1 · Book setup
Tell the checker what you are about to enter in the KDP dashboard. Every later check compares your files against these settings.
2 · Interior PDF
Checks page count, that every page has the same size, and that the page size matches your trim + bleed setting. Paperbacks need at least 24 pages.
3 · Full cover (PDF or image)
A KDP paperback cover is one full wrap: back + spine + front, with 0.125 in bleed on every side. Expected size is computed from your trim, interior type and page count. If you skipped step 2, type the page count here.
4 · Metadata & keywords
The rules KDP actually enforces: description up to 4,000 characters; seven keyword slots, each up to 50 characters. Promotional claims (“free”, “bestseller”, “#1”, sale/discount wording) in keywords are a classic rejection and quality-flag trigger.
5 · Royalty estimate (Amazon.com, paperback)
Estimate only, using KDP's standard print-cost formula (black & white: $0.85 + $0.012/page; color: $0.85 + $0.072/page) and the 60% royalty rate. Real printing cost varies slightly by trim and marketplace — confirm in KDP's own calculator before pricing.
6 · Upload-day checklist
The non-file items that most often stall a KDP release. Tick what is already true for you.
Readiness: 0%
7 · Report card
Summary of everything checked above. File specs and metadata are the free layer — content-level verification is what the deep audit adds.
| Module | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Interior PDF | not run | — |
| Full cover | not run | — |
| Metadata & keywords | not run | — |
| Upload-day checklist | — | — |
What this free check cannot see
Wrong answers inside a workbook. A word-search puzzle with no solution. A story chapter whose text contradicts its own timeline. The deep audit runs your content, not just your files: every exercise answer executed in a real interpreter, every puzzle solver-verified, a page-by-page QA report you can sign off item by item — the same process used to ship three live KDP titles.
Deep audit — opening soon