How to Publish a Book on Amazon KDP: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Follow these steps to publish your first book through Kindle Direct Publishing.

Step 1: Create Your Amazon KDP Account

Visit the official Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing website and sign in with an existing Amazon account or create one.

Complete the account setup using your correct legal and contact information. You will also need to follow the platform’s instructions for tax information and royalty payments.

Authors publishing from outside the United States should pay particular attention to payment methods, tax documentation, and any applicable withholding rules. Available payment options and requirements can depend on your country and account circumstances.

Before uploading your book, make sure the required account sections are complete.

Step 2: Prepare and Edit Your Manuscript

A complete manuscript is not necessarily a publication-ready manuscript.

Read your work carefully and consider the type of editing it needs. Developmental editing focuses on structure, argument, plot, pacing, or organization. Copyediting addresses language, consistency, grammar, and clarity. Proofreading checks the final text for remaining errors.

Not every book needs every editing service, but every book should receive an appropriate quality check.

Pay attention to chapter headings, paragraph spacing, dialogue formatting, quotations, references, tables, and images. Remove drafting notes and placeholders, and confirm that your front matter and back matter are in their intended order.

Step 3: Format Your Book for Kindle or Print

Choose a file format suitable for the edition you are publishing.

For Kindle ebooks, KDP supports publishing workflows that include EPUB and supported DOCX files. Use the current official file requirements to confirm which format is appropriate for your manuscript.

For paperbacks and hardcovers, the interior is commonly supplied as a print-ready PDF when a fixed page layout is required. Other supported workflows may be available depending on the book and publishing setup.

Ebook formatting and print formatting are not interchangeable. A print manuscript has fixed page dimensions, while a reflowable ebook adjusts its layout to a reader’s device and settings.

Check the following before uploading:

• Chapter headings and table of contents.
• Paragraph spacing and indentation.
• Page breaks and chapter openings.
• Images, tables, and captions.
• Margins, page numbering, and trim size for print.
• Fonts and special characters.
• Links and navigation in ebooks.

If you are unsure how to prepare the files, consider professional book layout and formatting services.

Step 4: Design a Professional Book Cover

Your cover is one of the first things potential readers see. It should communicate the book’s genre, subject, tone, and intended audience without making the design difficult to understand.

For a Kindle ebook, prepare a cover image that meets Amazon’s current technical specifications. For a paperback or hardcover, use the appropriate cover template based on the selected trim size, page count, paper, and binding requirements.

Print covers may need a front cover, spine, back cover, and bleed. The spine width depends on the book’s specifications, so do not guess its dimensions.

Use the official KDP help center and its current cover calculator or templates to prepare the correct files.

For additional support, explore professional book cover design services.

Step 5: Enter Your Book Details

From your KDP Bookshelf, start creating the appropriate Kindle ebook, paperback, or hardcover title.

The setup process asks you to provide details about your book. Fields may vary according to the format and current platform workflow.

Prepare the following information:

• Book title and subtitle: Use the actual title of your work.
• Author name: Enter the name you want associated with the book, following KDP’s requirements.
• Series information: Add it if your book belongs to a series.
• Book description: Explain the subject, story, or reader benefit clearly.
• Publishing rights: Confirm whether you own the necessary rights.
• Audience and content details: Complete applicable age, reading, and content fields accurately.
• Contributor information: Credit relevant contributors where appropriate.

Your book description should help readers decide whether the book meets their needs. For fiction, introduce the premise and stakes without giving away important surprises. For nonfiction, explain the problem addressed, the intended reader, and what the book covers.

Avoid unsupported claims, misleading descriptions, and repetitive keywords.

Step 6: Choose Categories and Amazon Search Keywords

Categories and keywords help describe your book and can support its discoverability on Amazon.

Select categories that accurately represent your book’s subject and genre. Choose keywords based on the language readers are likely to use when looking for similar books.

For example, a beginner’s guide to gardening might be described through relevant concepts such as container gardening, growing vegetables at home, or gardening for beginners, provided these accurately reflect the book’s content.

For a business book, relevant terms could relate to the specific business topic, intended audience, or practical problem it addresses.

Use the available keyword fields thoughtfully. Avoid irrelevant phrases, competitor names used misleadingly, repetitive keyword stuffing, and categories that do not match the actual book.

There is no guaranteed keyword formula for reaching the top of Amazon’s search results. Relevance, reader response, competition, and other factors can affect visibility.

Step 7: Upload Your Manuscript and Cover

Upload the prepared manuscript and cover files to the relevant sections of your KDP setup.

Wait for the platform to process the files and review any warnings or errors. A file that uploads successfully may still contain formatting problems.

Check for:

• Missing or duplicated pages.
• Incorrect chapter breaks.
• Unreadable or distorted images.
• Unexpected blank pages.
• Text extending outside print margins.
• Missing fonts or unsupported elements.
• Incorrect cover dimensions.
• Problems with links or the ebook table of contents.

Resolve any issues before moving forward.

Step 8: Preview Your Book Before Publishing

Use KDP’s preview tools to inspect the book as a reader would experience it.

For an ebook, check navigation, font display, images, chapter transitions, and readability across supported viewing options. For a print book, review page layout, margins, page numbers, image placement, and the relationship between the interior and cover.

Ordering a physical proof copy is a useful additional quality check for print editions, especially for books with complex layouts, illustrations, tables, or detailed cover designs.

Do not rush this step. Correcting production problems before publication is generally easier than addressing them after readers have purchased the book.

Step 9: Set Your Book Price and Royalty Options

Choose a list price that considers your target audience, book length, format, comparable titles, and production economics.

For ebooks, KDP offers 35% and 70% royalty options, subject to eligibility, pricing, marketplace, and other applicable conditions. Under the 70% option, delivery costs may be deducted, and the option is not available for every sale or territory.

For paperbacks, royalties are calculated using the applicable royalty rate and then subtracting printing costs. The applicable rate depends on factors including the marketplace, list price, and distribution option.

For example, a print book’s royalty is not simply the full list price multiplied by a percentage. Printing costs can make a significant difference to the amount earned from each sale.

Use KDP’s pricing page and official calculators to estimate your actual royalty before setting your price.

Avoid choosing a price solely because it is lower than competing books. Your price should be appropriate for the book’s value, audience, format, and expected costs.

Step 10: Submit Your Book for Amazon’s Review

Once your files, metadata, and pricing are ready, submit your book through KDP.

Amazon reviews submissions against its applicable content and publishing requirements. If a problem is identified, you may need to correct information or upload revised files.

Publication and availability times can vary by format, marketplace, and review circumstances. Do not assume that every book will become available immediately or on an identical schedule.

Check your KDP dashboard and email for status updates or requests for action.

Step 11: Check Your Published Amazon Book Listing

After approval, open the live product page and review it carefully.

Confirm that the title, subtitle, author name, cover, description, available formats, and pricing appear correctly. Check any series details and other visible information.

If you find an error, use the relevant KDP editing workflow to make corrections. Some changes may require another review before appearing on the live listing.

You can also explore Amazon Author Central where available to manage eligible author-profile information and help readers discover your work.

Step 12: Promote Your Book After Publication

Publishing your book makes it available for sale, but it does not guarantee that readers will discover or buy it.

Develop a marketing plan based on your audience and genre. Useful activities may include:

• Creating an author website and an email list.
• Publishing helpful articles related to your book’s subject.
• Sharing relevant content through social media.
• Reaching suitable book reviewers and reader communities without pressuring them for positive reviews.
• Using appropriate Amazon advertising or other paid campaigns.
• Building a consistent author brand.
• Tracking sales and refining your promotional strategy.

For a more detailed approach, read The Pulp House Publishing’s guide to book marketing and promotion.

Measure your progress over time. Impressions, product-page visits, sales, reader feedback, and marketing costs can help you identify which activities deserve more attention.