How to Publish a Book on Amazon in 2026

Quick answer: How do you publish a book on Amazon?

1. Create a free account at kdp.amazon.com and complete your payment and tax information.
2. Prepare your manuscript and cover for Kindle, paperback or hardcover.
3. Choose a book format from your KDP Bookshelf and enter the book's details.
4. Select relevant keywords and up to three categories.
5. Upload the files, preview the book and correct any problems.
6. Set the list price, review your estimated royalties and submit the book for publication.

KDP reviews the files and details before making your book available. New eBooks commonly appear within 24 to 72 hours; other formats and marketplaces may take longer.

1. Is publishing on Amazon free?

Yes. Amazon KDP does not charge a fee to create an account, upload your manuscript or publish a book. You can also use KDP's free formatting and cover tools.

For a paperback or hardcover, Amazon deducts printing costs from the royalty on each copy sold. You do not need to buy a stock of books in advance. If you order a proof or author copies for yourself, you pay for those copies and applicable shipping.

Your budget depends on which parts of the book you can prepare yourself.

A book may cost nothing to upload and still require money to produce well. For example, a nonfiction author might pay for specialist fact-checking or diagrams, while a novelist might hire an editor and cover designer.

2. Prepare your book before opening KDP

You can create a book draft in KDP before every file is finished, but it is easier to complete the setup when you already have these details:

• The final manuscript, with a title page, chapters and any front or back matter.
• An eBook cover image or a print-cover file, depending on the format.
• Your exact title, subtitle, author name and optional series information.
• A short description that explains the book to potential readers.
• Search keywords and suitable categories for the book.
• Your intended formats and an estimated selling price.
• Bank details, tax information and identification if KDP asks for verification.

Keep the spelling of the title and author name consistent on the cover, inside the book and in KDP. Small differences can cause editions to display separately or lead to review questions.

Choose the right format

You can offer multiple formats of the same title. Each is set up separately in KDP, with its own pricing and file requirements. Use matching title and author details so Amazon can connect the editions on one product page.

3. Create your KDP account

Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account, or create an account if you do not have one. Open Your Account to complete the required information.

1. Author or publisher details: Enter your real legal name and address for payment and tax purposes. Your public pen name is entered later as the book's author.
2. Getting paid: Add a bank account that KDP supports for your country. Available payment methods differ by location.
3. Tax information: Complete the online tax interview accurately. A US author and an international author may see different forms and withholding outcomes.
4. Verification: Complete identity or other checks if Amazon requests them.

Do not use a pen name in place of your legal payee name. A pen name belongs in the public author field of the book listing. A mismatch in legal, banking or tax details can delay royalty payments.

Once the account is ready, go to Bookshelf → + Create and choose Kindle eBook, paperback or hardcover.

4. Format your manuscript

An eBook needs to work on screens of different sizes. A print book needs fixed pages with the correct paper size and margins. Uploading the same Word document for both without checking the layout can produce an awkward reading experience.

Kindle eBook formatting

For ordinary text-heavy books, you can prepare the manuscript in Microsoft Word, Kindle Create or another eBook formatting tool. KDP accepts DOC/DOCX, EPUB and KPF, among other supported formats. KPF is a format exported by Amazon's free Kindle Create application.

Work through the manuscript before export:

1. Apply proper heading styles to chapter titles. This helps produce a usable table of contents.
2. Start chapters with page breaks, rather than pressing Enter repeatedly to move text down.
3. Check paragraph indentation, spacing, lists and chapter illustrations.
4. Include normal front matter such as the title and copyright pages, plus any relevant acknowledgments or references.
5. Preview the finished file on a phone, tablet and Kindle-sized screen.

An eBook is usually reflowable, meaning the reader can change text size and the number of words displayed on the screen. Avoid using a fixed-layout PDF for a standard novel or other text-heavy book simply because it looks correct on a laptop. PDF upload is supported in limited cases, but it is less suitable for ordinary reflowable reading.

Paperback and hardcover formatting

For print books, choose the trim size first. This is the finished page size, such as 6 × 9 inches. Then set the inside and outside margins to suit the book's page count and binding.

If a photograph or background color reaches the edge of a page, the document needs bleed. KDP requires PDF for a print interior with bleed. For an interior without bleed, KDP also accepts several editable formats, although a properly checked print-ready PDF is often the easier choice.

Before uploading, confirm:

• The chosen trim size matches the size selected in KDP.
• Text and page numbers sit inside the required margins.
• Images have sufficient resolution for printing. KDP recommends at least 300 DPI.
• Fonts and images are embedded where applicable.
• No comments, crop marks, placeholder text or accidental blank pages remain.

Print layouts are sensitive to page count. If you change the manuscript after the cover is designed, the spine width may change too. Finalize the interior before producing the final print cover.

5. Design the cover

Readers often see your book first as a small image in Amazon search. A clear title, readable author name and design that fits the genre are more useful than a cover packed with small text.

Look at recent books aimed at the same reader. A cookbook, romance novel and business guide usually signal their subjects differently. Use those examples to understand reader expectations, not to imitate another author's artwork.

Kindle cover

For an eBook, upload a separate cover image. Amazon recommends 2,560 pixels high × 1,600 pixels wide, with a JPEG file and RGB color. Check that the title remains legible when the image is reduced to a small thumbnail.

Paperback and hardcover covers

A print cover is a single full-wrap file containing the back, spine and front. Its dimensions depend on page count, paper, trim size and the print format.

Use KDP's Cover Calculator and Templates tool after finalizing the interior. Download the template for your exact book, then fit the design to its safe areas, bleed and spine measurements. Paperback and hardcover covers do not use the same template.

Before submitting the cover, compare its title, subtitle and author name with the details in KDP. Check the back-cover description and make sure no text falls into the barcode area or outside the safe margins.

6. Decide whether you need an ISBN

An ISBN identifies a particular book edition and format. Kindle eBooks published through KDP do not require an ISBN. Most paperbacks and hardcovers do.

For an eligible print book, you have two choices:

• Use KDP's free ISBN. It costs nothing and lists the imprint as “Independently published,” but the ISBN is for use through KDP only.
• Use an ISBN you own. This can be appropriate when you want your own publishing imprint or plan to publish the same edition through other print-distribution services.

A paperback and hardcover edition need different ISBNs. Do not reuse the paperback ISBN for the hardcover. If you supply your own number, the title, author and publisher details must match the record registered with the ISBN agency.

Low-content books, such as some journals and notebooks, have additional ISBN rules. Do not assume every print project qualifies for a free KDP ISBN.

7. Enter your book details

From the Bookshelf, select + Create and choose a book format. KDP then takes you through three setup areas: Details, Content, and Rights & Pricing. Start with the book details.

Title, author and description

Enter the exact title and subtitle printed on the cover, followed by the author name or pen name. Add series and contributor details only when they apply. State whether you hold the publishing rights to the work.

The description should help the right reader decide whether the book is for them. For nonfiction, explain the subject, intended audience and what the book teaches. For fiction, describe the central character, conflict and stakes without giving away the ending.

For example, consider an imaginary beginner-friendly book called Everyday Bread Baking.

Weak description: “An amazing book with everything you need to know about bread. Perfect for everyone.”

More useful description: “Want to make bread at home without specialist equipment? Everyday Bread Baking explains how to mix, knead, proof and bake simple loaves using ordinary kitchen tools. The recipes include basic white bread, whole-wheat loaves and beginner sourdough methods, with troubleshooting advice for dense dough and weak rises.”

This second version tells the reader what is inside the book and who would use it. Do not add exaggerated bestseller claims, unrelated keywords, review requests or external ordering links to the KDP description.

Choose your seven keywords

KDP allows seven keyword entries. Use phrases that a reader might genuinely search to find a book like yours. For the bread book, possible phrases include bread baking for beginners, no knead bread recipes and homemade sourdough basics, but only if those topics are genuinely covered.

Research the search results for each phrase. Look at the books appearing, their genre, their covers and what readers expect. If a phrase mostly returns advanced baking textbooks, it may be a poor match for a short beginner's guide.

Avoid putting competing authors' names, unrelated genres, promotional language or false claims in the keyword fields. You do not need to repeat the same title words across all seven slots.

Choose up to three categories

Select categories that accurately describe the book. A specific subject category may be more helpful than a broad one, but accuracy comes first.

A beginner bread book might fit a bread-baking category and another relevant home-cooking category, depending on the choices available in the selected marketplace. An unrelated category will not make the book more relevant to its ideal readers.

KDP currently permits up to three categories during setup.

Check the remaining details

Depending on the format, KDP may also ask about reading age, adult content, publication date, series, contributors, AI-generated content, accessibility or other book-specific information. Answer these accurately. Some fields cannot be changed easily once the book has been published, especially for print editions.

8. Upload and preview the files

After entering the Details section, choose Save and Continue to reach Content.

For a Kindle eBook, upload your manuscript and cover. You will also see a choice about Digital Rights Management (DRM), which is covered below. For paperback or hardcover, select the ink and paper options, trim size and bleed setting, choose or supply an ISBN as appropriate, then upload the print interior and cover.

KDP converts and checks the files. Open its previewer and inspect the result.

For print books, order a proof copy if possible. The physical copy makes it easier to check binding, paper, image contrast, margins and spelling in the final layout. A proof copy has a “Not for Resale” marking and is intended for inspection before publication.

Fix the file, upload it again and preview until the book is ready. A formatting warning is more useful when corrected before publication than after readers start purchasing.

9. Set the price and calculate royalties

Open Rights & Pricing after the content preview. Confirm the territories in which you have publishing rights, choose a primary marketplace and set the list price. KDP estimates royalties based on the format, marketplace and selected price.

Publishing is free, but that does not mean the entire selling price becomes your income.

Kindle eBook royalties in 2026

KDP offers 35% and 70% royalty options for eBooks. Eligibility depends on the price, marketplace and other KDP conditions.

From July 7, 2026, the US price range for the 70% option expanded to $2.99–$12.99.

For eligible US eBook sales with no applicable VAT, KDP generally calculates the 70% royalty using the list price after deducting the eBook delivery cost. The delivery charge depends on the file size.

Illustrative eBook example:

• Kindle list price: $4.99
• Assumed file size: 1 MB
• US delivery rate used in the example: $0.15 per MB
• Estimated 70% royalty: ($4.99 − $0.15) × 70% = $3.39

This is an example, not an automatic payment for every sale. KDP's conditions, taxes, delivery measurement and any price matching can change the actual royalty.

Paperback royalties in 2026

For paperbacks sold on Amazon.com, KDP applies 50% when the list price is $9.98 or lower, and 60% at $9.99 or higher. Printing cost is deducted after applying the royalty percentage.

Paperback royalty = (list price × royalty rate) − printing cost

The calculation order matters. Do not subtract printing cost before multiplying by 60%.

The printing costs above are example inputs, not quotes for your book. Actual costs depend on page count, ink, trim size and marketplace. Use the figure displayed by KDP when setting your price.

Hardcovers use a similar price-based 50% or 60% royalty calculation where supported, with a hardcover printing cost that may differ considerably from the paperback.

Pick a price readers can accept

Compare books of the same type, audience, length and format. A paperback workbook with full-color pages has different economics from a black-and-white novel. An eBook with a large image file may have higher delivery costs than a mostly text-based book.

Check the royalty before running advertising. For example, a book earning $1.39 per paperback sale cannot support the same ad cost per order as a book earning $4.54, unless there are other earnings you can justify. KDP royalties also do not account for your editing, cover, advertising and other business expenses.

10. KDP Select, Kindle Unlimited and DRM

These three terms are often mixed together, but they mean different things.

KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited

KDP Select is a free, renewable 90-day program for Kindle eBooks. When you enroll an eligible eBook, it becomes available in Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can borrow and read it. Authors may earn from eligible pages read through the KDP Select Global Fund.

During the enrollment period, the digital edition generally cannot be sold or distributed outside the Kindle Store, subject to the program's specific exceptions. Your paperback or hardcover can still be available through other services.

Choose KDP Select if the Kindle Unlimited audience and Amazon's available promotions fit your plan. If you want to distribute the eBook through multiple stores, review the exclusivity rules before enrolling. Enrollment is a choice, not a requirement for publishing on KDP.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

DRM controls certain ways customers can access and copy a purchased eBook. It is separate from KDP Select.

As of January 2026, Amazon lets verified purchasers download EPUB or PDF versions of DRM-free KDP eBooks. Authors can change the DRM selection by editing the eBook content and republishing the update. Applying DRM restricts those file-download options. Choosing DRM or DRM-free does not, by itself, change the royalty percentage.

Consider how you want legitimate buyers to read the book. KDP's current DRM settings explain the available reader-download options and should be reviewed when you upload the manuscript.

11. Publish your book

When all three setup areas are complete, check the details one last time:

• Book title and author match the manuscript and cover.
• The correct manuscript and cover versions are uploaded.
• The preview shows the book as intended.
• Categories and keywords describe the actual book.
• Territories and royalty choices are correct.
• The list price produces an acceptable royalty.

Click the relevant Publish Your Kindle eBook, Publish Your Paperback Book or Publish Your Hardcover Book button.

KDP will show the book's status in your Bookshelf. It may move through stages such as Draft, In Review, Publishing and Live. You can check the current status there if the product page is not immediately visible.

KDP's general publishing timeline is around three business days, although some formats, marketplaces and book types take longer. After an eBook becomes live, its appearance in Amazon search can take an additional period, which KDP currently describes as up to 72 hours.

If you're planning a specific launch date, review the release-date options for that format. Kindle eBooks can be scheduled for pre-order. Print books have separate scheduled-release options and deadlines. Do not assume every format follows the same preorder workflow.

What happens after the book is live?

Open the Amazon product page and check the title, cover, author, description and formats. If you've published both digital and print editions, give Amazon time to link them. Matching metadata helps this process, but the link may take several days.

Check the product page from a reader's perspective. Read the sample if available. Try the paperback and Kindle format selectors. Fix any issues through the Bookshelf fields that KDP permits you to edit.

12. Help readers find your book

Publishing makes the book available for sale. It does not guarantee that readers will find it through a broad Amazon search.

Improve the book page

Compare your book's cover and description with other books aimed at the same reader. Check whether the title, categories and keywords accurately describe the genre or subject. The description should explain what makes the book useful or interesting without repeating the same search terms.

Create an Amazon Author Central profile. It gives readers a place to learn about the author and see related titles. Authors can also explore eligible A+ Content options for richer information on the product page. These features are optional.

Start advertising carefully

Amazon Ads offers Sponsored Products options for eligible books. Advertising can help readers discover a title, but the allowable spend depends on the actual royalty per order, not the cover price.

For a first campaign, choose a small group of closely relevant book topics or comparable titles. Review search terms, clicks, attributed orders and spend. Reduce or stop targets that spend beyond what your royalty economics can support. Avoid copying generic product advertising bids into a book campaign without checking the financial impact.

For example, if an eligible paperback earns $4.54 per sale and you spend $6 to acquire one attributed order, that sale does not cover the advertising cost on its own. A series author may also evaluate legitimate later-book purchases, but such revenue should be supported by observed sales rather than assumed.

Track the results

Use KDP Reports to monitor paid unit sales, royalty estimates and, if enrolled, eligible Kindle Unlimited page reads. A release-week increase is useful to observe, but meaningful comparisons need a longer period and a consistent measure of revenue after costs.

Avoid paid reviews, review swaps, misleading bestseller claims or other tactics that breach Amazon's review and content policies. Ask readers for honest feedback through permitted channels without offering rewards in exchange for positive reviews.

13. Fix common KDP problems

If Amazon sends a specific quality or content notice, use that notice to identify the field or file that needs correction. Repeatedly uploading unchanged files rarely helps.

14. Amazon KDP FAQs

Can I self-publish a book on Amazon without a publisher?

Yes. KDP is a self-publishing service. You can publish an eligible book yourself if you have the necessary rights to its content. You do not need a literary agent or a traditional publisher.

Does Amazon charge to publish a paperback?

There is no upfront KDP publishing fee. Printing costs are deducted when a copy sells. Proof and author copies that you order for yourself have their own costs.

Can I publish both a Kindle eBook and paperback?

Yes. Create each format in KDP. Use the same title and author information so Amazon can connect the editions when both are live.

Do I need an ISBN for a Kindle book?

No. KDP does not require an ISBN for a Kindle eBook. Most paperback and hardcover titles require an ISBN, which may be available free through KDP if the book is eligible.

How long does it take to publish on KDP?

Many new titles are reviewed within a few business days, but the timeline depends on format, marketplace and quality review. The product page and search appearance may update at different times.

Can I change my book after publishing?

You can change many items, including description, keywords, categories, price and manuscript content. Some print metadata changes, such as significant title or author changes, may require a new edition. Check the field-specific limits before publishing.

Do I have to enroll in KDP Select?

No. KDP Select is optional. It requires digital exclusivity during the 90-day enrollment period in exchange for access to features including Kindle Unlimited and certain promotions.

How much money can I make publishing on Amazon?

There is no fixed income. Earnings depend on sales or eligible page reads, royalties, production expenses and any advertising costs. Use the royalty estimate for each format and build your plan around realistic sales rather than income claims from other authors.

Do I need to declare AI-generated content?

KDP requires disclosure of AI-generated text, images or translations when publishing or updating a book, including content that was substantially edited afterward. If you created the work yourself and used AI tools only to edit, check or brainstorm it, KDP generally treats that as AI-assisted rather than AI-generated, and does not require the same disclosure. Authors remain responsible for accuracy, rights and content quality.

Conclusion

To publish a book on Amazon, you need a finished manuscript, files prepared for the format you want to sell, and a correctly completed KDP listing. The most important checks are the ones made before clicking Publish: book details, formatting, preview and royalties.

KDP handles the storefront and print-on-demand fulfillment, but the author controls the quality of the book and its presentation. Complete the setup carefully, check the final product page when it goes live, and improve the listing using actual reader and sales feedback.