How to Update a Book on KDP: Files, Details and New Editions

To update a book on KDP, open your Bookshelf, click the three-dot menu next to the format you want to change, and edit its content, details or pricing. Then publish again. Your current version stays on sale while KDP reviews the change.

Corrections, new files, descriptions, keywords and prices can be changed at any time. For a paperback, changing locked details such as the title, author, trim size, paper type or ISBN means publishing a new edition.

What do you need before you start?

Have these ready before you open KDP:

• Your corrected manuscript file. Use an EPUB or DOCX for a Kindle eBook. Use a print-ready interior PDF for a paperback.
• An updated cover, if anything on it changed. For the eBook, KDP's published guidance recommends a JPEG or TIFF at 1600 × 2560 px, RGB. For the paperback, you need one PDF with the back, spine and front, plus 0.125" bleed on every edge.
• Your new page count, if the paperback interior got longer or shorter. Spine width depends on page count, so the cover may need resizing.
• A list of what you changed. You need this if you ask Amazon to notify existing eBook buyers. It also helps you decide whether this is an update or a new edition.
• Your KDP login and a few days of patience for review.

If you wrote and formatted the book in Inkora, you can export a fresh EPUB, interior PDF and full-wrap cover PDF after editing. The cover PDF's spine width is recalculated from the new page count. You still upload the files yourself in your KDP account.

What can you change without a new edition?

Most changes are allowed on the existing listing. The table shows what usually counts as an update and what forces a new edition. KDP's rules can change, so treat this as a guide. A greyed-out field in your dashboard is the final word on what is locked.

Change	Kindle eBook	Paperback
Fix typos, formatting or small errors	Update	Update
Add or rewrite a few pages, update back matter	Update	Update (check page count and spine)
Replace the cover image with the same title and author	Update	Update
Description, keywords, categories	Update	Update
List price, territories	Update	Update
Enroll in or leave Expanded Distribution	Not applicable	Update
Title or subtitle	Check if the field is editable	New edition
Author or pen name	Check if the field is editable	New edition
Trim size, ink and paper type, bleed setting	Not applicable	New edition
ISBN	Not applicable (eBook uses an ASIN)	New edition
Major rewrite that makes it a different book	New edition	New edition

When do you need a new edition or ISBN?

You need a new edition in two situations.

1. KDP locks the field you want to change. After a paperback is published, KDP does not let you edit core details like the title, subtitle, author, edition number, ISBN or print options. You publish the book again as a new title. That means a new ISBN and a new product page.

2. The content has changed enough that a buyer would expect a different book. Examples include adding several new chapters, restructuring the whole thing, or substantially updating a non-fiction book. Amazon's content guidelines say readers shouldn't be misled. Existing reviews describe the old book, so a heavily rewritten version belongs on a new listing.

On ISBNs, the rule is simple. An ISBN identifies one specific edition and format. If you publish a new paperback edition, it needs a new ISBN, either KDP's free one or your own. Fixing typos in the same edition does not need a new ISBN. Kindle eBooks don't need an ISBN at all, because Amazon assigns an ASIN. For more on this, see do I need an ISBN.

Step-by-step: how to update a Kindle eBook

Step 1: Check your revised file before uploading

Open your corrected EPUB or DOCX and read through the changed sections. Check the table of contents links, chapter breaks and any front or back matter you edited.

Batch your corrections into one upload rather than many small ones. Each upload triggers a new review.

Step 2: Open the book in your Bookshelf

Sign in to KDP and go to Bookshelf. Find the title. Click the three-dot (ellipsis) button next to the Kindle eBook version.

You'll see options to edit eBook details, content and pricing. Each format is edited separately. Updating the eBook does not touch the paperback or hardcover.

Step 3: Upload the new manuscript and cover

Choose Edit eBook Content. Under Manuscript, upload your new file. Wait for processing to finish. If the cover changed, upload the new cover image too.

Open the Online Previewer and check the changed pages on more than one device view. KDP may also flag possible spelling issues. Review them, since some will be deliberate names or terms.

Step 4: Update details and pricing, if needed

Under Edit eBook Details, you can revise the description, keywords and categories. If the description needs formatting work, the KDP description formatter can help. If you're refreshing keywords at the same time, see how to choose KDP keywords.

Under Edit eBook Pricing, you can change the list price. Per KDP's published terms, the 70% royalty option applies to list prices from $2.99 to $9.99, minus a delivery fee. Outside that range the rate is 35%. Confirm the current terms in your KDP dashboard before you reprice.

Step 5: Publish and wait for review

Click Publish Your Kindle eBook on the pricing page. The book shows as "In review" while Amazon checks it. KDP's help pages say this can take up to 72 hours, so check there for current timings.

Your previous version stays live during review. Nothing disappears from the store while you wait.

Step-by-step: how to update a paperback

Step 6: Recheck page count and spine width

Paperbacks need one extra check. If your edits added or removed pages, the spine width changes. Your old cover PDF will no longer fit.

Use the book spine width calculator with your new page count and paper type, then resize the cover. A longer book also costs more to print. That lowers your royalty and may push your minimum list price up. Run the new numbers through the KDP royalty calculator.

Per KDP's published terms, paperback royalties are 60% of list price minus printing cost on Amazon. The rate is 50% below $9.99 on Amazon.com and 40% with Expanded Distribution. Confirm the current terms in your dashboard.

Step 7: Upload the new interior and cover

In Bookshelf, click the three-dot button next to the paperback and choose Edit paperback content.

Upload the new interior PDF. Then upload the new cover PDF, or use Cover Creator if that's how you made it. Remember that KDP places the barcode in the bottom-right of the back cover, so keep that area clear.

Open the Print Previewer and fix any flagged issues before moving on. Trim size, ink and paper type, and bleed settings are locked after publishing. If you need to change any of them, go to the new edition steps below.

Step 8: Order a proof before you publish

For anything beyond a small text fix, order a proof copy of the updated version. A proof is the only way to see real margins, spine text and cover color in print. The cost is printing plus shipping, which you'll see at checkout.

Step 9: Publish and wait for review

Go to the pricing page and click Publish Your Paperback Book. As with the eBook, the old version stays on sale until the update is approved. New orders are then printed from the new files.

Inkora's Publishing Hub has step-by-step checklists for KDP eBooks and paperbacks. These are useful if you want a list to work through for each format. You can also see the overview on our Amazon KDP publishing page.

How do readers get the updated version?

How readers get the update depends on the format.

Paperback buyers don't receive anything. Print-on-demand means every new order is printed from whatever file is live. Copies already printed and shipped stay as they were. That includes copies sitting with resellers.

eBook buyers don't get the new file automatically just because you uploaded it. According to KDP's help pages at the time of writing, the process works like this:

1. Contact KDP through the Contact Us page in your account. Include the ASIN and a clear list of what you changed and why.
2. Amazon reviews the request. If the corrections are significant, such as missing content or errors that hurt the reading experience, Amazon may email past buyers. That email lets them choose to get the new version.
3. Readers with Automatic Book Updates switched on may get approved updates without doing anything. They control this in their Amazon account under Manage Your Content and Devices, in the digital content preferences.
4. Minor fixes, like a handful of typos, may not trigger a buyer notification at all. New buyers get the corrected version.

You can't force the update onto past buyers yourself. If something matters to a reader who contacts you, tell them about the Automatic Book Updates setting.

Kindle Unlimited readers borrowing the book after the update get the new file. Those already reading follow the same update rules as buyers.

How do you publish a new edition instead?

If your change needs a new edition, follow these steps:

1. Prepare the new edition's files. Update the copyright page with the new edition statement and, for print, the new ISBN.
2. Create a new title in KDP. Use + Create in Bookshelf. Enter the new details and an edition number. For the paperback, choose KDP's free ISBN or enter your own. Don't reuse the old one.
3. Upload, preview, proof and publish as you did the first time.
4. Decide what to do with the old edition. You can unpublish it so new buyers only find the current version. Published paperbacks can't be fully deleted from Amazon's catalog. The old product page may stay visible, sometimes with third-party sellers.
5. Check how formats are linked. Amazon usually links eBook and paperback versions with matching title and author on one product page. If they don't link after publishing, contact KDP.

A new edition gets a new ASIN. Don't count on reviews or sales history moving across from the old one.

Common problems and fixes

A field is greyed out. It's locked for that format. You can't edit it on the existing listing. Publish a new edition, or contact KDP if you think the lock is a mistake. This sometimes applies to a misspelled author name.

The cover was rejected after an interior update. Almost always the spine width no longer matches the new page count. Recalculate the spine width, rebuild the cover PDF at the new size and upload again. If it still fails, see what to do if your paperback cover fails KDP review.

The update was rejected. Read KDP's email carefully. It usually names the issue, such as file problems, metadata that doesn't match the cover, or content concerns. Fix that specific issue and resubmit. For more help, see what to do if KDP rejects your book.

You published the wrong file. Upload the correct file straight away and republish. If the wrong version was live for a while, contact KDP. Explain what happened and ask them to make the corrected version available to anyone who bought in that window.

The book has been "In review" for longer than expected. Check your email, including spam, for messages from KDP. If the stated review time has passed with no message, contact KDP support with the title and format.

The price is now below the minimum. A longer paperback costs more to print. KDP won't let you publish below the minimum price for that printing cost. Raise the list price, or tighten the layout to bring the page count down.

Readers still see the old eBook. New purchases get the current file. Past buyers only get it through Amazon's update process. If you haven't contacted KDP about the change yet, do that.

Updating a book on KDP is mostly a matter of replacing files and republishing. Your book stays on sale throughout. The two things to watch are locked paperback fields, which mean a new edition with a new ISBN, and eBook buyers, who only receive changes through Amazon's own update process. Check your spine width, proof anything substantial, and keep a written list of what you changed.