Do I Need Different EPUB Files for Amazon and Kobo?

You've finished formatting your EPUB. You upload it to Amazon KDP. Everything looks perfect.

Then you get the rejection email: "Your book contains prohibited promotional content."

You search through your manuscript. No ads. No spam. Just a simple line in the back matter: "Available on Amazon, Kobo, and Apple Books."

That's the problem.

Amazon doesn't allow you to mention competitor retailers in your book. And if you want to sell on multiple platforms, you need different EPUB files for each one.

Here's why—and how to manage it without going crazy.

Why Amazon Rejects EPUBs with Competitor Links

Amazon's content guidelines are clear: you cannot promote competing retailers in your book.

This includes:

• Direct links to Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble
• Text like "Available on all retailers"
• Universal book links (Books2Read, BookLinker)
• QR codes that lead to competitor stores
• Links to your author page on other platforms

Why Amazon does this: They don't want to help readers discover your book exists on other platforms. Fair or not, it's their platform, their rules.

What happens if you violate this:

• Your upload gets rejected
• You fix it and re-upload
• Delays your launch by days or weeks
• If you miss it and it gets published, they can remove your book later

One author uploaded the same EPUB to all platforms, got accepted on Kobo and Apple Books, then hit a wall at Amazon. The back matter said "Find more books at [Books2Read link]"—instant rejection.

Can I Mention Kobo in My Amazon Book?

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: You can't mention competitor retailers, but you can include:

• Your author website
• Newsletter signup links
• Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
• Your Amazon author page (on Amazon version)
• Generic "Find my other books" language (without specifying where)

What you CAN'T include in Amazon version:

• "Buy on Kobo"
• "Available on Apple Books"
• Links to Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble
• Your Kobo or Apple Books author page
• Universal book links that show multiple retailers

What Links Are Allowed in Amazon KDP Back Matter?

Here's what you can safely include in your Amazon EPUB:

✓ Allowed:

• Newsletter signup (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Substack)
• Author website
• Social media profiles
• Amazon author page (amazon.com/author/yourname)
• "Read the next book in the series" (as long as link goes to Amazon)
• Patreon, Ko-fi, or other creator support links
• Your blog or podcast

✗ Prohibited:

• Links to other retailers
• Mentions of other retailers by name
• Universal book links
• Links to aggregator sites that list multiple retailers
• Your author pages on competing platforms

Gray area (avoid to be safe):

• "Available in all formats" (vague but might trigger review)
• "Find my books online" (technically fine, but Amazon is unpredictable)

How Other Platforms Handle Back Matter Links

The good news: Kobo, Apple Books, and Google Play are much more lenient.

Kobo:

• Allows links to Amazon
• Allows universal book links
• No restrictions on mentioning other retailers
• You can say "Available on Amazon and Apple Books"

Apple Books:

• Generally allows competitor links
• No specific policy against mentioning other retailers
• More focused on content quality than promotional restrictions

Google Play Books:

• Lenient on back matter links
• Allows cross-platform mentions
• Rarely rejects for promotional content

Barnes & Noble:

• Similar to Amazon (stricter than Kobo/Apple)
• Avoid competitor mentions to be safe

The Manual Nightmare: Creating Different Versions Yourself

Most indie authors try one of these approaches:

Option 1: Remove all retailer links

• Pro: Simple, works everywhere
• Con: You miss the opportunity to promote your series within each platform's ecosystem

Option 2: Create one version for each platform manually

• Pro: Fully customized
• Con: Extremely time-consuming, easy to upload wrong version to wrong platform, nightmare for updates

Option 3: Use only generic links

• Pro: Safe for all platforms
• Con: Can't direct Kobo readers to your Kobo author page (lower discoverability)

Option 4: Risk it and upload the same file everywhere

• Pro: Fast
• Con: Amazon will reject you. Then you fix it and lose 3-5 days.

All of these options involve either:

• Lost marketing opportunities
• Massive time investment
• Risk of rejection

There's a better way.

The Solution: Platform-Specific EPUB Files

Instead of one generic EPUB, you get four customized versions:

1. BookTitle_Amazon.epub
   • Links to your Amazon author page
   • "Read the next book" → Amazon link
   • Newsletter, website, social media (same across all versions)
2. BookTitle_Kobo.epub
   • Links to your Kobo author page
   • "Read the next book" → Kobo link
   • Newsletter, website, social media
3. BookTitle_AppleBooks.epub
   • Links to your Apple Books author page
   • "Read the next book" → Apple Books link
   • Newsletter, website, social media
4. BookTitle_GooglePlay.epub
   • Links to your Google Play author page
   • "Read the next book" → Google Play link
   • Newsletter, website, social media

Same book. Same formatting. Same content.

The only difference is the back matter links.

Example: Amazon vs Kobo Back Matter

Amazon version:

Thank you for reading! Want more?

📚 Read the next book in the series: [Link to Amazon]
📧 Join my newsletter for new releases: [Newsletter link]
🌐 Visit my website: formatmyebook.com
📱 Follow me on Instagram: @yourhandle

Kobo version:

Thank you for reading! Want more?

📚 Read the next book in the series: [Link to Kobo]
📧 Join my newsletter for new releases: [Newsletter link]
🌐 Visit my website: formatmyebook.com
📱 Follow me on Instagram: @yourhandle

Notice the difference? Just the "Read the next book" link changes. Everything else stays the same.

What You Need to Provide

To create platform-specific versions, you'll need:

Required:

• Your author page URL for each platform (if you have one)
• Newsletter signup link (if applicable)
• Author website (if you have one)
• Social media handles

Optional:

• Links to next book in series (for each platform)
• Patreon, Ko-fi, or other support links
• Any other CTAs you want in your back matter

If you don't have author pages on all platforms yet: That's fine. Your formatter can include generic CTAs ("Find my other books online") for platforms where you're not active yet.

Why This Matters for Series Authors

If you're writing a series, platform-specific links are essential.

Without platform-specific versions:

• Reader finishes Book 1 on Kobo
• Your back matter says "Read Book 2" with an Amazon link
• Reader clicks → taken to Amazon
• Reader either buys on Amazon (you lose Kobo commission) or gives up (you lose the sale)

With platform-specific versions:

• Reader finishes Book 1 on Kobo
• Your back matter says "Read Book 2" with a Kobo link
• Reader clicks → stays in Kobo ecosystem
• Seamless purchase, higher conversion rate

For a 5-book series: Maximizing in-platform discoverability can increase your series read-through rate by 20-30%.

How to Manage Multiple EPUB Files

File naming convention:

• BookTitle_Amazon.epub
• BookTitle_Kobo.epub
• BookTitle_AppleBooks.epub
• BookTitle_GooglePlay.epub

Uploading workflow:

1. Download all 4 files from your formatter
2. Upload BookTitle_Amazon.epub to Amazon KDP
3. Upload BookTitle_Kobo.epub to Kobo Writing Life
4. Upload BookTitle_AppleBooks.epub to Apple Books
5. Upload BookTitle_GooglePlay.epub to Google Play Books

Updating/revisions:

• If you fix a typo or update content, your formatter updates all 4 files
• You re-upload the correct version to each platform
• The back matter links stay platform-specific

Use a checklist: Keep a spreadsheet or note tracking which file goes where. It's easy to accidentally upload the Amazon version to Kobo.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Uploading the wrong version to the wrong platform

• Fix: Use clear file naming and a checklist

Mistake 2: Forgetting to update all versions when you fix a typo

• Fix: Always request updated versions for all platforms, not just one

Mistake 3: Using universal links (Books2Read) in back matter

• Fix: Platform-specific links only. Save universal links for your website.

Mistake 4: Assuming "it's just one link, Amazon won't notice"

• Fix: Amazon's algorithm catches this. Don't risk it.

Mistake 5: Not testing each version before upload

• Fix: Open each EPUB in Calibre or another reader, check the back matter links

The Bottom Line

Do you need different EPUB files for Amazon and Kobo?

Yes—if you want to:

• Avoid Amazon rejections
• Maximize series read-through
• Direct readers to your author pages on each platform
• Look professional and avoid rookie mistakes

No—if you:

• Remove all retailer-specific links from your back matter
• Don't mind losing the marketing opportunity
• Are willing to risk Amazon rejections

The reality: Creating platform-specific versions manually is tedious. Professional formatters handle this automatically—it's part of the service.

If you're doing it yourself with Vellum or Atticus, budget extra time for managing multiple versions. If you're hiring a formatter, ask upfront: "Do you include platform-specific versions, or is that extra?"

My answer: Platform-specific versions are included in every package I deliver. You get 4 files, clearly labeled, ready to upload to each platform.

No extra charge. No confusion. No Amazon rejections.

If you want this included from the start, see my book formatting service pricing and the FAQ for how platform-specific delivery works.