How to Self Publish a Book on Amazon:
A Step-by-Step Guide

Self-publishing a book on Amazon means publishing it yourself through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), the free platform at kdp.amazon.com, with no publisher, no agent and no printing contract. This guide shows how to self publish a book on Amazon in ten steps, from the final manuscript to the live book page, and it explains the choices that affect your money and your rights.

You keep ownership of your book when you publish through KDP, and you set the price. Amazon takes a share of each sale instead of charging you to publish. The sections below explain what that share is, what you pay for, and where a professional can save you time.

What Is Amazon KDP and What Does It Cost?

Amazon KDP is Amazon’s self-publishing service. Anyone can use it to publish an ebook, a paperback or a hardcover and sell it on Amazon. You sign in at kdp.amazon.com with an ordinary Amazon account.

It costs nothing to create an account, upload a book or keep it listed. Amazon earns its money from each sale. On an ebook it keeps part of the list price, and on a print book it deducts the printing cost from your royalty. A book that never sells costs you nothing in KDP fees, but you still pay for the services you choose to get the book ready, such as editing and a cover.

Before You Start: Three Questions

Three decisions shape everything that follows.

• Which formats do you want? An ebook, a paperback, a hardcover or all three. Each needs its own file.
• Do you own the rights? You can publish only what you have the right to publish. That covers the text, any images, quotations and, for an audiobook later, the audio rights.
• What is your budget? Publishing on KDP is free, but a professional book usually needs editing, proofreading, a cover and a layout. See what each service costs at BookPublishersNYC.com.

Step 1: Finish and Edit Your Manuscript

A manuscript is ready to self publish on Amazon only when the writing is finished and edited. Readers judge a book by its first pages, and reviews on Amazon stay on the page for years.

Editing works at three levels. Developmental editing looks at structure, argument or plot. Line editing improves how the writing reads. Copy editing corrects grammar and consistency. After editing, proofreading catches the remaining errors. Not every book needs every level. Book editing services explain the levels, and book proofreading services cover the final check.

Step 2: Format Your Book for Ebook and Print

Formatting turns your text into the files KDP needs. A print book and an ebook are built differently. A print interior has a fixed page size, margins, page numbers and chapter openings. An ebook is reflowable, so the text adjusts to each screen.

KDP accepts several file types, including Word (DOCX), EPUB and KPF. A Word file with consistent heading styles is the easiest starting point. For a printed book you also choose a trim size, which is the page size, and KDP’s print requirements decide the margins and the page count you can use. Book formatting services prepare both files so KDP accepts them the first time.

Step 3: Design Your Cover

A cover has to work as a small image on a search page and as a printed object. The ebook needs a front cover. A paperback or hardcover needs a full cover with a spine and back, and the spine width depends on the final page count and the paper. That is why print covers are finalized after formatting.

If you use artwork created by an AI tool for the cover or the interior, KDP requires you to tell it when you publish. Book cover design services include three concepts and files for the ebook, the paperback and the hardcover. The next article in this series explains cover sizes in detail.

Step 4: Create Your KDP Account

Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account or create one. Before you can publish, KDP asks you to complete your author or publisher information, your tax information and your payment details. Complete these early, because the rest of the process depends on them.

KDP pays royalties monthly, with a delay after the month of the sale. Royalties go to the bank account you register, and the platform’s terms and payment policies decide the exact timing.

Step 5: Enter Your Book’s Details

From your Bookshelf, you choose to create a Kindle ebook, a paperback or a hardcover, and then you fill in the details that readers and Amazon’s search use.

• Title and subtitle. They should match the cover exactly.
• Author name. Use the name that appears on the cover.
• Description. The description is the main sales text on your Amazon page. Write it for the reader, lead with what the book offers and keep the first lines strong, because many readers see only those.
• Keywords and categories. They help Amazon show your book to the right readers. Think about what a reader would type to find a book like yours.
• Publishing rights and territories. You confirm that you hold the rights, and you choose where the book can be sold.
• AI-generated content. KDP asks you to disclose AI-generated text, images or translations. It does not require disclosure when you wrote or created the content yourself and used AI tools only to edit or improve it.

Accurate, careful details make the book page work. Book marketing services include listing and keyword research for authors who want help with this step.

Step 6: Decide How to Handle the ISBN

An ISBN identifies a specific edition of a book. A Kindle ebook does not need one, because Amazon assigns its own identifier. For a paperback or a hardcover, KDP offers a free ISBN. The free ISBN can be used only for that edition on KDP, and the imprint shows as “Independently published.”

You can instead use your own ISBN, which you buy yourself. Authors who plan to sell on several platforms or want their own imprint name often buy their own. The choice does not change who owns the book.

Step 7: Upload Your Files and Preview the Book

Upload your manuscript file and your cover. KDP checks the files and shows a previewer, so you can scroll through the interior and the cover. Read the whole preview. Look for the problems that automatic checks miss: odd line breaks, misplaced images, a cover that crops the title, or a table of contents that does not link.

If KDP reports a sizing or bleed problem on a print file, fix it before you continue. These are common, and a formatter can solve them quickly.

Step 8: Set Your Price and Royalty Option

Pricing decides what you earn on each sale, and KDP’s rules differ by format.

Ebook pricing. The delivery cost on the 70% option depends on the size of your file, so large files with many images earn less per sale. If you price outside the 70% range, you earn the 35% rate. A $5.00 ebook at the 35% option earns $1.75 before tax adjustments.

Print pricing. KDP calculates the minimum list price by dividing the printing cost by the royalty rate. The printing cost depends on the page count, the trim size and whether the interior is black and white or color, so a thick or color book needs a higher price to earn anything. KDP also sets a maximum price for paperbacks, which is $250 on Amazon.com.

Expanded distribution. For paperbacks, KDP offers an optional expanded distribution that can make your book available to other retailers and libraries. It carries a different royalty rate, so check the current terms before you choose it.

Use KDP’s own print cost and royalty calculators, and read the Help pages for the current rates, because Amazon can change them.

Step 9: Decide Whether to Use KDP Select

KDP Select is an optional program for Kindle ebooks only. When you enrol an ebook, it can be sold digitally only through KDP for the 90-day term, apart from public libraries. In exchange, the book can be included in Kindle Unlimited and some promotion tools. Enrolment renews every 90 days unless you opt out.

KDP Select does not affect your paperback or hardcover, and you can sell those elsewhere. The choice depends on your genre and your plans. If you want your ebook on other stores such as Apple Books or Kobo, do not enrol it. Book publishing services explain how setup on other platforms works.

Step 10: Order a Proof Copy and Publish

Before you publish a print book, order a printed proof from KDP. A proof shows the real trim size, the paper, the margins and the cover colors, which a screen cannot. Check it carefully, make any fixes, and upload the corrected files.

When you are ready, select publish. KDP reviews the book before it goes live, and the review can take some time. After approval, the book page appears on Amazon.

After You Publish

Publishing is the start. A new book needs readers to find it. Set up your author page, ask early readers for honest reviews, and plan a launch. Book marketing services cover launch planning, and the publishing packages include a launch checklist and, at the top level, a 30-day launch marketing plan.

No one can promise sales, reviews or rankings. They depend on the book, the readers and many factors outside your control.

How Much Does It Cost to Self Publish a Book on Amazon?

It costs nothing to publish on KDP, so your costs are the services that make the book ready. The main ones are:

• Editing. Priced per 250 words at BookPublishersNYC.com: copy editing $5–$7, line editing $7.50–$12.50, developmental editing $8–$13.
• Proofreading. $3 per 250 words.
• Formatting. From $400 for a standard 50,000-word book.
• Cover design. $99.
• ISBN. Free for print on KDP, or the price of your own.
• Proof copies. The printing cost of each copy you order.
• Marketing. Depends on what you choose.

The three publishing packages combine cover design, formatting and KDP setup from $499.

Should You Do It Yourself or Hire Help?

You can self publish a book on Amazon alone. KDP is built for it, and a simple text book can come out well. Help pays off when:

• the book has tables, footnotes, images or a special layout;
• you want a print interior that meets KDP’s requirements the first time;
• you want an ebook and a print book that match;
• you would rather spend your time writing and promoting.

BookPublishersNYC.com is a book publishing services provider, not a publisher. You buy only the services you need, you publish through your own KDP account, and you keep ownership of your book. See how it works.

Common Mistakes When You Self Publish a Book on Amazon

• Skipping the proof copy. Layout and color problems show up only on paper.
• Pricing without checking the royalty rules. A price outside the 70% range earns 35%, and a low print price may not cover printing.
• Publishing an unedited manuscript. Errors cost reviews.
• Using material you do not have the rights to. Images, quotations and song lyrics may need permission.
• Forgetting to disclose AI-generated content. KDP requires disclosure of AI-generated text, images and translations.
• Choosing KDP Select without thinking. It makes the ebook exclusive to Amazon for 90 days at a time.

Your Rights When You Publish Through KDP

You keep the rights to your book when you publish on KDP. KDP’s terms give Amazon a non-exclusive right to print and distribute the book, and KDP Select adds exclusivity for the ebook only. Read the current terms before you publish. If you use a services company, check that its agreement states that you keep ownership. At BookPublishersNYC.com, authors keep ownership of their books. Read about author rights and royalties.

FAQ: How to Self Publish a Book on Amazon

Conclusion

Now you know how to self publish a book on Amazon: finish and edit the manuscript, format it, design the cover, set up your KDP account, enter accurate details, upload and preview, price carefully, decide on KDP Select, order a proof and publish. Each step is simple, and the quality of each one decides how the finished book looks to a reader.

If you would like help with any step, BookPublishersNYC.com provides editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design, KDP setup and marketing, and you keep ownership of your book.