How to Choose KDP Categories: A Step-by-Step Method
A repeatable method for choosing your three KDP categories by relevance, buyer fit and competition, with a worked example and a ve…
The Short Answer
Expanded Distribution eligibility on KDP is decided by three settings together: trim size, paper type and interior type. A trim size is never eligible or ineligible on its own. 6 x 9 in and 5.5 x 8.5 in are the two sizes that pass with every paper and ink combination on the table, so they are the safe defaults.
Most of the trap sits in the sizes people choose for puzzle books, workbooks and children's books. 8.5 x 11 in works with black ink on white paper, but not on cream. 8.5 x 8.5 in fails for black ink entirely. The three 8.25 in sizes are marked No in every column as of September 2026.
Everything below comes from KDP's own Expanded Distribution help page, checked again on 25 September 2026. Amazon edits that page without announcement, so recheck it on the day you set up a book.
KDP Trim Sizes for Expanded Distribution: The Full Grid
This is the paperback eligibility table as KDP printed it in September 2026. "Yes" means the combination is eligible. "No" means Expanded Distribution is unavailable for that title with those settings.
| Trim size (in) | B&W, white | B&W, cream | B&W, groundwood | Premium color, white | Standard color, white |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 x 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| 5.06 x 7.81 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| 5.25 x 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| 5.5 x 8.5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6 x 9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6.14 x 9.21 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 6.69 x 9.61 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| 7 x 10 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 7.44 x 9.69 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| 7.5 x 9.25 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| 8 x 10 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 8.25 x 6 | No | No | No | No | No |
| 8.25 x 11 | No | No | No | No | No |
| 8.25 x 8.25 | No | No | No | No | No |
| 8.5 x 8.5 | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 8.5 x 11 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Last checked 25 September 2026 against KDP's Expanded Distribution help page.
Two things stand out. First, the cream column is the narrowest: only 5 x 8, 5.25 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9 pass. Second, 8.5 x 8.5 flips the pattern of everything else, because it is the only size where black-and-white is ineligible while color passes.
Third-party charts disagree with each other on some cells, particularly the premium color column. Treat KDP's page, titled "Expanded Distribution" in KDP Help, as the tiebreaker and open it before you commit.
Why Paper and Ink Change the Answer
The grid exists because Expanded Distribution sends your file to wholesale channels through a different production route than Amazon's own store. KDP has not published its reasons, so any explanation is an inference from the pattern. The pattern itself is consistent: common bookstore sizes pass widely, odd sizes pass narrowly.
Cream paper is the quiet trap
Fiction authors choose cream paper by default because it is easier on the eyes. That choice removes 5.06 x 7.81, 6.14 x 9.21, 6.69 x 9.61, 7 x 10, 7.44 x 9.69, 7.5 x 9.25, 8 x 10 and 8.5 x 11 from the eligible list in one click. If you want cream and wide distribution, stay with 5 x 8, 5.25 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9.
Premium color is stricter than standard color
Standard color on white paper passes for every size on the grid except the three 8.25 in sizes. Premium color fails on 5 x 8, 5.06 x 7.81, 5.25 x 8, 6.69 x 9.61, 7.44 x 9.69 and 7.5 x 9.25. A full-color photo book at 5 x 8 therefore has to drop to standard color if you want bookstore reach, and the print quality difference is visible.
Groundwood paper is a narrow lane
Groundwood passes for only four sizes: 5 x 8, 5.25 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9. Few sellers choose it deliberately for a puzzle book, but if you did, the same short list applies.
Sizes That Lock a Title Out
Two categories of size never reach Expanded Distribution: custom sizes and sizes that KDP prints but marks No in every column of the table. KDP's print options page lets you enter a custom trim with a width from 4 to 8.5 in and a height from 6 to 11.69 in. Custom is convenient for a design that needs a specific shape, and the price is that no custom size appears on the grid.
The second category catches people who click a named preset. As of September 2026, KDP's own list of standard print sizes includes 8.25 x 11 in, yet the Expanded Distribution table marks it No for every paper and ink option, and does the same for 8.25 x 6 and 8.25 x 8.25. A book set up at 8.25 x 11 will print fine for Amazon customers. It will not be offered to the wholesale channel.
| Setup choice | Prints on Amazon? | On the grid? | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom trim (any dimensions) | Yes | No | Use the nearest grid size and redesign to fit |
| 8.25 x 11 in | Yes | Listed, No in every column | Use 8.5 x 11 with black ink on white paper |
| 8.5 x 8.5 in, black ink | Yes | No | Move to 6 x 9, or switch to color |
| 7 x 10 in, cream paper | Yes | No | Switch to white paper or to 6 x 9 cream |
Trim size is not the only gate. As of September 2026, KDP's Expanded Distribution page lists content exclusions such as journals, notebooks, planners and calendars, and other books with frequent lined or blank pages. It also names coloring books and a few languages (Hebrew, Yiddish and Japanese at the last check), and the list can change, so read the current version. A perfectly compliant 6 x 9 notebook is still ineligible.
Puzzle books are the unclear case. Secondary sources and summaries of the page read the wording differently, so treat puzzle and low-content eligibility as unconfirmed until you have checked the Expanded Distribution help page and the Rights and Pricing screen of your own title. If that screen offers the channel for your format, you have your answer.
Matching Trim Size to Book Type
The grid matters most when you already know what kind of book you are making. These are the combinations that keep Expanded Distribution available on trim, paper and ink alone for common self-published formats, based on the table above. Content rules are a separate check.
| Book type | Common trim | Interior | Trim/paper/ink eligible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novel | 5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9 | B&W, cream | Yes for both sizes |
| Nonfiction or workbook | 6 x 9 | B&W, white | Yes |
| Large-print puzzle book | 8.5 x 11 | B&W, white | Yes; cream would not pass |
| Square kids' picture book | 8.5 x 8.5 | Standard or premium color | Yes; black ink would not pass |
| Pocket puzzle book | 5 x 8 | B&W, white or cream | Yes for both papers |
| Premium color photo book | 7 x 10 | Premium color, white | Yes; at 5 x 8, premium color would not pass |
Puzzle sellers should note the 8.5 x 11 row. It is a popular trim for word search and sudoku because the grids need room, and in black and white it is on the list only on white paper. Cream paper looks nicer and cuts the wholesale channel.
A "Yes" in this table judges trim, paper and ink only. Whether your puzzle format is excluded on content grounds is the separate check described above.
Whether you want that channel at all depends on the book. A low-priced puzzle book sells mostly through Amazon search, and the 40% rate raises the minimum price KDP will accept, as the next section shows.
What Expanded Distribution Costs You Per Copy
KDP states the Expanded Distribution royalty as 40% of the list price effective in the channel at the time of purchase, minus printing costs, applicable taxes and withholding. On Amazon marketplaces the paperback rate is 60% of list price minus printing cost. Check KDP's royalty help page for the current bands before you price, because Amazon has changed them before.
The formula is: list price x royalty rate - printing cost. The table below is an illustration that uses $4.00 as an example printing cost, not a figure tied to any trim size or page count. Replace it with your own cost from KDP's printing cost page or the KDP printing cost calculator, which covers regular trim only. Large trims such as 8.5 x 11 use a different fee table, so their cost will differ.
| Channel | List price | Royalty share | Share of list | Printing (example) | Per copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon store (60% assumed, check KDP's royalty page) | $12.99 | 60% | $7.79 | $4.00 | $3.79 |
| Expanded Distribution | $12.99 | 40% | $5.20 | $4.00 | $1.20 |
| Expanded Distribution | $16.99 | 40% | $6.80 | $4.00 | $2.80 |
| Expanded Distribution (approximate minimum price) | $10.00 | 40% | $4.00 | $4.00 | $0.00 |
The arithmetic: 12.99 x 0.60 = 7.794, minus 4.00 leaves 3.794. Then 12.99 x 0.40 = 5.196, minus 4.00 leaves 1.196. At $16.99, 16.99 x 0.40 = 6.796, minus 4.00 leaves 2.796. Figures are rounded to the cent, and the 60% row illustrates the stated rate rather than a confirmed band for every price.
The last row shows the constraint that matters. KDP sets a minimum list price for each channel, and it works out to roughly printing cost divided by the royalty rate: 4.00 / 0.40 = $10.00 in this example. A book you want to sell at $7.99 could not turn Expanded Distribution on with that cost unless you raised the price.
Find the real minimum on the Rights and Pricing screen of your own title, which shows it for your trim and page count. An eligible title is not automatically worth pushing through the channel at a higher price. You can leave the option off and still keep the eligible trim, which preserves the choice for later.
Why the Wrong Trim Choice Is Hard to Undo
KDP treats trim size as part of a paperback's identity. Sellers report that once a paperback is published, the trim size cannot be edited, and the working fix is to publish a new paperback edition with a new ISBN and unpublish the old one. Read KDP's current help wording before you rely on any workaround.
The cost of switching is more than a re-upload. Reviews and sales history stay with the old listing unless the metadata matches closely enough for Amazon to link the editions, and there is no guarantee that it will. A title with 40 reviews at 8.25 x 11 does not simply become an 8.5 x 11 title with 40 reviews.
Interior files are the second cost. A 6 x 9 interior cannot be stretched to 8.5 x 11. Margins, gutters, type size and every puzzle grid have to be rebuilt, so regenerate page images at the new size rather than scaling them.
Settle the distribution question before the layout starts, not after the proof copy arrives.
How to Pick a Size Before You Build the Interior
1
Decide if wholesale matters for this title
Ask whether the book has a realistic reason to sit in a bookstore or library catalog. A workbook tied to a course might. A low-priced puzzle book usually does not, because the 40% rate lifts the minimum price KDP will accept.
2
Choose paper and ink first
The grid is read by paper and ink column. Settle black or color, and white or cream, before you look at sizes, because that choice removes rows.
3
Pick a row that is Yes in your column
Open KDP's Expanded Distribution page, find your column, and choose a size from it. Avoid custom sizes and anything marked No across the row.
4
Work out your break-even price
Look up the printing cost for your trim and page count on KDP's printing cost page. Your list price must be at least printing cost divided by 0.40 for the channel to work.
5
Set the size, then confirm the option
On the Paperback Content page choose the trim size. On the Rights and Pricing page confirm Expanded Distribution is still offered. If it is greyed out, one of your settings fell off the grid.
None of this needs a paid tool. KDP's own screens and templates show eligibility for free, and Canva, Affinity or KDP's templates give you the same access to the grid as any other software.
Sellers who generate puzzle pages with Octozia's KDP Creator should know it offers four trim sizes: 5 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9 and 8.5 x 11. All four are on the grid with black ink on white paper, which covers trim, paper and ink only. The tool outputs a ZIP of numbered 300 DPI PNG page images and you assemble the interior file yourself, so it helps by producing pages at grid-safe sizes and nothing more. It is a 3-day trial with a card required, not a free tool.
Mistakes That Cost Sellers Eligibility
- Choosing cream paper for a large-format book. 7 x 10 and 8.5 x 11 pass only on white paper in black and white.
- Using a preset that looks standard. 8.25 x 11 shows up in the print options list and is marked No in every column of the Expanded Distribution table.
- Picking square for black-and-white. 8.5 x 8.5 is color-only on the grid.
- Assuming a compliant size overrides content rules. Journals, notebooks and other books with frequent lined or blank pages are excluded even at 6 x 9.
- Trusting a blog table over KDP's page. Third-party charts, including some that rank well, disagree on individual cells.
- Ignoring the minimum list price. Compute printing cost divided by 0.40 for your own trim and page count, and price at or above it if you want this channel.
If you already distribute through IngramSpark, read the KDP versus IngramSpark comparison before you turn Expanded Distribution on, since the two routes reach some of the same buyers. The KDP interior templates guide covers the page setup once your size is fixed.
FAQ
What is the best KDP trim size for expanded distribution?
6 x 9 in and 5.5 x 8.5 in are the only two sizes marked eligible in every paper and ink column on KDP's table as of September 2026. If you have no design reason to choose otherwise, either one keeps the option open for black-and-white, cream and color interiors alike.
Is 8.5 x 11 eligible for expanded distribution?
Yes for black ink on white paper, and for standard or premium color on white. It is not eligible on cream paper or groundwood. Confirm the current table on KDP's Expanded Distribution help page, since Amazon changes it without notice.
Can I add expanded distribution to a book I already published?
If the trim size, paper and interior type are on the grid, the option is normally offered on the Rights and Pricing page of an existing paperback. If they are not, sellers report the trim size cannot be changed on a published title, so you would need a new edition with a new ISBN.
Why is expanded distribution greyed out on my paperback?
Usually one of three settings sits off the grid: the trim size, the paper type or the interior type. Content type also matters, since journals, notebooks and other books with frequent lined or blank pages are excluded. Compare your settings to KDP's table, change the offending one, and save.
Does expanded distribution pay less than selling on Amazon?
KDP states the Expanded Distribution royalty as 40% of list price minus printing cost, against 60% minus printing cost on Amazon marketplaces. Check KDP's royalty page for current bands. At a $12.99 list price and an example $4.00 printing cost, that works out to about $1.20 versus $3.79 per copy.
Building puzzle interiors at a grid-safe trim size?
KDP Creator generates numbered 300 DPI PNG puzzle pages at 5 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9 and 8.5 x 11, and you assemble the interior yourself; 3-day trial, card required.
