Free book file audit for KDP & IngramSpark

SparkPrep: the evolution of self-publishing. Power without complexity.

Times are hard. Gas prices are high and a lot feels uncertain. So this holiday season, SparkPrep is giving self-publishers a gift: check your book file for free, no sign-up and no card needed. See every problem that could get your book rejected, where it is, and the printer rule it breaks. Also free: Cover Studio, Interior Studio, 224 cover templates, spine, margin and DPI checkers, and step-by-step guides.

The all-in-one self-publishing suite

Design your cover, write and format your pages, check them against Amazon KDP and IngramSpark's print rules, fix every problem, and download print-ready files. Everything you need to publish, in one place, in plain English. Built by an author whose book was rejected 18 times.

What is SparkPrep?

SparkPrep is an all-in-one self-publishing suite. You design your book cover, write and format your inside pages, check both against the print rules of Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble and Lulu, fix every problem, and download print-ready files, all in one place.

What is a book preflight check?

A book preflight check looks at your cover and inside pages before you upload them, the same way the printer will. It checks size, bleed, margins, spine width, colors, picture sharpness and fonts, so Amazon KDP or IngramSpark doesn't reject your book.

Publishing your first book? What your options cost

Hiring freelancers: Reedsy reports a median of about $930 for a professional cover and about $800 on average for interior formatting, about $1,730 for both, and it often takes several weeks. A publishing package: BookBaby says a professional package costs roughly $2,000 to $7,000 and typically takes several weeks. SparkPrep: free design tools, a low-cost audit, and one price per book for fixed, print-ready files, in minutes: $74.99 per book, or $49.99 per book with the $9.99/month membership.

Common questions

What is SparkPrep?

SparkPrep is an all-in-one self-publishing suite. You design your book cover, write and format your inside pages, check both against the print rules of Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble and Lulu, fix every problem, and download print-ready files, all in one place.

Is the SparkPrep book file audit free?

Yes. Through December 31, 2026, your first SparkPrep audit is free as a holiday gift. No sign-up: upload your cover or inside pages, type the email you want your results sent to, and see every problem that could get your book rejected by Amazon KDP or IngramSpark, where it is, and the printer rule it breaks. No credit card needed.

Is there a free KDP file checker?

Yes. SparkPrep's free audit checks your KDP or IngramSpark cover and inside pages for bleed, size, spine width, margins, picture sharpness (DPI), print colors, ink and fonts. Free tools like the spine width calculator, margin calculator and DPI checker are free for everyone, every day.

What is a book preflight check?

A book preflight check looks at your cover and inside pages before you upload them, the same way the printer will. It checks size, bleed, margins, spine width, colors, picture sharpness and fonts, so Amazon KDP or IngramSpark doesn't reject your book. It's one of the tools built into SparkPrep.

Why did KDP or IngramSpark reject my book file?

Most rejections come from a few file problems: art that doesn't reach past the trim edge (bleed), text too close to the edge, the wrong spine width for your page count, blurry pictures under 300 DPI, screen colors (RGB) instead of print colors, too much ink in dark areas, or fonts that aren't built into the PDF.

How much does SparkPrep cost?

SparkPrep costs $74.99 per book, or $49.99 per book with the $9.99/month membership. That one price covers the full cover check and fix, the full inside-page check and fix (every page up to 300), cover design, writing help, a PDF report of every repair, the SparkPrep Certified stamp when your files pass, and print-ready files. Hiring freelancers for the same work costs about $1,730.

How much does it cost to hire someone to format a book for print?

Reedsy reports a median of about $930 for a professional cover and an average of about $800 for interior formatting, so about $1,730 for both. Newer designers often charge about $300 to $500 for a cover.

How long does it take to get a book print-ready?

With freelancers it often takes several weeks: finding someone, waiting for their schedule and going through rounds of changes. Then KDP says it takes about 3 business days for a book, or each fix, to go live. SparkPrep checks and fixes your files in minutes.

Do I need a preflight check if I made my cover in Canva or my book in Word?

Yes. Canva and Word don't check printer rules. A file can look perfect on screen and still have no bleed, screen colors or the wrong spine width. A preflight check catches these before you upload.

Does SparkPrep work for KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble and Lulu?

Yes. SparkPrep checks your files against each printer's own rules: Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press and Lulu.

Free tools for self-published authors