KDP Rejected My Book: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

A KDP rejection is rarely final. Most of the time Amazon has found a specific problem with your files, your cover, your metadata or your publishing rights, and the email tells you, sometimes vaguely, what that problem is. Fix that one thing, resubmit from your Bookshelf, and the book usually goes through.

This guide covers what the different emails mean, the most common causes, how to fix each one, and how to stop it happening again.

What a KDP rejection email actually means

KDP doesn't send one standard "rejected" message. The subject line and wording tell you which kind of problem you have.

• An upload or previewer error. This happens before you even submit. The file won't process, or the previewer flags problems such as text outside the margins or a cover the wrong size. These aren't rejections. They are blockers you fix on the spot.
• "Action required" or "We found issues with your book." The book was reviewed and sent back with a list of problems, often formatting, cover or metadata issues. Your book stays in draft or goes back to draft until you fix and resubmit.
• A request to verify publishing rights. KDP wants proof that you have the right to publish the content. The email usually includes a deadline. Reply before that deadline or the book will be blocked.
• A content quality or guidelines notice. The reviewer thinks the book is misleading, disappointing to readers, or breaks the content guidelines. This is the most serious kind, and it may come with a warning about your account.
• A block or unpublish notice for a book that was already live. Something triggered a later review, such as reader complaints, a rights claim or a metadata change.

Read the email slowly and take it literally. KDP's messages are often templated, but they almost always name the category of problem, and sometimes the page number or field. That is your starting point.

Why KDP rejects books

The causes fall into four groups. The table gives the short version, and the sections below explain each fix.

Problem type	What KDP usually flags	Typical fix
Interior file errors	Text outside margins, missing bleed, low-resolution images, fonts not embedded, blank or missing pages, placeholder text	Re-export the interior with correct trim size and margins, then re-upload
Cover problems	Wrong dimensions, spine text on a book too thin for it, title or author on the cover not matching the details page, content in the barcode area	Rebuild the cover at the exact size for your page count and match the text to your metadata
Metadata mismatch	Title, subtitle or author name differs between the details page, cover and interior; keywords stuffed into the title	Make all three match exactly; remove extra words from title fields
Rights questions	Public domain text, content found elsewhere online, a previous edition, a translation, or images you may not own	Reply with proof of rights, or add real value and differentiate the edition
Content quality flags	Very short or thin content, machine-translated or garbled text, misleading descriptions, duplicate books	Revise the book substantially, rewrite the description, then resubmit

Fixing interior file errors

Interior problems are the most common reason paperbacks get sent back, and they are the easiest to fix.

Text or images outside the safe area. KDP's previewer marks anything too close to the trim edge or the gutter, which is the inner margin where pages are bound. Go back to your source file, set the correct trim size and margins, and re-export. Don't just drag elements inward in a PDF editor, because that tends to cause new problems.

Bleed set incorrectly. If images or backgrounds run to the edge of the page, the interior needs bleed, and you must choose "bleed" when you upload. If nothing touches the edge, choose "no bleed" and keep everything inside the margins. A mismatch between your file and that setting is a common cause of rejection.

Low-resolution images. Images that look fine on screen can be too low-resolution for print. Replace them with higher-resolution originals rather than upscaling the same file.

Fonts not embedded. Export to PDF with all fonts embedded. Most word processors and layout tools have this as an export option.

Blank pages, missing pages or placeholder text. Reviewers look for things like "insert chapter here," lorem ipsum, empty chapters, or runs of blank pages. Search your manuscript for brackets, "TK," "TODO" and any template text before you export.

Ebook formatting. For Kindle ebooks, common flags are a table of contents that doesn't link anywhere, broken internal links, and odd characters from copy-pasted text. Open the file in Kindle Previewer and click through every link.

Fixing cover rejections

Cover problems usually come down to size, spine or text.

Wrong dimensions. A paperback cover is one PDF covering the back, spine and front, with 0.125" bleed on every edge, according to KDP's published cover requirements. The total width depends on your trim size and your exact page count. If you change the interior and the page count shifts, the spine width changes and the old cover won't fit. Recalculate with a spine width calculator or the cover size calculator, and confirm against KDP's own cover template.

Spine text on a thin book. KDP sets a minimum page count before spine text is allowed. If your book is below it, remove the spine text. Check the current minimum in KDP's cover guidelines.

Barcode area. KDP places the barcode in the bottom-right of the back cover. Keep text and important artwork clear of that space, or KDP will flag the overlap.

Ebook cover size. For Kindle ebooks, KDP's stated ideal is 1600 × 2560 pixels in RGB, as a JPEG or TIFF. Very small or oddly proportioned images may be rejected or display badly.

Cover text doesn't match the metadata. This catches a lot of authors. The title and author name on the cover must match what you typed on the details page. If your cover says "The Quiet Harbor" and your details page says "The Quiet Harbor: A Coastal Mystery," check that the subtitle also appears where KDP expects it. If your cover says "J. M. Rivera" and the details page says "Jane Rivera," that can be flagged. Pick one version and use it everywhere.

Fixing metadata problems

Metadata means the title, subtitle, author, description, keywords and categories. It has to be accurate and consistent.

• Match three places exactly: the details page, the cover, and the title page inside the book.
• Don't add extra words to the title or subtitle field. "Best Gift for Moms," "Bestselling" or a list of keywords in the subtitle can get the book sent back. Put search terms in the keyword fields instead.
• Don't name other authors or brands to attract searches. References like "for fans of [famous author]" in titles or keywords break KDP's guidelines.
• Keep the description honest. If it promises something the book doesn't deliver, such as a "complete guide" that is twelve pages long, it can be flagged as misleading.

If you are unsure how the fields work, the Amazon KDP publishing guide walks through each one in order.

Responding when KDP asks you to verify your publishing rights

This email means KDP's systems found your content, or something close to it, somewhere else. That could be a website, another listing, a public domain source, or an earlier edition of your own book. It doesn't mean you are accused of anything yet. It means you need to show your rights.

How to respond depends on why you have the rights:

• You wrote it and it appears elsewhere (your blog, a newsletter, a previous edition, a site that copied you). Reply explaining where it appears and why. Point to your own site or account if you can. If it was published before under a different title or publisher, include proof that the rights reverted to you.
• It is a public domain work. KDP accepts public domain books, but it expects you to add something of value, such as a new translation, original annotations or substantial original illustrations. It may also ask you to say in the title or description what makes your edition different. A straight copy of a freely available text is likely to be blocked.
• You licensed it (a translation, a ghostwritten book, stock images). Reply with the contract or license, or the relevant part of it.
• You used images or quotes you don't have rights to. Remove or replace them, then reply explaining what you changed.

Answer before the deadline in the email, reply from the address on your KDP account, and keep it short and factual. If you can't prove the rights, the safest course is to remove that content.

Rejections for low quality or AI content

KDP can reject a book on quality grounds, though "AI content" on its own isn't the stated reason. KDP's guidelines target content that disappoints readers. In practice that means books that are very thin, repetitive, machine-translated into broken language, mostly filler, or close copies of other books on the store.

KDP also asks during setup whether your book contains AI-generated text, images or translations. That answer is a disclosure, and it is not listed as a reason for rejection. Answer it honestly. Our guide to KDP's AI content disclosure explains what counts and how to answer.

If you get a quality notice, cosmetic fixes rarely help. Resubmitting the same file with a new cover usually brings the same result. Read the whole book as a reader would, cut repetition, fill in thin chapters, fix errors, and make sure the description matches what is inside. For non-fiction, check every fact, figure and instruction yourself.

Resubmitting after fixing the problem

1. Open your Bookshelf and find the book. It will usually show as a draft or say that action is required.
2. Edit only what needs editing: the details page, the content (manuscript and cover), or pricing.
3. Upload the corrected files and run the online previewer again. Read every flag, not just the first one.
4. Click Publish to resubmit. The book goes back into review.
5. If the email asked for a reply (rights verification, for example), reply to that email as well. Changing the files alone won't answer the request.

KDP's help pages say most books finish review within a few days, but it can take longer. Don't publish a second copy of the same book to get around a hold. Duplicate listings can make things worse.

Preventing KDP rejections next time

• Lock the page count before you build the cover. Edit the interior first, then make the cover.
• Run the KDP previewer and Kindle Previewer every time you re-export, and look through every page.
• Order a proof copy for paperbacks. Margin and gutter problems are easier to see on paper.
• Keep one master record of your exact title, subtitle and author name, and copy from it into every field.
• Keep your rights paperwork (licenses, contracts, reversion letters) in one folder so you can answer verification emails quickly.
• Follow a step-by-step checklist. The paperback publishing guide covers file setup from start to finish.

If you write in Inkora, it exports a print-ready interior PDF at common trim sizes, a full-wrap cover PDF with the spine width set from your page count, and a 1600 × 2560 Kindle cover JPG. That removes most of the sizing mismatches above. The Publishing Hub includes a KDP checklist for ebooks and paperbacks, but you still upload in your own KDP account. Inkora doesn't fact-check, so verifying facts and figures is still your job.

Common problems and fixes

The previewer keeps flagging the same margin error after I fixed it. You are probably uploading an older export. Rename the new file clearly, re-export from the source, and check that the trim size in the file matches the trim size you selected in KDP.

I fixed the cover, but it was rejected again for size. Your page count may have changed between versions. Recalculate the spine width from the final page count and rebuild the full cover at that size.

I replied to the rights email but heard nothing. Check that you replied to the original thread from your account email. If the deadline is close, contact KDP support through the help pages and include the book title and ASIN or ISBN.

My book was live and then got blocked. Read the notice for the reason, which is usually rights, quality or metadata. Fix it in the draft, resubmit, and reply if the notice asks you to. Don't delete the listing and start a new one.

I don't understand what the email wants. Reply and ask for the specific page, field or file that needs changing. Short, polite and specific questions get the most useful answers.

Most KDP rejections come down to one fixable mismatch between your files, your cover, your metadata and the store's rules. Find which of the four groups your email points to, fix that properly, and resubmit through your Bookshelf. Good habits before upload will keep the next book out of review loops.