A proof copy is a printed copy of your paperback, ordered before you publish. It is the only way to see margins, type and cover colors as a reader will. A screen shows none of them the way paper does.
How to order one
- Open your KDP Bookshelf and find the paperback.
- Open its “…” menu and click Request Printed Proofs.
- Choose how many copies, up to five at a time, and the Amazon marketplace that ships to you.
- Click Submit Proof Request.
A book still in draft can have proofs, but it has to be approved in KDP's Print Previewer first. Within four hours KDP sends an email with a link to finish the order. If you have not bought them within 24 hours of that email, the proofs are removed from your cart.
What it costs
A proof costs the book's print cost in the marketplace you chose, times the number of copies. The print cost follows from your print options, such as the trim size, the ink and the page count. KDP offers no further discount.
Shipping is extra. Proof orders do not qualify for free or Prime shipping, and the shipping cost is shown on the last page of the checkout.
A proof is not an author copy
| Proof copy | Author copy | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before you publish, for review | From the live, published book |
| What it shows | The files as you last uploaded them | The published book, without later draft changes |
| Marks | A “Not for Resale” watermark, and a barcode with no ISBN |
So order a proof after every change that matters, and before you press publish.
What to check on paper
- The gutter. Open the book flat. No line should run into the curve of the binding.
- Page numbers and running heads. They should be in the same place on every page, and treated the same way on every chapter opening.
- Chapter openings. Each should start where you meant, and no page should be blank by mistake.
- The front matter. Title page, copyright page with the paperback's ISBN, and contents with the right page numbers.
- Pictures. Sharp at arm's length, and not too dark.
- The cover. Colors as you expected, the title clear of the edges, the spine text centered, and the back cover legible.
- The text. Read a few pages in full. Mistakes that hide on a screen often show on paper.
Before the proof
Torcul makes a paper proof unless you turn it off. It holds twenty pages from the middle of the finished interior, at actual size on an A4 or US Letter sheet, with marks showing the book's true edges. Print it with scaling turned off. It answers questions about margins and type before you order from KDP. A KDP proof is still the only check of the real paper, the binding and the cover.
Sources
- How do I order a proof or author copy?
- How much do proof or author copies cost?
- What is the cost to ship my proof or author copy?
- Proof and Author Copies
None of this guarantees that KDP will accept a file. KDP changes its help pages, so check the date on this one and on any report a tool gives you.