KDP Rejected My Manuscript: How Do I Fix the Interior File?

When KDP rejects the interior of a paperback or hardcover, the cause is nearly always something you can measure: the page size, the margins, the fonts, the images or the blank pages. Below are the errors KDP’s own help pages list, how to read what the previewer shows you, and how to fix the file and send it again.

How does KDP check my interior file?

Twice. KDP’s page on fixing paperback and hardcover formatting issues says files go through an automated check in the Print Previewer and then a manual check after you submit. So a file can look fine in the previewer and still come back later. The previewer is where you catch most problems before that.

Does the page size match my trim size?

This is the first thing to check. Without bleed, set the page size in your file to the trim size you chose in KDP, width by height. A book set to 6 x 9 inches needs a 6 x 9 inch page, not Letter or A4. With bleed, the file is larger than the trim: KDP’s manuscript guidelines say to make the PDF 0.25 inch taller and 0.125 inch wider than the trim size, and to extend images 0.125 inch past the trim on the top, bottom and outer edges. Any bleed in the file means you have to upload a PDF. If you are still choosing a size, see how to choose a KDP trim size.

Are my margins and gutter wide enough?

The inside margin (the gutter, next to the binding) grows with the page count. KDP’s manuscript guidelines give these minimums:

Set mirrored margins for the whole document, not just the first chapter. The most common slip is a book that grew from 140 to 160 pages during editing, so the gutter needed to go from 0.375 to 0.5 inch and nobody changed it. If the previewer flags text outside the margins and you can see nothing there, look for empty text boxes, hidden characters and stray spaces. KDP also notes that italic text can stick out past its box, so slightly larger margins can help.

Are my fonts embedded?

KDP asks you to embed all fonts in the file before you publish. If the previewer reports an unembedded font, embed all fonts when you save the PDF. My steps for doing that in Word are in how to save a Word file as a print PDF for KDP. Some fonts don’t allow commercial embedding, and those have to be replaced. Text must also be at least 7 points, and other elements must not overlap it.

Are my images sharp enough?

KDP’s manuscript guidelines set a minimum of 300 DPI for images (and suggest no more than 600). Put them in at their original size rather than stretching a small image, and turn off image compression in your word processor before you make the PDF (in Word, tick “Do not compress images in file”). Flatten any transparencies before you make the PDF.

Do I have too many blank pages?

KDP’s page on fixing formatting issues allows no more than 4 blank pages in a row at the start or in the middle, and no more than 10 at the end. Blank pages usually come from page breaks stacked on top of each other, or a section break that forces a new right-hand page. Remove the extra breaks instead of adding spaces.

What else does the previewer flag?

From the same KDP page, these also cause rejections:

• Book details that don’t match. The title, author name, ISBN, imprint and language in the file must match what you entered in KDP, including the copyright page and headers. If you need to write that page, see a sample copyright page for a self-published book.
• Placeholder text. Template text left in headers, footers or the copyright page.
• Page numbers out of order. Numbers must run in sequence, with even numbers on left pages and odd numbers on right pages, in a left-to-right book.
• Spine or cover problems. Those belong to the cover file, so see what to do when KDP rejects a print cover.

How do I fix the file and resubmit?

1. Open the file in the program you made it in. Don’t patch the PDF.
2. Fix one cause at a time: page size first, then margins, fonts, images and blank pages.
3. Export a new PDF with fonts embedded.
4. In your KDP bookshelf, upload the new file in place of the old one.
5. Open the Print Previewer and page through the whole book. Don’t skip to the first page and press approve.
6. Submit again. If you want to hold the finished book before you publish, KDP lets you order a proof copy.

If KDP is blocking the book for its content rather than the file, that is a different problem from the file checks in this post.

Can you do this for me?

If you would rather not spend an evening on margins, I format books for KDP and IngramSpark. The print PDF is built to your trim size, formatted by my team and checked by me, and delivered within 3 business days of receiving your complete manuscript, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. See book formatting for KDP and IngramSpark. For a rejected cover, my print cover service is on the publishing services page.

KDP changes its rules from time to time, so check the linked help pages before you rely on a number here.