How to Upload Your Manuscript to KDP

Uploading your manuscript to KDP is straightforward once you know what the system expects. The process differs slightly between eBook and print formats, and the previewer stage deserves more attention than most first-time authors give it. This guide covers every step. For the full publishing overview, see our complete beginner’s guide to self-publishing on Amazon KDP.

Accepted File Formats

For Kindle eBooks, KDP accepts the following file types:

• .docx (Microsoft Word) — the most common choice for most authors. KDP’s converter handles the transformation to Kindle format automatically.
• .epub — the industry standard eBook format. If you use a dedicated formatting tool like Atticus or Vellum, it will export an .epub directly.
• .pdf — accepted but not recommended for eBooks. PDFs produce fixed-layout output that does not reflow on different screen sizes, creating a poor reading experience on small devices.
• .html, .txt, .rtf, .mobi — also accepted. .mobi is the legacy Kindle format; if you have an old .mobi file from a previous publication, KDP still accepts it.

For paperback and hardcover, KDP accepts PDF only. Your interior file must be a print-ready PDF created to KDP’s exact specifications for your chosen trim size — correct margins, correct image resolution, correct bleed settings. Word documents are not accepted for print. For the full print specification requirements, see our guide to KDP manuscript formatting requirements.

Uploading an eBook Manuscript: Step by Step

1. In your KDP Bookshelf, open your eBook title entry and navigate to the Kindle eBook Content tab.
2. Under “Kindle eBook Manuscript,” click Upload eBook Manuscript and select your file.
3. KDP processes your file — this typically takes one to three minutes depending on file size. During processing, a progress indicator is shown.
4. Once processing is complete, you are prompted to launch the previewer. Do not skip this step.

KDP’s conversion engine is generally reliable for well-structured Word documents. Common conversion issues include: inconsistent heading styles producing a broken table of contents; manually applied bold or italic formatting not carrying through correctly; and images embedded at insufficient resolution appearing blurry in the preview.

Uploading a Print Manuscript: Step by Step

1. In your KDP Bookshelf, open your paperback or hardcover title entry and navigate to the Paperback Content tab.
2. Select your trim size, interior type (black-and-white or colour), paper colour (white or cream), and bleed setting before uploading. These settings affect how KDP validates your PDF, so get them right before you upload.
3. Under “Book Cover,” upload your cover PDF. KDP provides a Cover Calculator tool that generates the exact cover template dimensions based on your page count and trim size — use it.
4. Upload your interior PDF. KDP runs an automated check against your specified settings and flags any errors in a detailed report.
5. Launch the print previewer to review the output.

Using the KDP Previewer Properly

The previewer is the most underused part of the upload process and the one that prevents the most post-publication problems. Use it properly:

• For eBooks: check every chapter opening, all images, your table of contents links, and your front and back matter. Switch between device views — Kindle Paperwhite, tablet, and phone — to see how your formatting behaves at different screen sizes and font settings.
• For print: check every page. Look specifically at your margins (nothing should be too close to the trim edge), your chapter headings, your page numbers, and any images or tables. Zoom in on any pages with complex layouts.
• Check your cover too: verify the spine text is centred correctly and that nothing important is within the bleed zone.

Problems caught in the previewer cost you nothing. Problems caught by readers after publication cost you reviews, rankings, and credibility. For a full checklist of what to look for, see our article on how to preview your book before publishing on KDP.

What Causes File Rejection

KDP rejects manuscript files that fail its automated validation checks. The most common causes:

• Print PDF dimensions don’t match selected trim size — your PDF was created at a different size than the trim you selected in KDP
• Insufficient margins — content too close to the page edge or gutter
• Images below 300 DPI — low-resolution images in a print file trigger a quality warning that prevents publication
• Missing fonts or font embedding errors — fonts used in your PDF must be embedded; fonts that are not licensed for embedding cause rejection
• PDF version incompatibility — KDP prefers PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3; some PDF versions produced by certain software are not fully supported

For the complete list of rejection reasons and how to fix each one, see our dedicated article on common KDP file rejection reasons.

Tips for a Clean First Upload

• For eBooks, use styles throughout your Word document rather than manual formatting. Consistent heading styles produce a clean, navigable table of contents automatically.
• For print, download KDP’s trim-size-specific template before you format your manuscript, not after. Building into the correct template from the start is far less work than reformatting a finished manuscript.
• Run your manuscript through Kindle Create before uploading if you are using a Word document. It identifies and often corrects common formatting issues before they reach KDP’s system.
• Check your file size before uploading. Very large files (over 50 MB for eBooks, over 400 MB for print) may cause upload timeouts. Compress images appropriately.

While your files are being prepared, get your metadata ready with a dedicated KDP metadata tool. KDP Rank Fuel by Vappingo generates your keywords, optimised book description, and category recommendations in advance, so you are not writing them under pressure in the KDP interface at the point of upload.

And before your file is ready to upload, it needs to be clean. Manuscript proofreading for self-published authors from Vappingo catches the errors that survive self-editing — the ones your readers will find if you don’t.