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

To self-publish a book on Amazon, create a free Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account, finish the tax interview, upload a formatted manuscript and a cover, set your price and click Publish. Amazon usually reviews a new book within 72 hours. You keep your rights, and Amazon pays you a royalty on every sale.

That sounds quick, and the clicking part is. The work is in having the right files ready first. Here's how to self-publish a book on Amazon, with the steps in the order you'll actually need them.

What do I need before I start?

You need four things ready: your final manuscript, your cover (or your designer's contact), your Social Security number or EIN for the tax interview, and your bank's routing and account numbers. You type the tax and bank details into Amazon yourself. Nobody else needs them.

What are the steps to self-publish a book on Amazon?

There are ten steps, and this is the order that saves the most backtracking.

1. Create your KDP account. Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account, or make a new one just for publishing. Enter your legal name and address. Turn on two-step verification if it asks. It protects your royalties.
2. Finish the tax interview and add your bank. Under Account, complete the tax interview. It takes about 10 minutes. Then add your bank account under Getting paid. Your book can go live before this is done, but Amazon holds your payments until it is.
3. Decide on your ISBN. KDP will give you a free ISBN for the paperback, or you can bring your own. Our ISBN guide explains the difference. The Kindle ebook doesn't need one. Amazon gives it an ASIN automatically.
4. Add front and back matter. Up front: title page, copyright page, table of contents. In the back: acknowledgments, an author bio, and one clear next step for the reader, like your website or a free resource.
5. Format the interior. Pick a trim size, set your margins and export a print-ready PDF. For the ebook, use an EPUB or a Word file. We cover this in detail in KDP paperback formatting.
6. Get your cover. The Kindle cover is a single image. The paperback cover is one PDF with the back, spine and front together. The free book specs calculator gives you the exact size.
7. Write your title, description, keywords and categories. More on the limits below.
8. Set up the Kindle ebook, then the paperback. From your Bookshelf, click Create, upload your files and run Amazon's previewer.
9. Order a printed proof. Read it on paper before you publish.
10. Publish. Each format goes live on its own schedule.

What are the title, description and keyword limits?

KDP caps each field, and these are the limits to plan around.

Your title and subtitle should match your cover exactly. Don't stuff the subtitle with keywords or words like "bestselling" or "free." Amazon pulls books for that. For keywords, think about what a reader would type into the search bar, such as "leadership book for new managers," and skip words already in your title. Open your description with the reader's problem or your story's hook, not your bio.

Should I publish the ebook or the paperback first?

Do the ebook first. Then, from the same title, click Create paperback so the two formats link together on one Amazon page. Your details carry over, which saves time.

Two things to know about the ebook. First, KDP asks whether any text, images or translations were AI-generated. Answer honestly. If you wrote the book and AI only helped with editing or brainstorming, that's AI-assisted, and the answer is no. We break that down in Can you use AI to write a book?. Second, the 70% royalty applies when your ebook is priced between $2.99 and $9.99 in the US store. Outside that range it's 35%. Our royalties guide has the full picture.

Do I really need a proof copy?

Yes, because a printed proof is the cheapest insurance in publishing. Hold it in your hands and check the spine, the margins and the cover colors. Look for typos, too. Screens hide mistakes that paper shows right away. Fix anything you find, upload new files and order another proof if the changes were big.

What happens after I hit Publish?

Your book goes to review, and then you have a short to-do list.

1. Wait for review, which can take up to 72 hours.
2. When it's live, search Amazon for your title and make sure every format shows on one page. If they don't link, ask KDP support to link them.
3. Claim your author page at Amazon Author Central. Add your photo, bio and books. New books can take a few days to appear there.
4. Buy author copies at printing cost from your Bookshelf for events and signings.

For your launch, give free advance copies to real readers and ask for honest reviews. Never pay for reviews or trade them. Amazon removes reviews it believes come from family or close friends. If you'd like company while you launch, Build Until is the community behind our house, and a friendly place to meet other authors.

How much does it cost, and what will I earn?

Creating a KDP account is free. You earn a royalty on each sale, and the rates and printing costs can change, so confirm the current numbers on KDP's pricing page when you set your price. A quick estimate for a paperback is in our calculator.

Ready to see where your book stands before you upload anything? Start free and you'll get your Voice profile and the Acquisitions Board's read on your idea.