Amazon gives you two ways to publish: Kindle Direct Publishing for digital books and print-on-demand for paperbacks

Amazon's publishing platform is called Kindle Direct Publishing, or KDP. It handles both ebooks (which readers read to a Kindle device or the free Kindle app on their phone or computer) and paperback books printed one at a time as people order them. You do not need to print thousands of copies upfront or work with a traditional publisher. You upload your manuscript file, set a price, and Amazon handles the rest — storing the file, processing orders, and paying you royalties.

The process is free to start. Amazon takes a percentage of each sale (typically 30 to 65 percent for ebooks, depending on your price point, and a printing cost plus their cut for paperbacks). You keep the rest. Most authors use KDP because it requires no upfront investment and you can change your price or remove the book anytime.

The alternative is traditional publishing, where you sign a contract with a publisher who handles editing, design, printing, and distribution in exchange for a larger cut of sales. That route takes longer, requires an agent for most major publishers, and you lose control over pricing and availability. KDP is faster and gives you more control, but you handle more of the work yourself.

Key Takeaways

  • Kindle Direct Publishing is Amazon's free platform for publishing ebooks and paperbacks without a traditional publisher or upfront printing costs.
  • Your manuscript must be formatted as a Word document or PDF, and you need a cover image (at least 1000 by 1600 pixels for ebooks) before you upload.
  • You set your own price, choose whether to use Amazon's exclusive distribution program, and decide which countries can purchase your book.
  • Amazon pays royalties monthly to a bank account you register, typically 30 to 65 percent of the sale price for ebooks and a smaller percentage for paperbacks after printing costs.
  • Your book appears in Amazon search results and the Kindle Store within 24 to 48 hours of publishing, but building sales requires your own marketing.

What you need before you upload

Your manuscript must be in a format Amazon accepts: a Word document (.docx), PDF, or HTML file. Amazon provides a style guide that explains how to format headings, paragraphs, and page breaks so your book looks right on different Kindle devices and apps. If your formatting is messy, the book will look broken on some readers' screens. Spend time on this step — it is easier than fixing it after publishing.

You also need a cover image. For ebooks, the image must be at least 1000 by 1600 pixels (taller than it is wide). For paperbacks, the dimensions depend on your page count and trim size — Amazon's cover calculator on the KDP website tells you the exact size. Many authors hire a designer on Fiverr or Upwork for $50 to $300. If you design it yourself, use Canva (which has Kindle templates) or Adobe InDesign. A poor cover hurts sales more than almost anything else, because readers see it first.

You will also need an ISBN for paperbacks if you want to sell them outside Amazon (in bookstores, for example). Amazon provides a free ISBN, but it identifies your book as self-published through Amazon. If you buy your own ISBN from Bowker (the official US ISBN agency), it costs $125 for one or $295 for ten, and you have more flexibility selling through other retailers. For ebooks, you do not need an ISBN at all.

The step-by-step publishing process

Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account (create one if you do not have it). Click "Create a new title" and choose whether you are publishing an ebook, paperback, or both. Fill in the book title, subtitle (if any), series name (if it is part of a series), and author name exactly as you want it to appear. You can use a pen name here.

Next, upload your manuscript file. Amazon converts it automatically, but you can preview how it looks on different devices before publishing. If something looks wrong — a heading is the wrong size, a page break is in the wrong place — go back, fix the Word document, and upload again. You can do this as many times as you need before you hit publish.

Upload your cover image. For ebooks, paste the image file directly. For paperbacks, you can either upload an image or use Amazon's cover creator tool (a basic design editor built into KDP). Set your book description (this is what appears on the Amazon product page), add keywords (up to seven phrases that help people find your book when they search), and choose categories (pick the two that fit best).

Set your price. For ebooks, Amazon lets you price between $0.99 and $200. For paperbacks, Amazon calculates a minimum price based on page count and printing costs, and you set the price above that. Choose your royalty option: the 35 percent royalty (lower cut but wider distribution) or the 70 percent royalty (higher cut but with restrictions). If you choose 70 percent, your book must be priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and you cannot sell it cheaper elsewhere for 90 days.

Review your settings one final time, then click "Publish your Kindle ebook" or "Publish your paperback". Amazon processes it within 24 to 48 hours. You will get an email when it is live, and you can then see it on Amazon's website and in the Kindle Store.

How Amazon pays you and when money arrives

Before you publish, you must register a bank account where Amazon sends your royalties. Go to the "Payments" section of your KDP account and add your bank details. Amazon pays once a month, on the 15th, for sales from the previous month. So sales in January pay out on February 15th. There is a $10 minimum — if you earn less than $10 in a month, it rolls over to the next month until you hit $10.

For ebooks, your royalty is either 35 percent or 70 percent of the list price you set, minus any refunds. For paperbacks, Amazon subtracts the printing cost first, then gives you a percentage of what is left. A $15 paperback might cost $4 to print, leaving $11, and you might get 40 percent of that ($4.40). The exact percentage varies by trim size and page count.

You can see your earnings in real time on the KDP dashboard under "Earnings". It shows sales by country, refunds, and your current month's total. This is helpful for understanding which countries buy your book and whether a price change helped or hurt sales.

Marketing your book after publishing

Publishing on Amazon does not mean people will find your book. Amazon's algorithm favors books with sales history and good reviews, so new books start invisible. You have to drive your own traffic. Many authors use social media (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or a blog) to tell people about their book. Others run ads through Amazon's advertising platform, which lets you bid on keywords so your book appears in search results. Ads cost money and require testing to be profitable.

Some authors offer their ebook free or discounted for a few days to build reviews and sales rank, which then helps Amazon's algorithm recommend it to more readers. Others build an email list and announce new books to subscribers. The most successful self-published authors treat their book like a small business — they track what works, spend time on marketing, and publish multiple books to build an audience.

Amazon also has a program called Kindle Unlimited where you can make your ebook exclusive to Amazon for 90 days at a time. In exchange, readers with a Kindle Unlimited subscription can read your book free, and you earn a share of a monthly pool based on pages read. This works well for some genres (romance, science fiction, mystery) and poorly for others. You choose whether to enroll each time your 90-day period ends.

Common mistakes that hurt sales

A weak cover is the biggest mistake. Readers judge a book by its cover in seconds, and a homemade-looking design signals low quality even if the writing is good. Invest in a real cover or use a template carefully. Poor formatting is the second mistake — if your book looks broken on a Kindle, readers will return it and leave bad reviews. Test your preview on multiple devices before publishing.

Pricing too high is common with first-time authors. A debut novel priced at $9.99 competes with established authors at the same price. Many successful self-published authors price their first book at $2.99 or $3.99 to build an audience, then raise the price once they have reviews and sales history. For non-fiction, higher prices work better because readers expect to pay for informed.

Ignoring marketing is the third mistake. Authors often publish and assume Amazon will do the work. It will not. You need a plan to tell people your book exists — whether that is social media, ads, a newsletter, or asking friends to leave reviews. Books with ten reviews and a 4.5-star rating sell far better than books with one review, all else equal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I publish the same book on other sites like Apple Books or Google Play?

Yes, but only if you do not enroll in Kindle Unlimited. If you choose Kindle Unlimited's exclusive option, your ebook must be sold only through Amazon for 90 days. After that period ends, you can publish elsewhere or re-enroll. Many authors publish on multiple platforms (Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Smashwords) to reach more readers, but they skip Kindle Unlimited to do it.

How long does it take to make money?

It depends entirely on your marketing. Some authors make their first sale within days because they have an existing audience (a blog, social media followers, or email list). Others publish and make nothing for months because nobody knows the book exists. Most self-published books sell fewer than 100 copies total. Success requires either an audience you already have or significant time spent marketing.

What if I want to remove my book or change the price later?

You can unpublish your book anytime from the KDP dashboard — it disappears from Amazon within 24 hours. You can also change the price, description, or cover image anytime without republishing. Changes take effect within 12 to 24 hours. If you are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you must wait until the 90-day period ends to publish elsewhere.

Do I need an editor or a professional formatter?

No, but it helps. You can format your own manuscript by following Amazon's style guide, and you can edit it yourself. However, professional editors catch mistakes you miss, and professional formatters may support your book looks polished on all devices. Many authors hire an editor ($500 to $2000 depending on book length) and a formatter ($100 to $500) to improve their chances of good reviews and sales.

What happens if someone returns my book?

Amazon allows returns within seven days for ebooks and 30 days for paperbacks. If a reader returns your book, you lose the royalty from that sale. High return rates can hurt your ranking, so quality matters. If you notice many returns, it usually means readers found the book misleading (the description did not match the content) or the formatting was broken.