How to publish your paperback on KDP

KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon’s free website for publishing books. This guide walks you through it one small step at a time. Keep it open in this tab, and open KDP in another tab.

KDP sometimes moves things around. If a screen looks a little different, look for the same words. Stuck? Ask in Help.

Before you start

You’ll need:

  1. Your interior PDF (the inside pages) from the Interior maker, and your cover PDF from the Cover maker.
  2. Your title, subtitle and author name, written exactly as they appear on your cover: your title and name.
  3. Your book’s description (the back-cover style text shoppers read) and up to 7 keywords (phrases shoppers type, like the ones Shelf Scout checked). A Pro book plan writes them with you; on Starter, your own AI tool can help.
  4. A free KDP account. The first time, KDP asks for your tax information and your bank details so it can pay you. That’s normal; fill it in once.

1. Sign in and create your paperback

  1. Go to kdp.amazon.com and click Sign in. You can use your normal Amazon account.
  2. You’ll land on your Bookshelf. Click the + Create button.
  3. Under Paperback, click Create paperback.
  4. You’ll see three pages to fill in, in order: Details, Content and Pricing. KDP saves as you go, so you can stop and come back (click Save as Draft).

2. The Details page

  1. Language: English (or your book’s language).
  2. Book title and Subtitle: type them exactly as on your cover: your title and subtitle.
  3. Series and Edition number: leave these empty unless your book is part of a series.
  4. Author: your name or pen name, exactly as on your cover: your author name. Contributors is for an illustrator or co-author; skip it if it’s just you.
  5. Description: paste your book description. Short paragraphs read best.
  6. Publishing rights: choose “I own the copyright and I hold the necessary publishing rights.”
  7. Primary audience: answer the question about sexually explicit images honestly (for most books, No). For children’s books, set the reading age range.
  8. Primary marketplace: Amazon.com (if you’re in the US).
  9. Categories: click Choose categories and pick up to 3 that fit your book and its readers. Pick the most specific ones that truly fit.
  10. Keywords: up to 7 boxes. Put one phrase shoppers would search in each box (for example “dog books for kids”). Don’t repeat words from your title, and don’t use other authors’ names or brands.
  11. Release date: choose Release my book for sale now.
  12. Click Save and Continue.

3. The Content page: ISBN, size and paper

  1. Print ISBN: choose Get a free KDP ISBN and click Assign ISBN. (An ISBN is your book’s ID number. The free one is fine for most authors; it means your book can only be printed through KDP. Once assigned, it can’t be changed.)
  2. Low-content book: tick this only if your book is mostly blank or repeated pages, like a journal, logbook or planner. Low-content books don’t need an ISBN. Story books, coloring books and puzzle books are not low-content.
  3. Ink and paper type: choose the same option you chose in Shelf Starter.
  4. Trim size: click Select a different size if needed and pick the size you chose in Shelf Starter. It must match your files exactly.
  5. Bleed settings: choose No Bleed. (Shelf Starter makes your inside pages with safe margins, so nothing needs to print to the edge.)
  6. Paperback cover finish: Matte (soft, no glare; lovely for novels and coloring books) or Glossy (shiny; makes colors pop, nice for picture books). Either is fine.

4. The Content page: upload your files

  1. Manuscript: click Upload paperback manuscript and choose your interior PDF from Shelf Starter. Wait until it says it uploaded successfully.
  2. Book cover: choose Upload a cover you already have (print-ready PDF only), then click Upload your cover file and choose your cover PDF. (Don’t use “Cover Creator”; your cover is already made.)
  3. AI-generated content: KDP asks whether you used AI tools to create the text, the images, or translations. Answer honestly. If AI helped write or draw any part (for example with Shelf Starter’s prompts or Pro), say Yes for that part and name the tool (like Claude or ChatGPT). This doesn’t stop your book from being published.

5. Check it in the Previewer

  1. Click Launch Previewer. KDP builds a picture of your printed book. It can take a minute or two.
  2. Turn every page. Look for words cut off, blank pages you didn’t expect, and pictures in the right places. Check the cover’s spine text is centered.
  3. If KDP shows a warning on the left, click it to see which page it means.
  4. When it looks right, click Approve.
Common problems and how to fix them
  • “Cover size doesn’t match” or the spine looks wrong: your cover was made for a different page count, paper or trim. In the Cover maker, set the exact page count of your final interior PDF and the same paper, then download the cover again.
  • Text too close to the edge, or “outside margins”: make sure the trim size on KDP matches the one in the Interior maker, and that No Bleed is chosen.
  • Low-resolution pictures: use Sharpen for print in Shelf Starter, then make the PDF again.
  • Page count is different from what you expected: KDP counts every page, including blank ones. That’s fine; just make sure your cover uses the same number.
  1. Below the Previewer, KDP shows your printing cost. Remember it for the next page. Then click Save and Continue.

6. The Pricing page

  1. Territories: choose All territories (worldwide rights).
  2. Primary marketplace: Amazon.com.
  3. List price: type your price in the Amazon.com box. Look at what similar books cost on Amazon (Shelf Scout shows it), or use your book plan’s price step on Pro.
  4. How royalties work: on Amazon.com, books priced at $9.99 or more earn 60% of the price, and books priced $9.98 or less earn 50%. KDP then subtracts the printing cost. So one cent can matter: $9.99 often earns noticeably more than $9.98. KDP shows your exact royalty next to the price box.
  5. Expanded Distribution (bookstores and libraries) pays 40% minus printing, and usually needs a higher price. It’s optional; most beginners leave it off at first.
  6. Other marketplaces fill in automatically from your Amazon.com price. You can leave them.
  7. Optional but smart: order a printed proof copy (from the Content page or your Bookshelf’s “…” menu) to hold your book before shoppers do.

7. Publish, then wait for review

  1. Click Publish Your Paperback Book at the bottom of the Pricing page.
  2. Your Bookshelf shows In review. Amazon checks every new book; this takes up to 72 hours (often less).
  3. You’ll get an email when it’s Live. It can take a little longer for your book page to fully appear in Amazon search.
  4. If KDP emails you about a problem, don’t worry: it says what to fix. Fix it in Shelf Starter, upload the new file, and submit again. Ask in Help if you’re unsure.

Congratulations, you’re a published author! Your next book will be much faster.