# Self-publishing glossary ## AI disclosure KDP asks whether text, pictures or translations in your book were generated by AI. AI-generated content has to be declared even if you edited it; content you made yourself with AI only helping does not. ## ASIN Amazon's own product number. Every edition on Amazon gets one, including ebooks, which do not need an ISBN. ## Bleed Extra picture area beyond the page edge, 0.125 in on the outside edges, that gets cut off when the book is trimmed. Use it when a picture should run to the edge; without it a thin white line can appear. ## Categories The shelves your book appears on in the Amazon store. You choose up to 3. ## DPI Dots per inch: how sharp a picture prints. KDP expects 300 DPI; pictures with less look soft or blocky on paper. ## Expanded Distribution An option that offers your paperback to bookstores and libraries outside Amazon, at a lower royalty rate. Only some trim sizes and interiors qualify. ## Fixed-layout ebook An ebook that keeps every page exactly as designed. Used for picture books and comics, where text and pictures have to stay together. ## Front matter The pages before the story starts: title page, copyright page, dedication and table of contents. ## Full cover (wrap) The single cover file for print books: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, with bleed all around. ## Gutter The inner margin next to the binding. It has to grow with the page count, because thicker books curve more toward the spine. ## Interior Every page inside the book, uploaded as one PDF separate from the cover. Also the name of the ink and paper choice: black on white, black on cream, standard color or premium color. ## ISBN The book's international number. KDP gives one free for paperbacks and hardcovers; you can use your own instead. Each format needs its own ISBN. ## KDP Select An optional 90-day enrollment that makes your ebook exclusive to Amazon in exchange for Kindle Unlimited page reads and promotions. ## Keywords Up to 7 words or short phrases you give KDP to help readers find the book in search. Words already in your title add nothing. ## List price The price you set for each marketplace. KDP has a minimum based on the printing cost, and a maximum. ## Live area The part of the page that is safe from trimming. Text and important details belong inside it; only background pictures should reach past it. ## Low-content book A book that is mostly empty pages for the reader to fill in, like a notebook, planner or logbook. KDP publishes it without an ISBN. Coloring and puzzle books generally do not count. ## Metadata Everything about the book that is not the book itself: title, subtitle, author, description, keywords, categories and reading age. ## Premium color KDP's brighter color printing on heavier paper. It costs more to print than standard color, and is the usual choice for picture books. ## Print Previewer KDP's online check that runs after you upload your files. It shows each page as it will print and lists problems such as text outside the margins. ## Printing cost What KDP charges to print one copy: a fixed amount plus a per-page amount, depending on interior, size and marketplace. It is taken out of your royalty, not paid up front. ## Proof copy A printed copy you order at print cost before publishing, marked as not for resale. The best way to check colors, margins and the spine. ## Reading age The age range you give for children's and teen books. It decides which Children's and Teen categories the book can appear in. ## Reflowable ebook An ebook whose text adjusts to the reader's screen and font size. Right for novels and most text books. ## Royalty What you earn per sale. For paperbacks it is 60% of the list price minus the printing cost (50% below a price threshold); for ebooks it is 35% or 70%. ## Spine The edge of the book you see on a shelf. Its width depends on the page count and paper. On KDP, text on the spine is only allowed from 80 pages up. ## Trim size The finished width and height of a printed book, after the printer cuts the pages. 6 × 9 in is the most common size for novels; picture books are often square. --- Page: https://kdpbookai.com/glossary · Checked 2026-11-09 Independent product. Not affiliated with Amazon. KDP and Kindle are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. kdpbookai is not connected to kdpbook.io or any other similarly named service.