How to Self-Publish on Amazon KDP: Steps, Royalties and Print Costs
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) lets you publish an ebook, a paperback and a hardcover of the same book and sell them on Amazon, with no fee to start. This guide covers each step from account to live listing, with the numbers that decide whether a book pays: royalty rates, printing costs, trim sizes, margins, spine width and timelines. Every figure comes from KDP's own help pages, read on 2 October 2026, with the link beside each table so you can check it yourself.
The short answer
Amazon KDP (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing) is free. Amazon KDP publishing means you publish an ebook, paperback or hardcover at kdp.amazon.com at no cost, and Amazon keeps part of each sale. Ebooks pay 70% of the list price (less a small delivery cost) when priced $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com, and 35% otherwise. Paperbacks and hardcovers pay 60% of the list price at $9.99 and up (50% below), minus the printing cost, which for a 300-page 6 x 9 black-ink paperback is $4.60. A book goes live in about 72 hours, or 3 business days. Ebooks need no ISBN; KDP gives print books a free one.
To publish: set up the account and tax interview, upload a manuscript (DOCX, KPF or EPUB for ebooks, PDF for print), upload a cover, enter the title, description, 7 keywords and 3 categories, answer the AI-content question, set the price, and press publish. Once it is live you can add A+ Content in KDP Marketing. Royalties arrive monthly, about 60 days after the month of the sale. Facts checked on kdp.amazon.com on 2 October 2026.
What is Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and is it free?
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon's self-publishing service, and the way most self-published authors put a book on Amazon. You upload the files, set the price, and Amazon sells the book on its stores: the ebook is delivered to Kindle devices and apps, and paperbacks and hardcovers are printed one copy at a time when someone orders. There is no agent, no publisher and no print run. You keep the rights and can change the book or the price whenever you like.
It is free in the plain sense: no sign-up fee and no listing fee, and no need for one of the paid book publishing services. Amazon earns by keeping part of each sale, and for print books it also deducts the printing cost from the sale. The table below is the whole money picture on one screen; the sections after it go through each line.
| Question | Answer on Amazon.com |
|---|---|
| Cost to publish | $0. Printing is deducted from each print sale, never charged up front. |
| Ebook royalty | 70% at $2.99-$12.99 (minus VAT and delivery), else 35% |
| Paperback / hardcover royalty | 60% at $9.99 and up, 50% at $9.98 and below, minus printing |
| Time to go live | Up to 72 hours (about 3 business days) |
| ISBN | Ebook: none needed (ASIN). Print: free KDP ISBN or your own |
| When you are paid | Monthly, about 60 days after the month ends (90 for Expanded Distribution) |
| Who can publish | Anyone 18 or older with a validated tax identity |
Sources: KDP eBook royalty options, paperback royalty, publishing timelines, ISBN, payment timing, KDP terms. Checked 2 October 2026.
Before you start: account, tax and payments
Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with an Amazon account (or create one). Setup has three parts, and KDP will not publish anything until the tax part is done.
- Author or publisher details. Your legal name or business name and address. You must be at least 18 to accept the KDP terms.
- Tax interview. US authors complete the equivalent of a Form W-9; authors outside the US complete a W-8BEN, which is where a tax treaty can lower US withholding. KDP must validate your tax identity before you can publish.
- Getting paid. Add a bank account for direct deposit. Direct deposit has no minimum payment threshold. Royalties are paid monthly, about 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale happened, and about 90 days for Expanded Distribution sales.
Setup usually takes one sitting. Before you write, check the topic: high-demand, low-competition niches is the place to check demand before you write a word.
Ebook, paperback or hardcover: which should you publish?
You can publish all three editions of the same book. Most self-publishers start with the ebook and the paperback together, because the paperback costs nothing extra to list and many buyers still want print. A hardcover is worth adding for gift books, picture books and reference books that people keep.
Kindle ebook
File: DOCX, KPF or EPUB. Royalty 70% or 35%. No ISBN. No printing cost, a small delivery cost at 70%. Can join KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited.
Paperback
File: PDF interior plus a one-PDF wrap cover. Royalty 60% or 50%, minus printing. 24 to 828 pages depending on trim and ink. Free ISBN.
Hardcover
Case laminate, no dust jacket. 75 to 550 pages, five trim sizes. Royalty 60% or 50%, minus a higher printing cost. Needs its own ISBN.
A rule that links the formats: to keep the 70% ebook royalty, the ebook's list price must be at least 20% below the list price of any print edition of the same book. A $14.99 paperback leaves room for an ebook at up to $11.99.
How much does KDP pay for an ebook?
KDP has two ebook royalty options, and the price you set decides which one you can use. On 7 July 2026 Amazon widened the 70% band on Amazon.com to $2.99-$12.99; it had been $2.99-$9.99 since 2007. Older guides that still say $9.99 are out of date.
| Rule | 70% option | 35% option |
|---|---|---|
| List price on Amazon.com | $2.99 to $12.99 (effective 7 July 2026) | Minimum by file size: $0.99 under 3 MB, $1.99 for 3-10 MB, $2.99 over 10 MB. Maximum $200 |
| Formula | 70% x (list price - VAT - delivery cost) | 35% x (list price - VAT), no delivery cost |
| Delivery cost | $0.15 per MB on Amazon.com (minimum $0.01); KDP's average is about $0.06 a sale | None |
| Other conditions | Ebook at least 20% below any print edition's list price; only in the territories KDP lists; not for public-domain content | Applies everywhere else |
Sources: KDP eBook royalty options (G200634560), royalty requirements (G200634500), delivery costs (G200644210). Checked 2 October 2026.
What that means per sale
Worked on Amazon.com (no VAT) with a typical 1 MB text ebook, so the delivery cost at 70% is $0.15:
| List price | Option | Sum | You earn |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.99 | 35% | 0.35 x $1.99 | $0.70 |
| $2.99 | 70% | 0.70 x ($2.99 - $0.15) | $1.99 |
| $4.99 | 70% | 0.70 x ($4.99 - $0.15) | $3.39 |
| $12.99 | 70% | 0.70 x ($12.99 - $0.15) | $8.99 |
| $14.99 | 35% | 0.35 x $14.99 | $5.25 |
Two things stand out. Moving from $1.99 to $2.99 nearly triples what you earn, because it crosses into the 70% band. And going above $12.99 on Amazon.com drops you to 35%, so a $14.99 ebook earns less per sale than a $12.99 one. Image-heavy ebooks pay more in delivery: a 10 MB file costs $1.50 a sale at 70%, which is why picture books and cookbooks are often better as print. For more prices, see KDP royalties in 2026 or put your own numbers into the royalty calculator.
How much does it cost to print a paperback on KDP?
Nothing up front. Amazon prints each copy when it sells and takes the printing cost out of the sale. The cost is a fixed charge plus a charge per page, and it depends on the ink, the page count and whether the trim is regular or large. Large means wider than 6.12 inches or taller than 9 inches, so 6 x 9 is regular and 8.5 x 11 and 8.5 x 8.5 are large.
US printing cost, regular trim (6 x 9 and smaller)
| Ink | Short books | Longer books |
|---|---|---|
| Black ink | 24-110 pages: $2.30 flat | 110-828 pages: $1.00 + $0.012 a page |
| Standard colour | 72-600 pages: $1.00 + $0.0255 a page | Same formula across the range |
| Premium colour | 24-40 pages: $3.60 flat | 42-828 pages: $1.00 + $0.065 a page |
US printing cost, large trim (wider than 6.12" or taller than 9")
| Ink | Short books | Longer books |
|---|---|---|
| Black ink | 24-110 pages: $2.84 flat | 110 pages and up: $1.00 + $0.017 a page |
| Standard colour | $1.00 + $0.0402 a page | Same formula across the range |
| Premium colour | 24-40 pages: $4.20 flat | 42-828 pages: $1.00 + $0.08 a page |
Source: KDP printing cost (G201834340), Amazon.com marketplace. Checked 2 October 2026.
Paperback royalty: the formula and a worked example
KDP pays a royalty rate on the list price, then subtracts the printing cost: royalty = (rate x list price) - printing cost. The rate is 60% at a list price of $9.99 or more and 50% at $9.98 or less. Sales through Expanded Distribution (bookshops, libraries and other retailers outside Amazon) pay 40%. KDP will not let you price below the point where the royalty is zero: the minimum list price is the printing cost divided by the royalty rate.
| 300-page 6 x 9, black ink ($4.60 to print) | Sum | You earn |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum list price | $4.60 / 0.50 | $9.20 (earns $0) |
| List $9.98 on Amazon | 0.50 x $9.98 - $4.60 | $0.39 |
| List $9.99 on Amazon | 0.60 x $9.99 - $4.60 | $1.39 |
| List $14.99 on Amazon | 0.60 x $14.99 - $4.60 | $4.39 |
| List $14.99, Expanded Distribution | 0.40 x $14.99 - $4.60 | $1.40 |
Source: KDP paperback royalty (G201834330). Checked 2 October 2026.
The one-cent step from $9.98 to $9.99 is worth a dollar a copy on this book, so check which side of it your price sits on. Colour is where print costs climb: the same 300 pages in premium colour cost $1.00 + 300 x $0.065 = $20.50 to print, which is why colour books are usually short.
Paperback specs: trim size, page count, margins, bleed and spine
KDP checks every paperback file against these limits during upload, and most rejections trace back to one of them. The page count limits depend on the trim and the ink and paper you choose.
| Trim (inches) | Black ink, white paper | Black ink, cream paper | Standard colour | Premium colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9 | 24-828 pages | 24-776 pages | 72-600 pages | 24-828 pages |
| 8.5 x 8.5, 8.5 x 11 | 24-590 pages | 24-550 pages | 72-600 pages | 24-590 pages |
Source: KDP trim size, bleed and margins (GVBQ3CMEQW3W2VL6). Checked 2 October 2026.
Margins and gutter
The gutter is the inside margin, on the binding side. Thicker books need a wider one so text does not disappear into the spine. The outside margins (top, bottom and the edge away from the spine) must be at least 0.25 inch without bleed, or 0.375 inch with bleed.
| Page count | Minimum gutter |
|---|---|
| 24-150 pages | 0.375" |
| 151-300 pages | 0.5" |
| 301-500 pages | 0.625" |
| 501-700 pages | 0.75" |
| 701-828 pages | 0.875" |
Source: KDP trim size, bleed and margins. Checked 2 October 2026.
Bleed and the cover wrap
Bleed means art that runs to the edge of the page. To print it, the file extends 0.125 inch past the trim on the outside edges and is cut back after printing. A book with no edge-to-edge art is set up as "No bleed", and the interior file is exactly the trim size.
The paperback cover is a single PDF: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, with 0.125 inch of bleed on all four sides. Its width depends on the spine, and the spine depends on the page count and paper; the KDP spine width calculator works it out for paperbacks and hardcovers. KDP prints spine text only on books with more than 79 pages.
| Paper | Spine width per page | 300 pages |
|---|---|---|
| White | 0.002252" | 0.676" |
| Cream | 0.0025" | 0.75" |
| Colour | 0.002347" | 0.704" |
Source: KDP paperback cover guidelines (G201857950). Checked 2 October 2026.
For a 300-page 6 x 9 paperback on white paper, the wrap is 0.125 + 6 + 0.676 + 6 + 0.125 = 12.926 inches wide and 9.25 inches tall. Pick cream paper instead and the spine grows to 0.75 inch, so the cover must be rebuilt. The paperback publishing guide walks through the print upload screen by screen.
Can you publish a hardcover on KDP?
Yes. KDP hardcovers are case laminate: the cover art is printed straight onto the board, with no dust jacket. They are a separate edition with their own setup, their own ISBN and their own cover measurements, which differ from a paperback's.
| Page count | 75 to 550 pages |
|---|---|
| Trim sizes | 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9, 6.14 x 9.21, 7 x 10, 8.25 x 11 inches |
| ISBN | Its own, separate from the paperback |
| Royalty | 60% at $9.99 and up, 50% at $9.98 and below, minus printing |
| US printing, black ink, regular trim | 75-108 pages: $6.80 flat. 110-550 pages: $5.65 + $0.012 a page |
| Expanded Distribution | Not available for hardcover |
Sources: KDP hardcover (GAVW3FZZAKA2KY3B), trim sizes, hardcover printing cost (GHT976ZKSKUXBB6H). Checked 2 October 2026.
The same 300-page book in hardcover costs $5.65 + 300 x $0.012 = $9.25 to print. At $24.99 it earns 0.60 x $24.99 - $9.25 = $5.74 a copy. If the paperback interior already fits a hardcover trim and the 75-550 page range, KDP lets you reuse it (update the ISBN if it is printed inside), but the cover has to be made to KDP's hardcover template.
How Inkfluence AI builds your KDP paperback package
Most of the specs above are things you would otherwise set by hand in a layout program and then measure. In Inkfluence AI you write or import the book, design the cover, then open Export and pick KDP. You get one zip with everything KDP's paperback and Kindle uploads ask for, built to your book's real page count. Each file name starts with a number and names the KDP box it goes in.
1 - Upload to MANUSCRIPT (PDF)
The interior, exactly your trim size with no bleed, so you choose "No bleed" in KDP. The gutter is sized from the final page count and never narrower than 0.75 inch, which clears KDP's minimum at every page count. Table of contents, copyright page and chapter styling come from your export settings.
2 - Upload to BOOK COVER (PDF)
Back, spine and front in one PDF with 0.125 inch bleed, the spine width worked out from the page count and the ink and paper you pick in the cover designer's Print tab. You can write the back-cover blurb or upload your own back cover; the default layout leaves the barcode corner clear. In KDP's Book Cover box, tick "Upload a cover you already have" for this file rather than using Cover Creator.
3 - Kindle eBook COVER (JPG)
The front cover on its own, as a JPEG, for the Kindle edition's cover slot. It is not for the paperback, which takes the wrap PDF.
4 - Kindle eBook MANUSCRIPT (EPUB)
The Kindle edition's manuscript, in EPUB, one of KDP's recommended ebook formats. Upload this for the ebook, not the PDF: KDP converts a PDF to Kindle format and can run words together, which shows up as spelling warnings.
0 - READ ME FIRST.txt
Which file goes in which KDP box, plus the settings KDP asks for during setup: trim size, page count, spine width and the paper to select, and your paperback print cost and royalty.
Trim sizes and special cases
- Trims. The size picker includes 5 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9 (marked KDP), 7 x 10 and 8.5 x 11, among others. A novel left on the default Letter size is exported at 6 x 9, the usual trade size for fiction; cookbooks, workbooks and other books keep the size you pick.
- Picture books and coloring books. These use the square 8.5 x 8.5 trim (coloring books can also use 8.5 x 11). A short picture book is padded with blank pages up to KDP's 24-page minimum, and the export dialog tells you how many before you download. See how to make a picture book with AI and how to make a coloring book with AI.
- Hardcover. The package is built for the paperback. Its interior PDF can be reused for a hardcover when the trim and page count fit KDP's hardcover limits; the hardcover cover needs KDP's hardcover template.
- The ebook. The package includes the Kindle edition's EPUB, and the EPUB export makes the same file on its own. Upload the EPUB for the ebook and the PDF for the paperback. Coloring books are paperback only, so their zip holds files 0, 1 and 2.
What it costs. Writing a book and exporting a PDF is free. The EPUB and the KDP package need any paid plan or a credit pack: Creator is $9.99 a month ($89 a year), Premium $19.99 a month ($179 a year), and credit packs start at $9.99 for 15 credits. Compare plans on the pricing page. Whichever you use, you keep the rights to the book and keep all of Amazon's royalty.
Two things stay with you: KDP's own preview, which you should page through before publishing, and the AI-content answer during setup, covered below. For the wider export picture across stores, see ebook export and publishing.
What file format does KDP accept?
Ebooks and print books take different files. For a Kindle ebook, KDP recommends DOC or DOCX, KPF (the file Kindle Create produces) or EPUB. It also accepts HTML, RTF, TXT and PDF, though PDF ebooks are supported in only a limited set of languages and PDF is not one of KDP's recommended ebook formats. MOBI is no longer accepted: KDP stopped taking it for reflowable ebooks on 1 August 2021 and for fixed-layout ebooks on 18 March 2025.
| File | What KDP takes |
|---|---|
| Ebook manuscript | Recommended: DOC/DOCX, KPF, EPUB. Also HTML, RTF, TXT, PDF (limited languages). Not MOBI |
| Print interior | PDF for anything with bleed (PDF is the safe choice for every print book); up to 650 MB; fonts embedded |
| Ebook cover | Ideal 2,560 x 1,600 px (height to width 1.6:1); JPEG preferred; 5 MB or less; RGB; under 500 px on the shortest side is not displayed |
| Print cover | One PDF: back, spine and front, 0.125" bleed on all sides |
Sources: KDP eBook formats (G200634390), MOBI retirement (GULSQMHU5MNH4EZM), print file requirements (G202145060), eBook cover (G6GTK3T3NUHKLEFX), paperback cover. Checked 2 October 2026.
Whatever the format, structure matters more than the file type. Use real heading styles for chapter titles so the Kindle table of contents builds itself, keep body text in one style, and check the result in KDP's previewer on a phone-sized screen as well as a tablet. Ebook formats explained compares EPUB, DOCX and PDF across the other stores.
Do you need an ISBN for KDP?
Not for a Kindle ebook. Amazon gives every ebook its own identifier, the ASIN, and an ISBN is optional. Print books need one, and KDP offers a free ISBN for paperbacks and hardcovers. With the free ISBN, the book's imprint is listed as "Independently published". If you want your own imprint name on the listing, buy your own ISBN from your country's ISBN agency and enter it instead.
Each format needs its own ISBN: the paperback and the hardcover cannot share one. What your own ISBN costs in nine countries, and when the free one is enough, is in do you need an ISBN. Publishing from Canada? ISBN Canada issues ISBNs free, and registering now declares a human author (ISBN Canada's AI rule). Source: KDP ISBN help (GTJ8LBXL6Z4WV5QX), checked 2 October 2026.
How to self-publish on Amazon (Kindle self-publishing), step by step
With the account set up and the files ready, publishing is one form per format. In your KDP Bookshelf choose "Create" and the format (Kindle eBook, Paperback or Hardcover), then fill in three pages: details, content, and rights and pricing.
- 1
Set up your account and tax info
Sign in at kdp.amazon.com with an Amazon account, then complete your author or publisher details, bank account and tax interview. KDP validates your tax identity before you can publish.
- 2
Prepare the manuscript
For an ebook, upload DOCX, KPF or EPUB. For a paperback, upload a PDF at your trim size with margins and gutter sized to the page count.
- 3
Prepare the cover
Ebook: a JPEG, ideally 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, 5 MB or less, RGB. Paperback: one PDF with back, spine and front, 0.125 inch bleed on all sides, spine width from the page count and paper.
- 4
Enter the book details
Language, title, subtitle, author, a description of up to 4,000 characters, up to 7 keywords, 3 categories, and the AI-content answer.
- 5
Set rights and price
Choose territories, the royalty option and a list price. Ebooks between $2.99 and $12.99 on Amazon.com qualify for 70%; print books earn 60% at $9.99 and up.
- 6
Publish
Preview the files, then publish. KDP says to allow up to 72 hours for the book to go live on Amazon.com.
The details tab: title, description, keywords and categories
This is where Amazon decides who sees the book. Put the main search phrase in the title or subtitle if it reads naturally. The description can be up to 4,000 characters; open with what the reader gets, because buyers see the opening lines first. KDP gives you up to seven keywords or short phrases: use phrases buyers type that are not already in your title. And you select 3 categories; the narrowest accurate ones give a new book the best chance of ranking.
For each of these there is a fuller guide: Kindle keyword research, KDP categories for beginners and the ebook SEO guide for titles and descriptions. Children's books also set an age and grade range on this tab.
How long does KDP take to publish?
After you press publish, Amazon reviews the book. KDP's own estimates:
| What | How long |
|---|---|
| Ebook or print book live on Amazon.com | Up to 72 hours (about 3 business days) |
| Paperback or hardcover on other marketplaces | Up to 5 days |
| Low-content books (review) | May take 3 to 4 weeks |
| Changes to a live book (files, description, keywords) | Up to 72 hours |
| Ebook price change | Up to 24 hours |
Source: KDP publishing timelines (G202173620). KDP calls these estimates. Checked 2 October 2026.
If a book is still "In review" well past these windows, check your email and your Bookshelf for a message from KDP before contacting support.
Can you publish AI-written books on KDP?
Yes. KDP allows books made with AI, and asks you to say so when you publish. Its content guidelines draw one line:
- AI-generated: an AI tool created the text, images or translation. You must disclose it, even if you edited it substantially afterwards.
- AI-assisted: you created the content and used AI to edit, refine, brainstorm or check it. No disclosure needed.
Either way, you are responsible for everything in the book, including rights and quality. KDP also caps new titles at 2 per book format per week for each account. Sources: KDP content guidelines (G200672390), checked 2 October 2026.
A book whose chapters Inkfluence AI drafted is AI-generated in KDP's terms, so answer yes to the AI question. Exactly what to tick for text, images and translation, case by case, is in the KDP AI disclosure policy explained, and the full upload for an AI-written book is in how to publish AI-generated books on KDP. If you plan to sell beyond Amazon, can you sell AI-generated books compares ten stores' rules.
KDP Select: is it worth it?
KDP Select is an optional, free program for ebooks. You promise Amazon exclusivity on the ebook for 90 days, and in return the book is read in Kindle Unlimited and gets two promotion tools. Print editions are not affected: the paperback can sell anywhere. Kindle Unlimited is now called Kindle+ and also covers eligible audiobooks: Kindle+ for authors. KENP reports changed on 21 October 2026; see why KENP page reads dropped.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost and term | Free; 90-day terms; ebook only, exclusive to Amazon while enrolled |
| Kindle Unlimited | Included automatically. Paid by your share of pages read (KENPC) from a monthly fund; up to 3,000 pages per title per customer, first reads only |
| Free Book Promotion | Up to 5 days per term |
| Kindle Countdown Deal | Up to 7 days; list price $2.99-$24.99 on Amazon.com; book enrolled for 30+ days |
| Promotions per term | A Free Book Promotion or a Countdown Deal, not both |
Sources: KDP Select (G200798990), Kindle Unlimited payouts (G201541130), Free Book Promotions (G201298240), Kindle Countdown Deals (G201293780). Checked 2 October 2026.
KDP announces the size of the fund, not a per-page rate. Written Word Media estimates the Amazon.com rate from author reports: $0.00517 a page for August 2026 and $0.00422 for July (updated 18 September 2026). At the August rate, every 1,000 pages read pays about $5.17.
When it is worth it: genre fiction and series, where Kindle Unlimited readers binge and borrow, and new authors who have no audience on other stores yet. When it is not: books whose readers buy on Apple Books, Kobo or your own site, books you also want to sell as a direct download, and reference titles where buyers prefer to own. A single 90-day term is a cheap test. KDP Select vs wide distribution has the full decision plan, and for a romance series launching a romance series in KDP Select puts the promotions in order.
Your first 90 days on KDP
A new listing has no reviews and no sales history, so the first weeks are about giving buyers reasons to try it.
- Before launch. Line up the people who will want the book: an email list, a few readers in your niche, a social account. Have the description, keywords and categories finished before you press publish, not after.
- Launch week. Tell everyone on the same days, with a direct link to the Amazon page, so sales cluster rather than trickle. If you are in KDP Select, keep the Countdown Deal or free days for later in the term, when the first wave has passed.
- Reviews. Ask readers politely at the end of the book and in your emails. Never pay for reviews or swap them; Amazon removes them.
- Months one to three. Read your KDP reports monthly. If impressions are low, revise keywords and categories; if people visit but do not buy, revise the cover and the first lines of the description. Amazon Ads can keep the book visible once the launch push fades.
For the longer game, ebook marketing covers email, content and ads, and KDP tools collects free helpers for the listing.
Common KDP mistakes
- Pricing just outside a royalty band. $1.99 at 35% pays $0.70; $2.99 at 70% pays about $1.99 on a 1 MB file. On print, $9.98 pays 50% and $9.99 pays 60%.
- Using the front cover JPEG for the paperback. The paperback cover slot needs the full wrap PDF, sized to your page count and paper. A front-only image is rejected.
- Changing the paper after making the cover. Cream paper is thicker than white, so the spine and the wrap width change. Rebuild the cover after any change of page count, paper or trim.
- Choosing "Bleed" for a book with no edge-to-edge art. A no-bleed interior is exactly the trim size; telling KDP it has bleed makes the file the wrong size.
- A gutter that is too narrow. Check the table above against your final page count, not your first draft's.
- Skipping the AI question. If AI generated the text, images or translation, say so.
- Empty keyword boxes. Seven boxes are seven chances to be found; fill them.
- Publishing without reading the preview. Page through KDP's previewer for the ebook and the print proof before you press publish.
Self-publishing on Amazon KDP: FAQ
What is Amazon KDP publishing?+
What is Kindle self-publishing?+
Is Amazon book publishing the same as KDP?+
Is Amazon KDP free to use?+
How much does KDP pay?+
How much does it cost to print a paperback on KDP?+
Do I need an ISBN for KDP?+
How long does KDP take to publish?+
Can I publish AI-written books on KDP?+
What file format does KDP accept?+
Is KDP Select worth it?+
Can I sell a paperback and an ebook of the same book?+
Can I update my book after publishing?+
Can Inkfluence AI create KDP-ready files?+
Related reading
Paperback publishing on KDP Print
The full paperback walkthrough, upload screen by screen.
KDP royalties in 2026
Worked numbers at every price after the July change.
Royalty calculator
Per-sale earnings on KDP and five other stores.
Book length calculator
Words to pages, spine width and print cost, with 19 classics typeset.
KDP AI disclosure policy
What to tick, case by case.
Publish an AI book on KDP
The upload, step by step, for an AI-written book.
KDP Select vs wide
Exclusivity, Kindle Unlimited and a 90-day test plan.
Ebooks in libraries
OverDrive, Hoopla and BorrowBox routes for books outside Select.
KDP categories for beginners
Pick the 3 categories that match your reader.
Kindle keyword research
Fill all 7 keyword boxes with phrases buyers type.
Ebook formats explained
EPUB, DOCX and PDF, and which store takes which.
Best book formatting software
Thirteen formatters compared for KDP, free ones included.
Best AI tools for KDP
The tool for each job, from research to A+ Content.
How to format a book for KDP
Margins by page count, a margin checker, and Word, Docs and Canva steps.
Book cover design
Covers that read at thumbnail size.
KDP cover size and spine width
The full-wrap size for any trim, page count and paper.
KDP trim sizes
Which size for which book, with page limits and print cost.
Low-content books on KDP
What the Low-content box changes and what Amazon limits.
Book copyright page template
What the page must say, with templates to copy for KDP.
Children's book word count
Words and pages by age, and KDP's 24-page floor.
KDP rejected my book
Every common rejection email, what it means and the fix.
KDP tools
Free tools for the listing and the files.
Can you sell AI-generated books?
The AI rules of ten stores, side by side.
How to import your manuscript
Video: a Word manuscript into the editor, with Heading 1 for chapters.
Google Docs to KDP
Page setup margins for a Docs book, and the faster .docx route.
Write it, export it, publish it on KDP
Draft a full book from one idea, edit every chapter, and export the Kindle EPUB and the paperback package with the spine sized for you.