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How to Remove Hidden Icons Appearing in Amazon Book Previews
Question details
The user needs to remove unidentified hidden icons or objects from their document that are appearing unexpectedly in the Amazon KDP book preview.
- Product
- Word Processor
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reviewing an uploaded manuscript in the Amazon book preview and discovering unwanted graphical elements.
- Observed behavior
- Unidentified icons or hidden formatting elements appear in the published Amazon book preview despite not being visible in the standard editing view of the source document.
Before modifying your source file, create a backup copy of your manuscript. Compare your document side-by-side with the Amazon preview screenshot to pinpoint the exact pages where the hidden elements exist.
Reveal Formatting Marks and Inspect Hidden Elements
Enable formatting marks to make invisible characters, hidden objects, and anchored images visible in your document editor, allowing you to safely delete them.
When preparing a manuscript for self-publishing, the conversion platform may interpret background objects, empty text boxes, or stray formatting artifacts as visible icons. Identifying these requires revealing the document's underlying formatting structure.
Open your source document. Navigate to the 'Home' tab and click the 'Show/Hide Formatting Marks' button (typically represented by a paragraph symbol ¶). This will reveal spaces, hidden characters, and object anchors.
Double-click the top or bottom margin of the page to open the Header and Footer view. Look closely for any stray shapes, empty text boxes, or floating icons that might be repeating across pages, and delete them.
Scroll through your document to the specific areas matching the Amazon preview. Click on any unidentified anchored objects, transparent images, or strange formatting marks and press the 'Delete' or 'Backspace' key.
Once all unwanted elements are cleared, save your manuscript. Export the file as a PDF or the publisher-recommended DOCX format, then upload it to Amazon again to check the updated preview.
Easily Format Your Manuscript for Publishing with WPS Writer
WPS Writer provides comprehensive formatting tools to easily reveal hidden marks, manage floating objects, and export a clean manuscript for Amazon KDP.
- 1. Open Your Manuscript in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your manuscript document.
- 2. Show Formatting Marks: Navigate to the 'Home' tab and click the 'Show/Hide ¶' icon to reveal all hidden characters, spaces, and formatting marks.
- 3. Remove Unwanted Elements: Identify any stray objects, hidden icons, or extra text boxes matching the Amazon preview errors and delete them.
- 4. Export for Amazon KDP: Go to 'Menu' > 'Export to PDF' or save it as a clean .docx file, then seamlessly upload it to your Amazon publishing dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do icons appear in the Amazon preview but not in my Word document?
These icons are often hidden formatting marks, transparent text boxes, or anchored objects. The Amazon KDP conversion process interprets and displays these hidden elements during formatting. Enabling 'Show Formatting Marks' in your editor will reveal them.
What is the best file format to upload to Amazon KDP to avoid formatting errors?
For paperback and hardcover books, uploading a fully formatted PDF is highly recommended because it locks your layout, fonts, and images in place exactly as you see them. For Kindle eBooks, a clean DOCX file is generally preferred.
How do I remove a stubborn floating image or shape from my document?
If you cannot click and select an object directly, open the 'Selection Pane' from the Page Layout or Format tab in your word processor. This pane lists every object on the current page, allowing you to select, hide, or delete overlapping or hidden elements easily.
