How to Publish on Amazon KDP: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) has revolutionized the publishing industry, enabling anyone with a manuscript to become a published author. No longer do writers need literary agents, traditional publishers, or substantial upfront capital. KDP democratizes publishing, giving authors direct access to millions of readers worldwide while maintaining creative control and earning higher royalties than traditional publishing typically offers.

This comprehensive guide walks you through every step of publishing your book on Amazon KDP, from manuscript preparation to launch day and beyond.

Before You Start: Is Your Book Ready?

Many aspiring authors rush to publish before their manuscript is truly ready. While KDP makes publishing easy, success requires quality content. Before uploading anything, ensure your book meets professional standards.

Complete Your Manuscript

Finish writing your entire book before publishing. Partial manuscripts or “works in progress” create poor reader experiences and damage your author reputation. Your complete draft should include all chapters, front matter (title page, copyright page, dedication), and back matter (author bio, acknowledgments).

Edit Ruthlessly

Professional editing separates amateur self-published books from professional ones. At minimum, your manuscript needs:

Developmental editing: Ensures your story structure, pacing, and character development work effectively
Copy editing: Corrects grammar, punctuation, spelling, and consistency issues
Proofreading: Final polish to catch remaining typos and errors

Budget constraints? Beta readers provide free feedback, though they can’t replace professional editing. Writing groups and critique partners also offer valuable perspectives. At minimum, run your manuscript through software like ProWritingAid or Grammarly, though don’t rely solely on automated tools.

Format Properly

KDP accepts several formats, but proper formatting ensures your book displays correctly across all devices. For ebooks, use:

Standard fonts (Times New Roman, Garamond, or similar for body text)
Consistent paragraph formatting (first-line indent or block paragraphs, not both)
Chapter breaks that create new pages
Linked table of contents for easy navigation
No manual page breaks except at chapter ends

KDP provides free formatting tools, or you can hire professional formatters (typically $50-200 depending on book length and complexity).

Step 1: Create Your KDP Account

Visit kdp.amazon.com and click “Sign up.” You can use your existing Amazon customer account or create a new account specifically for publishing. Using a separate account keeps your author business distinct from personal shopping.

Required Information

KDP requires:

Legal name and contact information
Tax information (US authors need SSN or EIN; international authors complete tax interview)
Banking details for royalty payments (bank account or check)

Complete your profile thoroughly. Accurate tax information prevents payment delays. International authors should carefully complete the tax interview to potentially reduce withholding rates through tax treaties.

Step 2: Create Your Book Cover

Readers judge books by covers. A professional cover is non-negotiable for commercial success. Amateur covers immediately signal self-published quality issues, regardless of your content’s excellence.

Cover Design Options

Hire a professional designer (recommended): Quality covers cost $200-500 for ebooks, more for print. Sites like Reedsy, 99designs, or Fiverr connect you with designers experienced in book covers. Look for designers who specialize in your genre—romance covers look vastly different from thriller covers.

Use pre-made covers: Services like BookBrush or Creative Paramita offer pre-designed templates ($30-100) you can customize with your title and author name.

DIY with Canva: Canva offers book cover templates. This works for nonfiction but rarely produces competitive covers for fiction genres where visual storytelling matters intensely.

Use KDP Cover Creator: Amazon’s free tool provides basic templates. Functional but rarely professional-looking. Better than nothing, but don’t expect bestseller-quality results.

Cover Technical Requirements

KDP specifies minimum dimensions:

Minimum 1,000 pixels on shortest side
Ideal dimensions: 2,560 x 1,600 pixels (1.6:1 ratio)
Maximum file size: 50MB
Format: JPEG or TIFF

For print books, KDP generates specific templates based on your page count and trim size. Download the template and ensure your designer uses exact specifications.

Step 3: Upload Your Manuscript

Log into your KDP account and click “Create New Title.” You’ll choose between Kindle eBook and Paperback. Start with the ebook version.

Enter Book Details

Language: Select your book’s primary language.

Book Title: Enter your complete title. If you have a subtitle, include it here separated by a colon.

Series Information: If your book belongs to a series, enter the series name and book number. This helps readers find other books in the sequence.

Edition Number: Leave blank for first edition. Only update this for significant revisions.

Author and Contributors: Add yourself as author. Include co-authors, illustrators, translators, or other contributors if applicable. This information appears on your Amazon product page.

Description: This is your book’s sales copy—the text potential readers see on Amazon. Write compelling, 150-200 word copy that hooks readers without spoiling your plot. Include keywords naturally. Use HTML to add formatting (bold, italics, paragraph breaks) for better readability.

Publishing Rights: Confirm you own worldwide rights to publish this book. Never publish content you don’t have rights to.

Keywords: Add up to seven keyword phrases that help readers find your book. Research what terms readers actually search. Think beyond obvious keywords—if writing a vampire romance, keywords might include “paranormal romance,” “enemies to lovers,” “dark fantasy romance,” etc.

Categories: Choose two categories where your book fits. Browse Amazon to see where similar successful books appear. Select categories where you can realistically rank in top 100, not massively competitive categories where you’ll be invisible.

Age and Grade Range: Required for children’s books, optional otherwise.

Upload Your Manuscript File

KDP accepts multiple formats:

DOC/DOCX (Microsoft Word)
HTML
MOBI (though KDP will convert to its newer format)
EPUB
Rich Text Format (RTF)
Plain text (TXT)

Word documents work fine for straightforward text. For complex formatting, EPUB provides more control. KDP converts your uploaded file to its proprietary format.

After uploading, use KDP’s previewer tool to check how your book appears on different devices (Kindle, tablet, phone). Look for:

Proper chapter breaks
Functioning table of contents
Correct formatting (italics, bold, spacing)
Any weird line breaks or spacing issues

Fix any issues before proceeding. Download a preview file and read several chapters on an actual Kindle device if possible.

Upload Your Cover

Upload your cover image. KDP shows a preview of how it appears as a thumbnail. If the title is unreadable at thumbnail size, redesign—most readers first see your cover as a tiny image in search results.

Enable or Disable Features

Digital Rights Management (DRM): DRM prevents copying and sharing of your ebook. Arguments exist both ways—DRM can be easily stripped by pirates anyway, while frustrating legitimate customers. Many successful authors don’t use DRM. Choose based on your comfort level.

Step 4: Set Your Pricing and Distribution

Choose Your Royalty Option

KDP offers two royalty structures:

70% Royalty:

Available in select countries
Book must be priced between $2.99 and $9.99
Amazon deducts small delivery fees based on file size (typically $0.06-$0.15)
Must price book at or below the lowest price in any territory
Recommended for most authors—higher earnings per sale

35% Royalty:

Available worldwide
No minimum price (can price at $0.99)
No delivery fees
No pricing requirements
Use for books under $2.99 or over $9.99, or for maximum distribution

Example: A $4.99 ebook with 70% royalty earns approximately $3.35 per sale after delivery fees. The same book with 35% royalty earns $1.75. For books under $2.99, do the math—a $2.99 book at 35% earns $1.05, but a $0.99 book at 35% earns only $0.35.

Set Your Price

Pricing strategy significantly impacts sales and discoverability. Consider:

Genre norms: Research similar books in your genre. Romance often prices $2.99-$4.99. Thrillers might be $3.99-$5.99. Nonfiction often prices higher.
Page count: Readers expect longer books to cost more. A 100-page novella at $5.99 feels overpriced.
Launch strategy: Many authors price low ($0.99-$2.99) at launch to build reviews and rankings, then increase price.
Series strategy: Price book one competitively (or free) to hook readers, then price later books higher.

You can change pricing anytime. Experiment to find your sweet spot.

Select Territories

Choose where your book is available:

Worldwide rights: Makes your book available in all territories where KDP operates
Individual territories: Select specific countries (useful if you have different publishers in different regions)

Most self-published authors choose worldwide rights for maximum reach.

KDP Select Enrollment

KDP Select is an optional program with significant pros and cons:

Benefits:

Book included in Kindle Unlimited (KU) and Prime Reading
Earn money from page reads (~$0.004 per page)
Access to promotional tools (Kindle Countdown Deals, Free Book Promotions)
Expanded distribution to libraries in India

Drawbacks:

Requires exclusivity—can’t sell ebook elsewhere (Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, Nook, etc.)
90-day enrollment, auto-renews unless you opt out
You’re entirely dependent on Amazon’s ecosystem

Many genre fiction authors (especially romance) find KU readers provide substantial income. Nonfiction authors and those wanting maximum distribution often skip KDP Select and publish wide.

You can always change this decision. Start with Select to access promotional tools, then opt out after 90 days if it’s not working.

Step 5: Publish Your Book

Review all information one final time. Once satisfied, click “Publish Your Kindle eBook.”

Amazon reviews your book for quality issues and content violations. This typically takes 24-72 hours. You’ll receive email notification when your book is live. During review, Amazon checks for:

Content policy violations (plagiarism, inappropriate content, trademark issues)
Quality problems (improperly formatted files, image quality issues)
Metadata accuracy (does content match description and categories)

Most books sail through review. If Amazon finds issues, they’ll email specifics about what needs correction.

Step 6: Create Your Paperback Version (Optional)

Once your ebook is published, consider adding a paperback. Many readers prefer physical books, and paperbacks increase your book’s visibility on Amazon.

Link Your Paperback to Your Ebook

In your KDP bookshelf, find your published ebook and select “Create Paperback.” This links both formats on one Amazon product page, letting readers choose their preferred format.

Paperback-Specific Decisions

Trim Size: Common sizes include 6″x9″ (standard for most genres), 5″x8″ (compact for fiction), 5.5″x8.5″ (typical for memoirs). Choose based on genre norms and content.

Interior Type: Black & white or color. Color significantly increases printing costs, so only use for children’s books, cookbooks, or books requiring color images.

Paper Type: White or cream. Cream paper is traditional for fiction and creates a premium feel. White paper works better for books with images or diagrams.

Bleed Settings: If your interior includes images that extend to page edges, choose “bleed.” Otherwise, “no bleed” is standard and cheaper.

Paperback Pricing

Amazon calculates printing costs based on page count and specifications. Your royalty equals list price minus printing cost minus Amazon’s cut (40% for sales on Amazon.com, 60% for expanded distribution).

Example: A 300-page 6″x9″ book with black & white interior costs approximately $4.45 to print. If you price it at $14.99:

List price: $14.99
Printing cost: -$4.45
Amazon’s cut (40%): -$6.00
Your royalty: $4.54

Price competitively with similar books while ensuring you earn reasonable royalties. Most paperbacks price between $12.99 and $19.99 depending on length and genre.

Step 7: Launch and Market Your Book

Publishing your book is just the beginning. Without marketing, even excellent books languish in obscurity with Amazon’s millions of titles.

Pre-Launch Activities

Build your email list: Start collecting email addresses of interested readers months before publication. Offer a free short story or sample chapter in exchange for email signups.

Create an author website: Simple sites work fine—readers need to find information about you and your books. Include an email signup form prominently.

Engage on social media: Choose one or two platforms where your target readers spend time. Focus on building genuine connections, not just self-promotion.

Secure advance reviews: Send review copies to book bloggers, BookTubers, or readers in your genre. Reviews build social proof and help your launch.

Launch Week Strategy

Email your list: Announce your book to your email subscribers first. Offer a launch week discount.

Leverage Amazon’s algorithms: Amazon’s algorithms reward velocity—concentration of sales in a short period. Try to generate as many sales as possible in your first week.

Run promotions: If enrolled in KDP Select, schedule a Countdown Deal or Free Book Promotion during launch week. Free promotions boost downloads and visibility dramatically.

Guest posting and interviews: Arrange guest posts on book blogs, podcast interviews, or social media takeovers during launch week.

Long-Term Marketing

Successful authors think long-term:

Continue building your email list: Your list is your most valuable marketing asset
Write the next book: The best marketing for one book is publishing another book. Build a catalog.
Engage with readers: Respond to emails, participate in reader groups, maintain your social media presence
Run periodic promotions: Discount books strategically to boost sales ranks and visibility
Invest in advertising: Amazon Ads, Facebook Ads, and BookBub ads can profitably promote books when done skillfully

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Publishing too quickly: Take time to edit, format, and create a professional cover. First impressions matter enormously.

Ignoring metadata: Thoughtful keywords and category selection dramatically improve discoverability.

Expecting overnight success: Building an author career takes time. Most successful self-published authors spent years developing their craft and audience.

Not studying the market: Research successful books in your genre. Understand what covers, pricing, and descriptions work.

Stopping at one book: One book rarely builds a sustainable author career. Plan for multiple books.

Neglecting your email list: Social media platforms come and go. Your email list remains your direct connection to readers.

Resources for KDP Authors

Invest in education. Recommended resources:

Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page to Published Author by Chandler Bolt—Comprehensive guide covering the entire self-publishing process
Write. Publish. Repeat. by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant—Philosophy and tactics for building a successful self-publishing career
Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran—Practical tactics for digital book marketing
KDP Community Forums: Amazon’s official forums where authors share advice and troubleshoot issues
20BooksTo50K Facebook Group: Community of professional self-publishers sharing strategies

Final Thoughts

Amazon KDP provides unprecedented opportunity for writers to share their work with the world. The barrier to entry has never been lower. However, success requires more than simply uploading a manuscript—it demands professional-quality content, strategic marketing, and long-term persistence.

Thousands of authors earn substantial income through KDP. Some have built seven-figure careers entirely through self-publishing. But these success stories typically involve years of learning, multiple books, and continuous improvement.

Approach KDP publishing as a serious business. Invest in quality. Study successful authors in your genre. Build genuine relationships with readers. Write consistently. Market strategically. The authors who treat publishing as a long-term business venture are the ones who ultimately succeed.

Your book deserves professional presentation and strategic promotion. Take the time to do it right. Your future readers—and your royalty statements—will thank you.