Publishing your own book is much more straightforward than it used to be, especially with Amazon KDP. Kindle Direct Publishing allows authors to self-publish ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers for free, and it gives you direct access to Amazon’s stores and your book’s product page.
The process can feel intimidating at first, especially if it is your first book. But once you break it into clear steps, it becomes much more manageable. This guide walks through the basics of publishing your book on Amazon KDP in a simple and beginner-friendly way.
What is Amazon KDP?
Amazon KDP, or Kindle Direct Publishing, is Amazon’s self-publishing platform. It allows you to publish digital and print books yourself, keep control of your rights, and make your book available to readers through Amazon.
With KDP, you can publish:
- Kindle ebooks
- paperbacks
- hardcovers
KDP does not support everything. Amazon states that magazines, periodicals, calendars, and spiral-bound books are not eligible for creation through KDP.
What you need before you start
Before you begin uploading anything, it helps to have the main pieces ready. Amazon’s publishing flow starts with your manuscript and cover files, along with the information that will appear on your book page.
You will usually need:
- your finished manuscript
- a book cover
- your title and subtitle
- your author name
- your book description
- keywords and categories
- pricing ideas
- your KDP account, including tax and payment details
If you are publishing a print book, formatting matters even more because trim size, margins, bleed, fonts, and cover sizing all need to match KDP’s print requirements. Amazon provides manuscript templates and submission guidelines for paperbacks and hardcovers to help with this.
Step 1: Create and set up your KDP account
Go to KDP and sign in with your Amazon account, or create one if needed. Once inside, complete your account setup properly before publishing, including your identity, payment details, and tax information, because this is how Amazon pays royalties.
This part is not the most exciting, but it is important. If your account is incomplete, it can slow down your publishing process.
Step 2: Start a new book
In your KDP dashboard, choose the format you want to create. You can start a Kindle ebook, a paperback, or a hardcover.
KDP’s setup process is designed to walk you through the book step by step. You will enter your title, subtitle if you have one, series information if relevant, author name, and contributors.
You will also add a book description, publishing rights information, and category choices during setup. These details matter because they help readers understand your book and help Amazon place it correctly in its store.
Step 3: Upload your manuscript and cover
Once your book details are entered, you will move on to the content stage. Here you upload your manuscript file and your cover file. Amazon accepts a range of manuscript file formats, including DOC, DOCX, EPUB, HTML, RTF, plain text, MOBI, and KPF, depending on the format you are publishing.
If you do not have a cover yet, KDP offers a Cover Creator tool, and Amazon also provides templates for print covers. Kindle Create can help with formatting too, especially for authors who want a simpler way to prepare their book interior.
Before you move on, use KDP’s preview tools. Amazon provides previewing options so you can check how your book will appear on Kindle devices, mobile screens, or in print. This is one of the most important steps because small formatting mistakes are much easier to fix before publication than after.
Step 4: Choose rights, territories, and pricing
Next, you will set your publishing rights, where your book can be sold, and your list price. KDP allows authors to set pricing for different marketplaces, and Amazon can automatically convert your main marketplace price into local currencies if you do not set each one manually.
For ebooks, Amazon says there are generally two royalty options: up to 70 percent for books priced within eligible ranges, and 35 percent for others. For print books, Amazon states royalties can be up to 60 percent, but actual earnings depend on factors such as printing costs.
It is worth checking the royalty information carefully before publishing. Print royalties are not simply the cover price multiplied by 60 percent because printing costs are deducted, and those vary by format and specifications.
Step 5: Publish and wait for review
Once everything is complete, you can submit your book for publication. Amazon says books typically appear in Amazon stores within about 72 hours after submission, although timing can vary.
During review, your files and metadata are checked. If something needs fixing, KDP may ask for changes before your book goes live.
After publishing
Publishing your book is a major milestone, but it is not the final step. KDP also offers tools to help authors promote their books, including KDP Select for eligible ebooks, Author Pages, Amazon Advertising in supported countries, A+ Content, and Expanded Distribution for certain print books in the US and UK.
You do not need to use all of these immediately. For beginners, the most important thing is getting the book live with accurate details, strong formatting, and a professional-looking cover.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few issues come up often for first-time authors:
- uploading a manuscript without properly previewing it first
- using the wrong print sizing or cover dimensions for paperback or hardcover files
- rushing through keywords, categories, and description
- pricing without checking royalty impact, especially for print books
- skipping account setup details such as tax and payment information
Taking a little extra time before clicking publish can save a lot of stress later.
Final thoughts
Self-publishing on Amazon KDP is much more approachable when you see it as a step-by-step process rather than one huge task. At its core, the process is simple: prepare your files, enter your details, upload everything carefully, set your pricing, preview your book, and publish.
If you are new to self-publishing, the best thing you can do is go slowly, use Amazon’s official tools and templates where needed, and double-check each step before submission. A clear, well-prepared book has a much better start than one uploaded in a rush.