdpbook.io vs Vellum: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/vellum-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Vellum is a Mac-only formatter, $199.99 for ebooks or $249.99 with print, paid once. It turns your Word manuscript into reflowable EPUB and PDF/X-1a files in 24 trim sizes, but doesn't write, illustrate or make the paperback cover. kdpbook.io writes and illustrates books, or imports yours word for word, and exports the interior, the full-wrap cover and the Kindle file.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Vellum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Formats a manuscript you wrote |
| Platforms | Web app in the browser | Mac only (macOS 13 or newer); its FAQ says no native Windows version is planned |
| Your own manuscript | Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten | Word (.docx) import |
| Print interior | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | PDF/X-1a, 24 trims + large print, paperback and hardcover (Vellum Press) |
| Print cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Not made by Vellum: you upload a cover made elsewhere; its help points to KDP's cover template |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Reflowable EPUB 3 or EPUB 2; fixed layout not documented |
| Illustrations | 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | You supply the images (inline, or full-page with bleed in print) |
| KDP checks | Continuous KDP preflight in the editor: margins, bleed, image resolution, spine text, page count and listing | Margins, headers and page numbers set automatically; warns about low-resolution images |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $199.99 (ebooks) or $249.99 (ebooks + print), once |

### kdpbook.io vs Kindle Create: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/kindle-create-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Kindle Create is Amazon's free desktop app for Windows and Mac: it formats a finished manuscript into a Kindle eBook (KPF) and, for text-first books, a paperback without bleed. It doesn't write, illustrate or make covers. kdpbook.io writes and illustrates books, or imports yours word for word, and exports the interior PDF, the full-wrap cover and a Kindle EPUB.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Kindle Create |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Formats a finished manuscript for Kindle and simple paperbacks |
| Your own manuscript | Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten | Word (.doc, .docx) for reflowable books; PDF for Print Replica; PDF, PNG or JPEG for comics and kids' books |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | KPF: reflowable, Print Replica, or comics and kids' books with Guided View; EPUB export for reflowable books only |
| Paperback interior | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | From a reflowable project: margins and font set automatically and not editable; no bleed, tables, footnotes or endnotes |
| Illustrated print books | Full-bleed art where the book type uses it, sized to KDP's interior rule (0.125 in on the top, bottom and outside edge) | Comics and kids' mode makes eBooks; print output from it is not documented |
| Hardcover | 5 hardcover trims | Not documented |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Not in Kindle Create; KDP's separate Cover Creator makes covers on KDP, and those using its stock images can't be downloaded |
| Illustrations | 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | You supply the images |
| Platforms | Web app in the browser | Desktop app: Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.15 or later |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | Free |

### kdpbook.io vs Canva for KDP books: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/canva-kdp-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Canva is a general design tool, free or $144 a year for Pro, with book cover templates, AI image tools and a print PDF export. You design each page and the cover yourself: Canva doesn't document KDP spine or gutter calculations, and EPUB isn't among its downloads. kdpbook.io builds the whole book: interior PDF, full-wrap cover sized from the page count, and Kindle EPUB.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Canva |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes, illustrates and lays out complete books to KDP's specs | General design: you build each page and the cover yourself |
| Margins and gutter | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Margin guides are fixed; its help says automatic custom margins aren't supported, so KDP's gutter by page count is set by hand |
| Bleed | Full-bleed art where the book type uses it, sized to KDP's interior rule (0.125 in on the top, bottom and outside edge) | Fixed 0.125 in on all four sides; KDP's interior bleed skips the inside edge (trim + 0.125 in wide, + 0.25 in tall) |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Book cover templates; spine-width and full-wrap sizing not documented (KDP's cover calculator gives a template) |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | EPUB is not in its download list (PDF, PNG, JPG, SVG and others) |
| Page count | Paperback 24–828 pages, hardcover 75–550 | Up to 350 pages per design |
| Illustrations | 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Stock library and AI image tools; keeping a character consistent across pages is not documented |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | Free; Pro $144/year |

### kdpbook.io vs Librava (ex-BooksGenie): an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/librava-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Librava, formerly BooksGenie, is a low- and medium-content suite: 11 puzzle generators, coloring, journal and planner interiors, a children's story designer and a full-wrap cover maker, from $11.99/month (Basic exports PNG only; vector 300 DPI book exports start on the $16.99 Pro plan). kdpbook.io makes complete books in 36 types, including novels, non-fiction and comics, and adds a Kindle eBook and a listing sheet.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Librava |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | 300 DPI interior and cover files: PNG only on Basic, 10 vector book exports a day on Pro, unlimited PDF on Business |
| KDP specs | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Margins, gutter and bleed set from trim and page count; spine from page count and paper |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Full-wrap cover, 4 designs per run, 300 DPI, spine sized automatically |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Not documented: no EPUB or Kindle file export listed (its cover page mentions eBook front covers) |
| Book types | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | Low- and medium-content: coloring, activity, journals and planners, puzzle books, worksheets, children's storybooks |
| Puzzles | Generated and verified by code, with solutions | 11 generators, including sudoku variants, kakuro, Numberlink, Hashi and Drop Quote, with answer keys |
| Character consistency | Character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Character traits locked from the first description (“seed-locking”) |
| Languages | 34 KDP-supported languages | Stories in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian |
| Listing | Listing sheet: title, description, 7 keywords, categories and AI-disclosure answers | Not documented (its story designer says it handles the book's “descriptive fields”) |
| Editing | Page editor with live preview, AI rewrites and image redraws; continuous KDP preflight and a 3D book preview | Drag-and-drop editor with margin and bleed guides |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $11.99–$35.99/month ($10.16–$28.75 billed yearly); free trial |

### kdpbook.io vs KDPEasy: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/kdpeasy-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. KDPEasy is a KDP production kit built around covers: AI full-wrap covers, coloring, puzzle and journal interiors, keyword research and a Chrome extension that saves KDP drafts, from $19/month or 10 free credits. kdpbook.io writes, illustrates and lays out complete books, including picture books, novels and non-fiction, and adds a Kindle eBook.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | KDPEasy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Write, illustrate and lay out complete books | Covers, low-content interiors, listing and KDP drafts |
| Output | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | 300 DPI interior and full-wrap cover PDFs; listing as a text file |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Full-wrap cover PDF for 16 trims, spine from page count, barcode area kept clear |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Not documented: exports are PDFs (Kindle eBook covers are listed) |
| Book types | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | Coloring (up to 100 pages), 7 puzzle creators, journals, planners, logbooks, activity pages |
| Stories and long-form text | Plans and writes picture books, novels and non-fiction, or imports your manuscript | Not documented; AI drafts the listing description and keywords |
| Character consistency | Character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Not documented |
| Research and upload | No market research; you upload the files and the listing sheet to KDP yourself | Keyword research, Amazon scans on 8 marketplaces, Chrome extension that saves KDP drafts |
| Checks | Continuous KDP preflight in the editor and a 3D book preview | KDP quality checker for cover and interior PDFs (10 free checks a month on paid plans) |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | 10 free credits once; $19–$79/month; packs from $7.50 |

### kdpbook.io vs ChatGPT for making a KDP book (https://kdpbook.io/compare/chatgpt-kdp-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Yes, you can make a KDP book with ChatGPT: it writes and draws, then you assemble the pages in Canva, Word or Kindle Create and apply KDP's trim, 0.125 in bleed, margins, spine width and cover size yourself. kdpbook.io does the same job as one project, from the chat to the interior PDF, full-wrap cover, Kindle eBook and listing.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | ChatGPT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Writing | Plans and writes the whole book from one chat, or imports your manuscript | Writes and revises in chat; you paste the text into your layout |
| Illustrations | 40 styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Creates images from your prompts and uploaded images; keeping a character consistent from page to page is up to your prompts and references |
| Page layout | Complete interior PDF, laid out page by page | You place text and images page by page in Canva, Word or Kindle Create |
| KDP print specs | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | You apply them: 0.125 in bleed, a 0.375–0.875 in gutter set by page count, images of at least 300 DPI (2,588 × 2,625 px for a full-bleed 8.5 × 8.5 in page) |
| Full-wrap cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | You size it: bleed + back + spine + front + bleed, and redo it when the page count changes (a 200-page 6 × 9 in book on white paper has a 0.45 in spine and a 12.7 × 9.25 in cover file) |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | A separate file from Kindle Create or another tool, plus a 1,600 × 2,560 px cover |
| Listing | Listing sheet: title, description, 7 keywords, categories and AI-disclosure answers | Ask the chat for a description and keywords, then check them against KDP's rules |
| Checks before publishing | Continuous KDP preflight in the editor and a 3D book preview, before you upload | KDP's Print Previewer (or the Online Previewer for eBooks), after you upload the files |
| Cost | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | ChatGPT Free, or Plus at $20/month; Canva Free, or Pro at US$144/year |

### kdpbook.io vs Sudowrite: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/sudowrite-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Sudowrite is an AI writing partner for fiction, from $10/month billed yearly ($19 monthly): Story Bible, Write, Describe and Rewrite help you draft in your own voice. Its export docs list .docx files, so the print layout, cover and eBook are made in other tools. kdpbook.io writes the novel or imports yours, then exports the interior PDF, full-wrap cover and Kindle EPUB.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Sudowrite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Helps you write fiction: drafting, description, rewriting and feedback, in your voice |
| Writing the book | Plans and writes the whole book from one chat (a novel runs 55,000–120,000 words), or imports your manuscript | You lead: Story Bible goes from idea to outline to chapter beats to thousands of words, Expand turns an outline into a rough draft, Write suggests the next 300 words |
| Editing | Page editor with live preview, AI rewrites and image redraws | Rewrite, Describe, Expand and Feedback on selected text; developmental edits, line edits and beta reads on Professional and Max |
| Output | Interior PDF, full-wrap cover PDF, Kindle EPUB + Kindle cover, and a KDP listing sheet | .docx (one document or the merged project), a .zip of documents, Story Bible sections as .csv |
| Print interior | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Not documented: its export docs list no PDF |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Not documented |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Not documented: its export docs list no EPUB |
| Images | 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Visualize: 1,024 × 1,024 px images from a passage, 2,500 credits each (about 3.41 in wide at 300 DPI) |
| Languages | 34 KDP-supported languages | 30+ languages, per its pricing page; its FAQ says features other than Write may fall back on English |
| Platforms | Web app in the browser | Web app, plus iOS and Android apps (new Visualize images are web only) |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $10–$44/month billed yearly, $19–$59 monthly |

### kdpbook.io vs Squibler: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/squibler-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Squibler is an AI book and screenplay writer: it generates a full-length draft from a prompt and exports PDF, Word or ePub, with a free tier of 1,000 credits and Plus at $15.83/month billed yearly ($29.99 monthly). Its pages don't list KDP trim sizes or a full-wrap cover. kdpbook.io builds the interior, the cover sized from the final page count and a Kindle EPUB.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Squibler |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Generates and edits book and screenplay drafts |
| Writing the book | Plans and writes the whole book from one chat (a novel runs 55,000–120,000 words), or imports your manuscript | Drafts from a prompt (chapters and scenes), then a full-length book on paid plans; you can attach your own manuscript |
| Output | Interior PDF, full-wrap cover PDF, Kindle EPUB + Kindle cover, and a KDP listing sheet | PDF, Word (.docx) or ePub, per its software page; its pricing lists PDF and DOCX export on Plus |
| KDP print specs | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Its software page says exports are ready for Amazon KDP; trim sizes, margins and bleed not documented |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | AI cover art; back cover, spine and full-wrap sizing not documented |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | ePub export; fixed layout not documented |
| Book types | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | Novels, non-fiction, memoir, screenplays and personalized gift stories |
| Illustrations | 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | Images and short video clips from highlighted passages; placing art in a print layout not documented |
| Languages | 34 KDP-supported languages | Written in English, then translated into 80+ languages, per its FAQ |
| Listing | Listing sheet: title, description, 7 keywords, categories and AI-disclosure answers | Not documented; its FAQ says it has no built-in publishing or sales-tracking tools |
| Printed copies | Not offered: files are for KDP or another printer | Softcover and hardback copies on Plus, per its help center (its pricing page doesn't list them) |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | Free tier; $15.83–$49.17/month billed yearly, $29.99–$89.99 monthly |

### kdpbook.io vs BookAutoAI: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/bookautoai-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. BookAutoAI is an AI studio for non-fiction books (25,000+ words) and full-picture cookbooks, from $12/month: it plans, writes, formats and makes cover concepts, then exports a formatted paperback file and an EPUB, with a sales page for each book. kdpbook.io covers 36 book types, fiction and children's books included, and exports a print-ready interior PDF, full-wrap cover and Kindle EPUB.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | BookAutoAI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes, illustrates and lays out complete books | Writes and formats non-fiction books and full-picture cookbooks, with covers |
| Book types | 36 book types, from board books to novels, cookbooks, puzzle books and comics | Non-fiction (25,000+ words) and full-picture cookbooks (100+ recipes) |
| Non-fiction | Non-fiction guide: 15,000–90,000 words; a 192-page book ≈ 2,931 credits (1 credit ≈ $0.01) | 25,000+ words; about 5 manuscript words per credit (≈ 50,000 words on the $12 plan) |
| Cookbooks | A 120-page color cookbook with 56 images ≈ 3,460 credits | 100+ recipes with full-color food images on designed recipe pages |
| Your own manuscript | Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten | Upload a manuscript (DOCX) to improve and format it |
| Print interior | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | “Upload-ready paperback” files; its Kindle Create comparison describes the paperback interior as an editable formatted DOCX that still needs a final review |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Cover concepts on every plan; paid plans prepare a front, spine and back paperback wrap |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Reflowable EPUB 3; no KPF, Guided View or Print Replica, per its Kindle Create comparison |
| Fiction and children's books | Novels, picture books, comics, coloring and puzzle books, with 40 illustration styles | Not documented |
| AI disclosure | Listing sheet with KDP's AI-disclosure answers pre-filled from how much of the text and art the AI made | “Humanizing tools” on every plan (a January 2026 post on its blog says they lower AI-detection flags); its FAQ says you remain responsible for disclosing AI content |
| Sales page | No sales page; the public community library shows books in a 3D player | A public SEO sales page for every book |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $12–$120/month; a free book plan and 1,000 writing credits |

### kdpbook.io vs Reedsy Studio: an honest comparison (https://kdpbook.io/compare/reedsy-studio-alternative)
Checked 2026-09-28 on the competitor's public pages. Reedsy Studio is free: you write or import a manuscript and it typesets a reflowable EPUB 3 and a print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a) in 4 trim sizes with 3 themes. Its pages list no AI tools, and its guide says the print cover is a separate file. kdpbook.io writes or imports the book, offers 16 paperback trims and exports the full-wrap cover with the interior.

| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Reedsy Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Write and typeset a book you write yourself |
| AI | Writes, rewrites and illustrates when you ask; imported text is laid out word for word | No AI tools listed; Reedsy says it will never use your work to train AI |
| Your own manuscript | Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten | Write in Studio or import a draft from “any major text format” |
| Print interior | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001, CMYK images), typeset automatically with 3 themes |
| Trim sizes | 16 paperback trims + custom; 5 hardcover trims; novels: 5.5 × 8.5, 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.06 × 7.81, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21 in | 4 trims: Trade 6 × 9 in, Digest 5.5 × 8.5 in, Reedsy standard 5 × 8 in, Pocket 4.25 × 6.87 in |
| Images | Full-bleed art where the book type uses it, sized to KDP's interior rule (0.125 in on the top, bottom and outside edge) | PNG or JPG, sized automatically and not adjustable; full-bleed pages not documented |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Front cover image for the ebook; its guide says the print jacket is a separate PDF and suggests a designer from its marketplace |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Reflowable EPUB 3; fixed layout not documented |
| Hardcover | 5 hardcover trims | Not documented |
| Platforms | Web app in the browser | Web app in the browser; offline use is on its roadmap, per its FAQ |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | Free; optional add-ons at $4.99 and $7.99/month |

## Optional
- [Art styles](https://kdpbook.io/styles): all 40 illustration styles, each with a sample and the book types it suits
- [Terms](https://kdpbook.io/terms)
- [Privacy](https://kdpbook.io/privacy)
- [Legal notice](https://kdpbook.io/legal): publisher, company registration, hosting