Guide
AI content policies of the self-publishing platforms, compared
Every major platform now asks about AI, but they ask differently and enforce differently. What KDP, Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, Kobo Writing Life and Apple Books require, and how to answer.
Side by side
| Platform | What it asks | What it enforces |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | Whether text, images or translations are AI-generated (vs assisted), on every new or updated title | Three new titles per account per day; removal of undisclosed AI titles; account suspension for repeat violations. See KDP content guidelines. |
| Draft2Digital | Acknowledgement of its terms, which prohibit low-quality or misleading AI content; staff review of accounts | Monitors upload cadence and duplicate text; has said unusual volume is the tell it acts on (interview) |
| IngramSpark | Content guidelines that bar AI-generated content presented as human-written and any content that infringes rights | Manual review, title takedowns; retail partners such as Barnes & Noble apply their own filters |
| Kobo Writing Life | Requires disclosure of AI-generated content in metadata under its content policy | Removal of undisclosed titles; category restrictions |
| Apple Books | Content guidelines via aggregators (D2D, PublishDrive) or Apple Books for Authors | Rejection at review; little public detail |
| Google Play Books | Content policy bars spam and misleading content; no separate AI form | Automated and manual review |
Policies change often. The linked pages are the ones to re-read before each upload; trade summaries such as this KDP guide are useful for the current form wording.
The distinction every form relies on
All of them borrow Amazon's split. AI-generated: the tool produced the text, image or translation, even if you edited it afterwards. AI-assisted: you wrote it and used a tool to check, tighten or brainstorm. A book whose chapters were drafted by a model from your interview is AI-generated text under every one of these policies, however much you edited. Declare it as such. The declaration is private on KDP and does not affect ranking or royalties; the penalty for a false one is the listing or the account.
Covers and illustrations
AI-generated cover art must be declared on KDP and is scrutinised more than text elsewhere, partly because of rights disputes over image models. Two practical rules: never use a recognisable artist's style by name in a prompt, and never depict a real person. For faith books, avoid figures entirely and use symbols and landscapes; Neubook Write's covers are built that way for every tradition.
Answering the questions honestly without hurting the book
- Tick "AI-generated" for text if a model drafted chapters. Tick it for images if a model painted the cover.
- Put the same disclosure on the copyright page. Consistency is your defence if a reviewer asks.
- Do not upload more than one or two titles a day, even if you have them. Cadence is the signal the platforms act on.
- Use a real author name and bio. Anonymous pen names with no web presence are reviewed harder.
- Keep your interview answers, outline and edit history. If a title is questioned, evidence of human involvement resolves it quickly.
Exports that pass review. Neubook Write produces EPUB, DOCX, a KDP-ready paperback interior and a wrap cover, each with the disclosure line on the copyright page, ready for any of these platforms.
Start a book, free