If your KDP book page is still a plain wall of text, Amazon A+ Content for authors is the free upgrade you are missing. It lets you add images, comparison charts, and story sections below your description so readers can see why your book is worth their time. This guide explains who can use it, which modules matter, the image specs to follow, and the mistakes that cause rejection.
What Amazon A+ Content for Authors Actually Is
A+ Content is the rich section that appears below the product description on an Amazon book page. Instead of relying only on plain text, you can add a banner image, short text blocks, author information, and charts that compare your books. Readers scrolling past the cover and description meet a page that looks cared for, and that extra care helps them decide.
It does not replace your description, your cover, or your reviews. Think of it as the middle layer of the page. The cover earns the click, the description makes the promise, and A+ Content gives proof in pictures and short, scannable sections. For nonfiction, proof can be a chapter preview, a simple diagram, or a list of problems the book solves. For fiction, proof can be mood, setting, tropes, and a clear sense of who the book is for.
A+ Content is free to create in KDP. Amazon reviews each submission before it goes live, and approval commonly takes several days, so it is not a launch day task. Build it a week or two before you need it, and treat revisions as part of publishing, not as an afterthought.
Who Can Use A+ Content and How to Find It
Any author publishing through KDP can create A+ Content for their books, including Kindle ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers linked on the same detail page. You do not need a separate store or a large catalogue. A single book is enough to start, and a series gives you even more to work with because comparison charts become useful.
Many authors assume they need Brand Registry. For the basic A+ modules offered through KDP, you do not. Brand Registry is a separate Amazon program mainly for sellers and brands, and it unlocks some extra store features. The standard book modules in the KDP A+ Content Manager are available to KDP authors without it, which is why this upgrade is realistic for a first time self publisher.
Where to start in KDP
Sign in to KDP, open the Marketing page, and look for the A+ Content Manager. Choose the marketplace, usually Amazon.com for a US audience, then select the ASIN you want to build for. If you publish in more than one marketplace, you may need to create or copy content for each one, because approval is handled per marketplace.
Before you design anything, check the basics that sit around A+ Content. Your categories and search terms decide whether the right readers find the page at all, so work through our guide to Amazon KDP keywords and categories first. A beautiful page that nobody finds will not sell books.
The Modules That Matter Most
The manager offers many module types, and using all of them usually makes a messy page. Most books do well with three or four modules, chosen on purpose. Start with a strong header, add one section that explains the book, add one section that builds trust, and finish with a comparison chart if you have more than one book or edition.
Header image with text
The Standard Image Header with Text is the wide banner near the top of your A+ section. Use one clear image and a short headline, not a paragraph squeezed onto a picture. For a novel, that image can set the scene and genre in one glance. For a practical guide, it can show the result the reader wants, such as an organized desk, a finished project, or a calm routine.
Single image and text modules
Single image modules work well for an author photo and short bio, a map or timeline from the book, or a single strong visual with a caption beside it. Keep each block to one idea. If a reader has to study the image to understand it, simplify it. Text beside the image should add information, not repeat words that are already printed inside the image itself.
Text only modules
Plain text modules look dull in the preview, but they are useful for a short excerpt, a list of topics covered, or a clear who this book is for section. They also give balance between images, so the page does not feel like a sales flyer. Short lines, real subheads, and honest claims work better than hype.
Comparison charts
The Standard Comparison Chart is the most underused useful module. You can list your own books or formats side by side with cover images, titles, and simple attributes. A series author can show reading order. A nonfiction author can compare ebook, paperback, and a workbook edition. Only compare your own linked products, keep the attributes factual, and link each column correctly so readers land on the right page.
Image Specs and Design Rules That Prevent Rejection
Amazon gives each module a fixed image size, and uploading the wrong shape is the fastest way to get blurry results. Common sizes include 970 by 600 pixels for the standard header image, 600 by 180 pixels for a company or author logo style image, and 300 by 300 pixels for smaller single images. Always check the size shown inside the module you picked, because Amazon labels the required dimensions right where you upload.
Use JPG or PNG files, keep each file under 2 MB, and upload at the exact size or larger in the same proportions. Small images stretched to fit will look soft on a phone, and most readers will see your page on a phone first. Design for that small screen: large type, few words on images, and strong contrast.
Alt text matters too. Each image asks for image keywords, which act as alt text for accessibility and review. Write a short, honest description of what the image shows, up to the character limit shown in the form. Do not stuff it with search terms, and do not leave it blank.
- Keep text off busy photos: words over a detailed background are hard to read and often look amateur.
- Use your real cover: never redesign the cover inside A+ images or show a cover that differs from the live listing.
- Match your brand colors: reuse the palette and fonts from your cover so the page feels like one product.
- Proofread image text twice: a typo baked into an image means re-exporting the whole file.
How Folio Authors Helps Your Book Page Look Ready
A+ Content works best when the book behind it is solid. A polished page cannot fix a weak cover, uneven formatting, or a manuscript that needed one more edit, and readers notice the gap as soon as they open the sample. That is why it helps to prepare the book and the page together, in one place, instead of patching problems after launch.
That is the idea behind Folio Authors: publishing software that brings assessment, editing, formatting, cover design, and publishing into one dashboard. You can start with the free plan, where your first assessment is free and it includes a 500 word editing sample, with no card needed. If you want the full toolset, the Standard plan is $150 one time and unlocks all Folio tools, while publishing itself starts with Amazon KDP at $99 one time and includes a free ISBN, or you can use your own.
When your cover, formatting, and listing are handled together, your A+ images have something strong to show. The header can feature the real cover with confidence, the comparison chart can use clean final artwork, and the author section can match the tone of the finished book. Small consistency like that is what makes an indie page feel like a publisher backed page.
Mistakes That Get A+ Content Rejected
Amazon rejects A+ submissions for clear, published reasons, and most rejections are avoidable. The most common one is mentioning prices, discounts, or promotions. Do not write sale language, do not say free for a limited time, and do not add shipping or deal claims. Prices change, and Amazon does not allow time sensitive claims in A+ Content.
Contact details and outside links are also banned. No email addresses, no website URLs, no social handles, and no calls to visit another store. You also cannot quote reviews, star ratings, or reader testimonials inside A+ Content, and you cannot claim your book is a bestseller or number one unless that claim can be verified in a way Amazon accepts. Keep praise out and let the live review section do that job. If you need more social proof on the page itself, focus on earning real reviews instead, and follow the legal ways to get book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads rather than borrowing quotes.
Other frequent problems are low resolution images, text that is too small to read on mobile, blank alt text, and using images you do not have the rights to use. Stock photos must be properly licensed, and you should never lift artwork from another book or website. Finally, do not mention competitors by name or compare your book against a named rival in a chart. Compare your own editions and formats only.
If a submission is rejected, Amazon lists the reasons in the manager. Fix exactly what is flagged, resubmit, and keep a copy of your approved images and text in a folder. That folder saves hours when you build A+ Content for your next book or your next marketplace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A+ Content free for KDP authors?
Yes. Creating A+ Content in KDP costs nothing beyond your own time or any design help you choose to pay for. Amazon reviews each submission, and approved content appears on your book page at no charge.
Do I need Brand Registry to use A+ Content?
No, not for the standard A+ modules offered through KDP. KDP authors can build A+ Content from the A+ Content Manager in their KDP account. Brand Registry is a separate program and is not required for these book page modules.
How long does A+ Content approval take?
Amazon says review can take several days, and a week is a safe planning window. Build your content well before launch day, and allow extra time in case you need to fix an image or a claim and resubmit.
Can I use A+ Content for a series?
Yes, and series books benefit the most. You can reuse a design style across volumes, explain the reading order in a text module, and use a comparison chart to show each book in the series with links to its own page.
Why was my A+ Content rejected?
The usual reasons are price or promotion language, contact details or outside links, quoted reviews, low resolution images, and missing alt text. Read the rejection notes in the manager, fix only what is flagged, and resubmit.
The Bottom Line
A+ Content is one of the few free upgrades on Amazon that makes a real visual difference. Pick three or four modules, design clean images at the right sizes, keep claims simple and factual, and submit early enough to handle a rejection calmly. Your description still does the selling in words, but A+ Content gives readers the pictures and structure that help those words land.
Do it once, save your files, and repeat the same style on every book you publish. A consistent, honest, well built page tells readers your book was made with care, and that is often the final nudge between a scroll and a sale.
Folio Authors: Publishing Software to Replace all Vanity Press. Save time. Save money. Keep every right.