How to Publish on Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is the world's largest self-publishing platform. It's free to use, pays 35–70% royalties, and puts your book in front of hundreds of millions of Amazon shoppers.
Once your manuscript is ready, publishing takes less than an hour. Here's the complete walkthrough.
Before You Start: What You Need
Before logging into KDP, have these ready:
- Finished, edited manuscript, in .epub or .docx format for Kindle; PDF for print
- Book cover, minimum 2,560 × 1,600 pixels, JPG or TIFF
- Title and subtitle, finalized
- Book description, 150–400 words, written to sell (this is your Amazon product listing)
- 7 keywords, words and phrases your target readers actually search
- 2 categories, where your book shows up in Amazon's browse structure
- Author biography, short, third-person, 100–200 words
- Bank account and tax information, for royalty payments
Step 1: Create Your KDP Account
Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account or create a new one.
Complete your account setup:
- Author/publisher name (can be a pen name)
- Tax information (US authors complete a W-9; non-US authors complete a W-8BEN)
- Payment method (direct deposit or check; direct deposit is faster)
KDP pays royalties approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale occurred.
Step 2: Create a New Title
From your KDP Bookshelf, click + Kindle eBook.
You'll see three sections: Kindle eBook Details, Kindle eBook Content, and Kindle eBook Pricing.
Step 3: Fill in Book Details
Title and subtitle Enter your full title. If your book has a subtitle, add it in the subtitle field, do not include it in the title field.
Series (if applicable) If this is part of a series, enter the series name and volume number.
Edition number Leave blank for first editions.
Author Enter your name exactly as you want it to appear on Amazon.
Description This is your sales copy, the most important thing you write in the KDP setup process. A strong description:
- Opens with a hook (a question, a bold statement, or a direct address to your reader)
- Names the problem your book solves
- Describes what's inside (briefly)
- Ends with a call to read
Use HTML to format it (bold key phrases, add line breaks). Amazon accepts basic HTML tags in descriptions.
Publishing rights Select "I own the copyright and I hold necessary publishing rights." (This is true for ghostwritten books where copyright has transferred to you.)
Keywords You get 7 keyword slots. Each slot can hold a multi-word phrase. Use keywords that your target reader actually searches, not the words you'd use to describe your book.
Categories Choose 2 categories from Amazon's browse structure. Categories affect your bestseller ranking and where your book appears in browse. Choose the most specific relevant categories.
Age and grade range Leave blank unless it's a children's book.
Pre-order Choose "I am ready to release my book now" unless you're running a pre-order campaign.
Step 4: Upload Your Manuscript and Cover
Manuscript upload Click "Upload eBook manuscript" and select your .epub or .docx file. KDP will process it and show you a preview. Review the preview carefully, check chapter headings, formatting, images, and table of contents.
Cover upload Click "Upload your cover file" and select your JPG or TIFF. The minimum is 2,560 × 1,600 pixels. Covers that look great at thumbnail size (the size most readers see) outperform covers optimized for full-size.
Preview your book Use KDP's online previewer or download the Kindle Previewer app to see exactly how your book will look on Kindle devices. Fix any formatting issues before publishing.
Step 5: Set Your Rights and Pricing
Territories Select "Worldwide rights, all territories" unless you've signed deals that restrict your distribution in specific countries.
Royalty and pricing
| Royalty Rate | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 35% | $0.99 – $2.98 or $10.00+ |
| 70% | $2.99 – $9.99 |
For most business books and nonfiction, price between $4.99 and $9.99 to capture the 70% royalty rate.
KDP Select enrollment (optional) Enrolling in KDP Select makes your book exclusive to Amazon (no other ebook retailers) for 90 days. In exchange, your book is included in Kindle Unlimited (readers can borrow it for free, you earn per page read) and you can run limited-time price promotions.
For most authors, KDP Select is worth enrolling in, especially at launch.
Step 6: Publish
Click Publish Your Kindle eBook.
Amazon typically approves and publishes Kindle ebooks within 24–72 hours. You'll receive an email confirmation when your book is live.
Adding a Print-on-Demand Paperback
From your KDP Bookshelf, click Create paperback next to your ebook title.
Additional requirements for print:
- PDF manuscript formatted for print (specific margin and trim size requirements)
- Back cover design (KDP provides templates)
- Choose your trim size (5.5"×8.5" and 6"×9" are most common for nonfiction)
Print pricing is calculated based on page count and trim size. KDP shows you the minimum sale price automatically.
Print books go live within 72 hours and ship print-on-demand, no inventory required.
After Publishing: Getting Reviews
Reviews are the most important driver of Kindle sales. Target at least 15–20 reviews in your first 30 days.
- Email your network on launch day and ask specifically for reviews
- Send advance review copies to people likely to finish and post a review
- Add a final page to your book asking readers to leave a review
Do not purchase reviews or use review swap groups, Amazon bans accounts for this.
Don't Have a Manuscript Yet?
The only thing standing between you and a published Kindle book is a finished manuscript.
TurnkeyBook delivers a complete, professionally written book, 100–500 pages, human-written, in PDF and Kindle-ready .epub format, in about 7 days for $2,800.
You handle the KDP upload (30 minutes, following the steps above). We handle everything else.