Last reviewed by Robert Prime — May 2026
Introduction
When a reader clicks "Look Inside" on Amazon, they see roughly the first 10-15% of your book. For a 90,000-word novel, that's ~30-40 pages. For a 50,000-word non-fiction, ~50 pages.
This is the most important reading experience your book provides — it's the deciding factor for most browsers between buying and skipping.
Most indies don't think about Look Inside at all. They format the book, upload, and let the chips fall. This leaves real money on the table.
What readers actually see
The Look Inside sample shows:
- Front cover (already visible on detail page)
- Copyright page (counts toward your 10-15%)
- Dedication (counts toward 10-15%)
- Table of contents (counts toward 10-15%)
- Prologue if present
- Chapter 1 (the actual content)
For many indie books, the first 5-7 "pages" of Look Inside are front matter. The reader sees content only briefly before the sample cuts off.
This is the optimisation opportunity.
The hierarchy of Look Inside priorities
Priorities in order:
1. Minimise front matter.
Every page of front matter is a page the reader doesn't get to spend on your story or content.
Acceptable front matter:
- Copyright page (1 page — required)
- Brief dedication if any (1 line ideally)
- Series listing (1 page — useful for series)
Cut these:
- Long acknowledgements at the front (move to back)
- Reviews/praise pages at the front (move to back)
- Full TOC for fiction (most novels don't need one)
- Multi-page series promo before chapter 1
- Long epigraphs
2. Strong opening chapter.
The actual book content needs to begin within the first few pages of Look Inside. The opening should:
- Hook in the first sentence
- Establish protagonist + situation in the first scene
- Promise the genre's reader-fulfilment
If your novel opens with two pages of weather description before anything happens — readers close the preview and don't buy.
3. Format that displays well in Kindle preview.
Look Inside is shown via Kindle's preview tool. Some things display poorly:
- Custom fonts (replaced by Kindle's defaults)
- Complex layouts (collapse to vertical)
- Heavy images (load slowly)
- Tables (often render broken)
Test by viewing your own Look Inside on a phone.
What ideal Look Inside looks like
For a novel:
| Section | Pages |
|---|---|
| Copyright (1 page) | 1 |
| Dedication / brief epigraph (1 page) | 1 |
| Chapter 1 + 2 + start of 3 | rest of 30-40 pages |
The reader reaches the actual writing within 2 pages. They get a substantial chunk of your prose before sample cuts.
For non-fiction:
| Section | Pages |
|---|---|
| Copyright | 1 |
| TOC (justified — non-fiction readers want it) | 1-2 |
| Introduction | 5-10 |
| Chapter 1 start | rest of 30-40 pages |
Non-fiction readers want to see the TOC before buying — they're checking the scope. Keep it; format it cleanly.
Restructuring for Look Inside
If your current front matter is bloated, here's how to slim it:
Move to back-of-book:
- Acknowledgements (back is the convention anyway)
- Praise / reviews pages (after the story is over, not before)
- Author bio (back)
- Other-books list (back)
- Newsletter signup (back is fine; or include subtle promo)
Cut entirely:
- Long epigraphs from other works
- Multi-page TOC for novels (one-line chapter list maximum)
- "Also by" lists at the front (move to back; only show 3-5 titles maximum if at front)
- Full reading order for unrelated series
After slimming: re-upload to KDP and verify Look Inside displays your content earlier.
Testing your Look Inside
After updating:
- Open your book's Amazon page
- Click "Look Inside"
- Scroll through — count where the actual prose starts
- Scroll to where the sample cuts — note how much story the reader gets
Test on:
- Desktop Amazon
- Mobile Amazon (most readers preview on mobile)
- Kindle device or app if you have one
If the reader doesn't get past chapter 1 in your Look Inside sample, you're losing conversions. Adjust front matter accordingly.
Genre-specific opening expectations
What readers expect from chapter 1:
Romance:
- Protagonist meets / sees love interest within first scene
- Tension or chemistry by page 5
- Genre tone established immediately
Thriller:
- Action / inciting incident by page 3-5
- Protagonist in jeopardy or pursuing problem
- Pace and stakes signalled
Cosy mystery:
- Setting and protagonist established
- Murder or mystery foreshadowed by page 5
- Cozy tone (no graphic violence) clear
Fantasy:
- World hint without info-dump
- Character with desire or problem
- Magic/setting signal by page 3-5
Literary fiction:
- Voice established within first paragraph
- Theme hinted
- Slower pace acceptable; voice must compel
Non-fiction:
- Problem reader has, named clearly
- Promise of book's solution
- Credibility (briefly) established
- Hint at the approach
If your chapter 1 doesn't deliver the genre expectation: revise. The Look Inside is where this matters most.
A+ Content interaction
A+ Content (visual marketing modules below the description) is separate from Look Inside but works alongside.
A+ Content can include:
- Comparison tables ("If you like X you'll love this")
- About the author
- Other books in series
- Atmospheric images
A+ Content + strong Look Inside together = significantly better conversion than either alone.
Common mistakes
- Bloated front matter pushing content past the sample window. Most common issue.
- Generic openings that don't signal genre. "It was a quiet morning in the village" tells the reader nothing about genre or stakes.
- Info-dumping in chapter 1. Especially fantasy/sci-fi. Reveal world through action, not exposition.
- Multiple POVs in chapter 1. Reader doesn't know who to root for. Pick one for chapter 1; introduce others later.
- Prologue that doesn't justify itself. Some prologues work; many don't. If chapter 1 stands alone, cut the prologue.
- Not testing on mobile. 60-70% of Amazon traffic is mobile.
When to revisit Look Inside
- Before launch. Always.
- After 90 days of sales data. If conversion is weak, audit Look Inside.
- After cover refresh. Cover + Look Inside should match in tone.
- Series book launches. Look Inside for book 2-5 sets expectations for whole series funnel.
UK considerations
- UK English in opening pages signals to UK readers. American readers tolerate British spelling well in genre fiction. Use UK English throughout if writing for primary UK market.
- British setting cues in chapter 1 hook UK readers (place names, idiom, references).
- VAT zero-rated on UK ebooks; pricing isn't affected by Look Inside.
The connection to your blurb
Look Inside delivers on the promise of the blurb. If your blurb says "edge-of-your-seat thriller" but chapter 1 is leisurely literary prose, you'll get refunds.
Better to have a blurb that matches your actual chapter 1 than the perfect-sounding blurb that creates wrong expectations.
The bottom line
Audit your Look Inside before every launch. Cut front matter ruthlessly. Get the reader into chapter 1 within 1-2 pages. Make sure chapter 1 signals genre + stakes + voice. Test on mobile.
Free optimisation. Significant conversion lift. Most indies skip this entirely.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my book does Look Inside show?
Typically 10-15% of the file. Varies based on book length and Amazon's algorithm.
Can I exclude content from Look Inside?
No — Amazon controls what's shown. You control the file order.
Should I include the back of book CTA at the front of the book?
No — keep front matter minimal. Put the newsletter CTA at the back where it serves engaged readers.
Does Look Inside affect KU page reads?
No — KU page reads only count post-purchase pages read. Look Inside is pre-purchase.
Should I optimise different markets differently?
Mostly no — same book, same Look Inside. Cover and blurb can be marketplace-specific.
