How to Publish a Book on Amazon: A Complete Guide to Kindle Direct Publishing

Amazon's self-publishing platform — Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) — has made it possible for anyone to publish a book and reach millions of readers worldwide. But "publishing on Amazon" isn't a single button press. It involves a sequence of decisions, formatting requirements, and platform settings that can produce very different results depending on how you approach them.

Here's how the process actually works.

What Is Kindle Direct Publishing?

KDP is Amazon's self-publishing platform available at kdp.amazon.com. It lets authors publish both eBooks (in Kindle format) and paperback or hardcover print books through Amazon's print-on-demand service. There's no upfront cost to publish — Amazon takes a percentage of royalties from each sale instead.

KDP is separate from Amazon's traditional publishing imprint. You retain the rights to your work, set your own price, and can make changes to your book after publication.

The Two Publishing Paths: eBook vs. Print

Before you start uploading files, you need to decide what format you're publishing.

Many authors publish both simultaneously. The eBook and print editions are created as separate titles within the same KDP account but can be linked on Amazon's product page.

Step 1: Prepare Your Manuscript

Your manuscript needs to be properly formatted before upload. KDP accepts several file formats, but .epub is the standard for eBooks, and PDF is required for print.

For eBooks:

• Use styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Normal) consistently in Word or Google Docs
• Avoid manual spacing and hard page breaks
• KDP's free Kindle Create tool converts .docx files into properly formatted Kindle files

For print:

• Set your page size to match your chosen trim size (e.g., 6" x 9" is common for novels)
• Include margins that account for the book's spine (called the gutter margin)
• Embed all fonts in your PDF before uploading

Poor formatting is the most common reason a published book looks unprofessional. Even minor issues — inconsistent indentation, missing chapter breaks — become very visible in the final product.

Step 2: Create a KDP Account and Start a New Title

Go to kdp.amazon.com, sign in with your Amazon account, and select "Create" from the Bookshelf dashboard. You'll be guided through three main sections:

1. Book Details — title, subtitle, author name, description, categories, and keywords
2. Book Content — manuscript upload, cover upload, and ISBN
3. Book Pricing — royalty rate, list price, and territory rights

Each section has required fields and optional ones. The metadata you enter here — especially your book description, categories, and keywords — directly affects how discoverable your book is on Amazon.

Step 3: Choose Your ISBN

For eBooks, KDP assigns a free ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), so an ISBN is optional. For print books, you'll need an ISBN. KDP offers a free ISBN, but it lists "Independently published" as your publisher. If you want to use your own imprint name, you'll need to purchase an ISBN from your country's ISBN agency (such as Bowker in the US).

This distinction matters if you plan to sell through other retailers or libraries, where your publisher name may be visible. 📚

Step 4: Upload and Preview Your Cover

Your cover is uploaded separately from your manuscript. KDP accepts .jpeg or .tiff files for eBook covers, with a minimum of 2,560 pixels on the longest side and a 1.6:1 height-to-width ratio recommended.

For print, the cover must be a full wrap — front, spine, and back — as a single PDF. Spine width is calculated based on page count and paper type, and KDP provides a Cover Calculator tool to generate a template.

KDP also offers a basic Cover Creator tool built into the platform, though most authors who want a polished result use external design tools or hire a designer.

Step 5: Set Pricing and Royalties 💰

For Kindle eBooks, you choose between:

• 35% royalty — applies to books priced below $2.99 or above $9.99, or sold in certain territories
• 70% royalty — applies to books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 in eligible countries

For print books, royalties are calculated as 60% of the list price, minus the printing cost. Printing cost varies by page count, trim size, and whether the interior is black-and-white or color.

You also decide whether to enroll your eBook in KDP Select, which grants Amazon 90-day exclusivity in exchange for access to Kindle Unlimited (KU) and promotional tools like Kindle Countdown Deals.

Step 6: Publish and Wait for Review

Once you submit, Amazon typically reviews and approves books within 24 to 72 hours, though this can vary. After approval, your book goes live on Amazon's marketplace. Print-on-demand books may take a few additional days to appear with full ordering functionality.

You can update your manuscript, cover, pricing, or metadata after publication — changes go through a similar review window.

What Affects Your Results

Publishing on KDP is technically accessible, but outcomes vary significantly based on:

• Manuscript quality and formatting — directly impacts reader experience and reviews
• Cover design — a major driver of click-through in search results
• Metadata and keywords — determines category placement and organic discoverability
• Pricing strategy — influences royalty per sale vs. sales volume
• KDP Select enrollment — beneficial for some genres (especially romance, fantasy, sci-fi) and less so for others
• Marketing outside KDP — Amazon's platform surfaces books, but doesn't guarantee visibility without external promotion

A first-time author publishing a niche non-fiction title will navigate very different tradeoffs than someone releasing a genre fiction series with an existing readership. The platform is the same — but what you prioritize within it, and what success looks like, depends entirely on where you're starting from.