How to Self-Publish on Amazon KDP in 2026: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) has made self-publishing accessible to anyone with a story to tell or knowledge to share. In 2026, over 50% of ebook sales on Amazon come from indie authors. Whether you're publishing your first novel, a cookbook, a business guide, or a children's book, this guide walks you through every step of the KDP publishing process.

What you'll learn: Account setup, manuscript formatting, cover requirements, metadata optimization, pricing strategies, and launch marketing. By the end, you'll have everything you need to publish your first book on Amazon.

What is Amazon KDP?

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon's self-publishing platform. It allows anyone to publish ebooks and paperbacks for free, reaching millions of Amazon customers worldwide. There are no upfront costs. Amazon makes money by taking a percentage of each sale.

Key benefits of KDP:

Free to publish: No setup fees, no printing costs for ebooks
Global reach: Your book becomes available in 13 Amazon marketplaces
Fast publishing: Books go live within 24-72 hours
Keep your rights: You retain copyright and can unpublish anytime
Real-time tracking: Monitor sales and royalties in your dashboard
Print on demand: Paperbacks printed only when ordered (no inventory)

KDP is ideal for authors who want control over their publishing journey without the gatekeeping of traditional publishers. You set your price, design your cover, and keep up to 70% of royalties.

Step 1: Create Your Amazon KDP Account

If you already have an Amazon account, you can use it to sign in to KDP. If not, you'll create a new account during setup.

To set up your KDP account:

Go to kdp.amazon.com
Sign in with your Amazon account or create a new one
Complete your author/publisher profile
Enter your tax information (required before you can publish)
Set up your payment method for royalties

Tax information: US authors complete a W-9. International authors complete a W-8BEN. Amazon withholds taxes on royalties from certain countries unless you provide tax treaty documentation. Complete this step early to avoid delays when you're ready to publish.

Payment setup: Add your bank account details for electronic fund transfers. Payments are made approximately 60 days after the end of each month (so January sales are paid in late March). You can also choose payment by check, though this takes longer and may have minimum thresholds.

Step 2: Write and Prepare Your Manuscript

Before you can publish, you need a finished manuscript. This is where most aspiring authors get stuck. The blank page is intimidating, and writing a full book takes time.

Options for creating your manuscript:

Write it yourself: The traditional approach. Use Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener
Use AI assistance: Tools like AI book writers can help generate drafts from your ideas
Hire a ghostwriter: Work with a professional writer to bring your vision to life
Repurpose existing content: Turn blog posts, courses, or presentations into book format

For non-fiction authors especially, AI-assisted writing can dramatically speed up the process. You provide the expertise, outline, and key points. The AI helps expand them into polished chapters. Learn more in our AI ebook workflow guide.

Manuscript Formatting Requirements

KDP accepts several file formats for ebooks:

DOC/DOCX: Microsoft Word format (most common)
EPUB: Standard ebook format
KPF: Kindle Create format (recommended for complex layouts)
HTML/MOBI: Also supported but less common

Basic formatting rules:

Use standard fonts (Times New Roman, Arial, Georgia)
Use Word's heading styles for chapter titles (Heading 1)
Insert page breaks between chapters (not multiple returns)
Avoid manual spacing. Use paragraph settings instead
Include a table of contents using Word's TOC feature
Keep images at 300 DPI, RGB color mode

For complex books (cookbooks, children's books, heavily illustrated guides), use Kindle Create, Amazon's free formatting tool. It handles layout-intensive content better than Word alone.

Step 3: Design Your Book Cover

Your cover is your book's most important marketing asset. On Amazon, buyers see thumbnails first. A professional cover signals quality. An amateur cover signals "skip this."

KDP cover specifications:

Ebook covers: 2560 x 1600 pixels (1.6:1 ratio), RGB, JPG or TIFF
Paperback covers: Dimensions vary by trim size and page count. Use the KDP cover calculator
File size: Under 50MB
Resolution: 300 DPI minimum for print

Cover design options:

AI cover generators: Create professional covers in minutes. Inkfluence AI includes cover generation
Canva/Book Brush: DIY tools with book cover templates
Hire a designer: Fiverr, 99designs, or professional cover artists ($50-$500+)
KDP Cover Creator: Amazon's free tool (basic, but functional)

Cover design tips for 2026:

Check your genre's bestseller covers for current trends
Ensure title is readable at thumbnail size
Use contrasting colors for visibility
Keep design clean. Cluttered covers fail
Test on mobile devices (where most browsing happens)

Step 4: Set Up Your Book Details (Metadata)

Metadata is the information Amazon uses to categorize your book and show it to the right readers. Getting this right is critical for discoverability.

Title and Subtitle

Your title should be clear and include relevant keywords where natural. Subtitles are optional for fiction but highly recommended for non-fiction.

Examples:

Good non-fiction: "Meal Prep Mastery: 75 Easy Recipes for Busy Weeknights"
Good fiction: "The Last Lighthouse Keeper" (genre signals through cover/category)

Book Description

Your description is your sales pitch. It appears on your book's product page and needs to hook readers, communicate value, and prompt them to buy.

Description best practices:

Open with a hook that identifies the reader's problem or desire
For fiction: Set up the conflict without spoilers
For non-fiction: Promise specific outcomes
Use HTML formatting (bold, bullets) to improve readability
End with a call to action
Keep under 4,000 characters

Use a book description generator to create conversion-optimized descriptions that follow Amazon's best practices.

Keywords (7 Slots)

Amazon gives you 7 keyword fields to help readers find your book. These are invisible to shoppers but power Amazon's search.

Keyword strategy:

Don't repeat words already in your title
Use phrases, not single words ("healthy dinner recipes" not just "recipes")
Include synonyms and related terms
Add common misspellings your audience might use
Research what successful competitors target

Our KDP SEO checklist provides a complete keyword optimization strategy.

Categories (2 Selections)

You can choose 2 categories during publishing. Categories determine where your book appears in Amazon's browse structure and which bestseller lists you can rank on.

Category tips:

Choose the most specific relevant categories
Check category competition (fewer books = easier to rank)
Contact KDP support to add up to 10 additional categories after publishing
Look at where successful similar books are categorized

Step 5: Choose Your Pricing and Royalty Rate

KDP offers two royalty options for ebooks:

35% Royalty

Available for prices between $0.99 and $200
No delivery costs deducted
Available in all Amazon territories

70% Royalty

Available for prices between $2.99 and $9.99
Delivery costs deducted (based on file size)
Available in select territories only
Price must be at least 20% below print price

Pricing strategy for 2026:

$0.99-$2.99: Good for reader magnets, short content, or building audience
$2.99-$4.99: Sweet spot for fiction and shorter non-fiction
$4.99-$9.99: Standard for full-length non-fiction and premium fiction
$9.99+: Specialty/professional content (takes 35% royalty)

Most authors price between $2.99 and $4.99 to qualify for the 70% royalty while remaining competitive.

KDP Select: Should You Enroll?

KDP Select is an optional program that requires 90-day exclusivity to Amazon. In exchange, you get:

Kindle Unlimited: Readers with KU subscriptions can read your book free. You earn per page read
Kindle Owners' Lending Library: Prime members can borrow your book
Promotional tools: Free book promotions and Countdown deals
Higher royalties: 70% in additional countries (Brazil, Japan, India, Mexico)

When to enroll: If you're focused on Amazon and want access to KU readers (which can significantly boost page reads). When to skip: If you want to distribute widely on Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, etc.

Step 6: Upload and Preview Your Book

With your files ready, it's time to upload:

Log into your KDP dashboard
Click "Create New Title" and select Kindle eBook or Paperback
Enter all metadata (title, description, keywords, categories)
Upload your manuscript file
Upload your cover file
Use the Previewer to check formatting on different devices
Fix any issues flagged by the quality checker

Common upload issues:

Image quality warnings: Ensure images are 300 DPI
File too large: Compress images or reduce quality slightly
Formatting breaks: Check the preview on Kindle, tablet, and phone views
Font embedding: Stick to standard fonts to avoid display issues

Step 7: Publish and Go Live

Once you're satisfied with the preview:

Choose your territories (typically "All territories")
Set your pricing for each marketplace
Enroll in KDP Select if desired
Click "Publish Your Kindle eBook"

Your book enters Amazon's review queue. Most books go live within 24-72 hours. You'll receive an email confirmation when your book is available.

Note: First-time publishers may experience slightly longer review times. Books with controversial content or that trigger manual review can take up to 5 days.

Step 8: Launch Marketing Strategies

Publishing is just the beginning. Without marketing, your book will be invisible among millions of titles.

Pre-Launch (Before Publishing)

Build an email list of interested readers
Set up your Amazon Author Central profile
Create social media buzz with cover reveals and excerpts
Reach out to book bloggers and reviewers
Prepare your launch team (people who'll buy and review on day one)

Launch Week

Announce to your email list with a direct buy link
Post on all social channels
Ask friends and family to purchase and leave honest reviews
Run a promotional price or free days if in KDP Select
Monitor your sales rank and celebrate milestones

Ongoing Promotion

Amazon Ads: Pay-per-click advertising directly on Amazon
BookBub: Email promotion service (competitive but powerful)
Social media: Consistent content about your book's topic
More books: The best marketing is your next book. Series sell better
Reviews: Encourage readers to leave reviews (critical for visibility)

Common Amazon KDP Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping editing: Poor grammar and typos lead to bad reviews. Always edit professionally
Amateur covers: Don't design your own unless you have real design skills
Wrong categories: Placing your book in overly competitive categories buries it
Ignoring keywords: Empty keyword fields mean lost discoverability
Pricing too high: New authors without reviews struggle at premium prices
No marketing plan: "If I publish it, they will come" is a myth
Expecting overnight success: Most successful authors have multiple books and years of marketing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free to self-publish on Amazon KDP?

Yes, publishing on Amazon KDP is completely free. There are no setup fees, no listing fees, and no costs to make changes. Amazon makes money by taking a percentage of each sale (30% at the 70% royalty tier, 65% at the 35% tier).

How much money can you make self-publishing on Amazon?

Earnings vary enormously. Some authors make a few dollars per month. Others earn six or seven figures annually. Your income depends on book quality, marketing effort, niche selection, pricing, and how many books you publish. The median self-published author earns under $1,000/year, but the top 10% earn significantly more.

How long does it take for a book to go live on KDP?

Most ebooks go live within 24-72 hours after you click publish. Paperbacks may take slightly longer. During peak periods (like before Christmas) or if your book requires manual review, it could take up to 5 days.

Do I need an ISBN to publish on Amazon KDP?

For ebooks, no. Amazon assigns a free ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) to every Kindle book. For paperbacks, you can use Amazon's free ISBN or purchase and provide your own. Note that Amazon's free ISBN limits distribution to Amazon only.

Can I publish AI-written books on Amazon KDP?

Yes. As of 2024, Amazon requires you to disclose AI-generated content during the publishing process, but AI-assisted books are permitted. The key is ensuring your content provides genuine value and meets Amazon's quality guidelines. Books that are clearly low-effort AI spam get removed.

What is KDP Select and should I enroll?

KDP Select is an optional program requiring 90-day exclusivity to Amazon. You get access to Kindle Unlimited readers, promotional tools, and higher royalties in some countries. Enroll if you're focused on Amazon. Skip if you want to sell on other platforms like Apple Books or Kobo.

Can I update my book after publishing?

Yes. You can update your manuscript, cover, description, and keywords anytime. Changes typically take 24-48 hours to go live. However, significant content changes may trigger a new review.

How do I get reviews for my book?

Ask readers directly (a request at the end of your book helps), build a launch team of early readers, reach out to book bloggers in your genre, and use Amazon's "Request a Review" button in your sales dashboard. Never pay for reviews or incentivize them, which violates Amazon's terms.

Related Resources

Want to dive deeper into self-publishing and book creation? Check out these guides:

Amazon KDP Tools: Complete Self-Publishing Toolkit (2026) – essential tools for optimizing your listings
Free KDP Tools – description generator, keyword research, and more
Inkfluence AI vs ChatGPT – choosing the right AI for book writing
Inkfluence AI vs Jasper – comparing AI writing tools for long-form content
Inkfluence AI vs Sudowrite – best AI for fiction and creative writing

Start Your Self-Publishing Journey

Self-publishing on Amazon KDP has never been more accessible. With the right tools and strategy, you can go from idea to published author in weeks, not years.

The key steps: write quality content (or use AI assistance to speed up the process), invest in professional formatting and cover design, optimize your metadata for discoverability, and commit to ongoing marketing.

Your first book is the hardest. Each one after gets easier as you learn the process and build your audience. The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is now.

Ready to create your book? Try Inkfluence AI free and go from idea to publication-ready ebook in minutes, not months.