How to Publish a Book on Amazon KDP for Free: A Practical 2026 Guide for First-Time Authors

If you have a finished manuscript and want to publish it on Amazon without paying a traditional publisher an upfront publishing fee, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allows you to publish your book yourself.

But there is an important distinction I learned early in my own publishing experience:

Getting a book published is not the same thing as getting a book sold.

I learned this the hard way.

In 2017, I had a completed manuscript but no publisher. I had recently started full-time pastoral ministry, and one of the things I wanted to do was find a practical way to make income from the books I was writing.

I began researching how authors were publishing and selling books online, and that research eventually led me to Amazon KDP.

Before that, I had already tried an online publishing agency. They helped put my books online, and I could find the books on Google and various online bookstores. On paper, everything looked successful.

But I didn’t make a sale.

That experience taught me something I still consider important today:

Publishing creates availability. It does not automatically create demand.

When I eventually started publishing directly through KDP, I had to learn things I had never been taught before: manuscript formatting, paperback dimensions, cover dimensions, book descriptions, pricing, payment information and the difference between preparing a book for publication and actually positioning it for readers.

My first KDP book was Destiny: Manifestation of the Sons of God.

The process was not as complicated as I initially imagined, but some parts were surprisingly technical—especially paperback formatting and getting the cover dimensions right.

This guide walks through the process from the beginning, including the mistakes and practical lessons that can save a first-time author a great deal of frustration.

If you want a broader publishing roadmap before getting into the Amazon-specific process, you can also read our complete beginner’s guide to publishing your first book.

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What You Need Before Publishing on Amazon KDP

Before opening KDP, have these things ready:

• A completed manuscript
• A clear book title
• Subtitle, if applicable
• Author name
• Book description
• Appropriate categories
• Keywords
• A properly formatted interior manuscript
• A professionally prepared cover
• Your payment/bank information
• Your tax information
• A clear idea of who the book is written for
• A reasonable price

For a paperback, you ultimately upload two separate files:

1. The interior manuscript
2. The complete paperback cover

KDP describes the manuscript as the interior of the book, including the front matter, body and back matter, while the cover contains the front, back and spine.

If you want to work through the process without forgetting an important stage, keep our First-Time Author Publishing Checklist beside you as you work through the process.

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Step 1: Create Your Amazon KDP Account

Start at the official Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing website.

You can use your existing Amazon account to sign in or create an account if you do not already have one.

KDP’s account setup process requires information such as your name, address and telephone number, followed by payment and tax information.

One thing I recommend is using your real legal information when setting up the account.

Do not create a publishing account with random information simply because you are excited to get your first book online.

Your account information eventually connects to payment and tax information, so accuracy matters.

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Step 2: Complete Your KDP Account Details

After signing in, complete your account information.

This includes information such as:

• Your legal name
• Business information, if applicable
• Mailing address
• Phone number
• Other account details requested by KDP

If you are publishing as an individual, your legal information should correspond to your actual identity and financial information.

If you are publishing through a company, make sure you understand whether the account and payment information should be associated with the individual or business.

Don’t rush this section

Your book can be perfect and still encounter unnecessary problems later if the account information is incomplete or inconsistent.

I would rather spend extra time getting the account right at the beginning than discover a payment or verification problem after publishing several books.

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Step 3: Add Your Bank Account / Payment Information

The next important step is getting paid.

KDP provides different payment methods depending on your country and the payment options available for your account.

Go to your KDP account’s Getting Paid section and add the appropriate bank information.

KDP notes that the account holder name and banking information should match the information held by the bank, and bank validation can take several business days.

My experience with payment as a Nigerian author

This was one of the areas I struggled with in my early KDP experience.

For years, I had books on KDP but had not received a payment. At that time, I eventually learned about Payoneer through a friend and used it as part of my payment setup.

The important lesson for a new Nigerian author today is not to copy an old payment method blindly.

KDP’s available payment options and country requirements can change.

Check the payment options displayed inside your own KDP account rather than relying on an old YouTube tutorial or a blog post written several years ago.

If you’re publishing from Nigeria and want to understand the broader publishing costs involved beyond KDP itself, our Nigeria self-publishing cost calculator can help you build a preliminary budget.

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Step 4: Complete Your Tax Information

After your account and payment details, complete the tax interview.

This is a separate part of the setup and should not be skipped.

KDP requires tax information because book royalties are income, and Amazon needs to determine the appropriate tax documentation and withholding treatment for your account.

For authors outside the United States, the tax interview may ask for information relating to your country of residence and taxpayer identification details.

The exact questions you see can depend on your circumstances.

My advice

Do not guess your tax information just to make the form turn green.

If you do not understand a tax question, find out what it means before submitting it.

Your KDP account is connected to real financial transactions. Treat the setup accordingly.

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Step 5: Prepare Your Manuscript Before Uploading Anything

This is where many first-time authors make a mistake.

They open KDP, click Create, and immediately start trying to upload their Word document.

I recommend doing the opposite.

Prepare the book first. Upload it second.

Your manuscript should already have its structure, page size, margins, chapter formatting, page numbers and other formatting elements properly prepared before you enter the upload stage.

If you have not finished the actual manuscript yet, our guide on how to write your first book can help you work from the initial idea through to a completed manuscript.

A paperback interior normally contains three broad sections:

Front matter

This may include:

• Half-title page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Dedication
• Table of contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction

You do not need every one of these in every book.

Body matter

This is the actual content:

• Chapters
• Sections
• Lessons
• Stories
• Exercises
• Other main content

Back matter

Depending on the book, this could include:

• About the author
• Other books by the author
• Acknowledgments
• References
• Discussion questions
• Appendix
• Contact information

The important thing is to treat the manuscript as a finished book interior, not simply as a Word document containing your writing.

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Decide Whether Your Book Is Fiction or Nonfiction

Before choosing a trim size, formatting your chapters or designing your interior, identify what kind of book you are producing.

This matters because different books have different physical requirements and reading experiences.

Fiction

Examples include:

• Novels
• Romance
• Thrillers
• Mystery
• Fantasy
• Christian fiction
• Short story collections

Fiction usually benefits from a relatively compact reading format.

A smaller trim size can make a novel feel more like a traditional bookstore novel and can also create more pages from the same amount of text.

Nonfiction

Examples include:

• Business books
• Christian books
• Self-help
• Personal development
• Biographies
• How-to books
• Educational books
• Leadership books

For many nonfiction books, 6 × 9 inches is a common practical choice.

However, that does not mean every nonfiction book should automatically be 6 × 9.

For example, I personally use 5.5 × 8.5 inches for some of my books.

The right size depends on the type of book, the amount of text, the desired reading experience and the physical appearance you want.

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Choose the Right Paperback Trim Size

Trim size means the final physical dimensions of your printed book.

For example:

• 5 × 8 inches
• 5.5 × 8.5 inches
• 6 × 9 inches
• 7 × 10 inches

KDP currently offers several trim sizes, and many standard paperback sizes can accommodate books from 24 pages upward, subject to the particular ink, paper and trim-size combination.

The current minimum paperback page count is 24 pages.

Practical trim-size guide

Book type	Practical starting point
General nonfiction	6 × 9
Christian/nonfiction books	5.5 × 8.5 or 6 × 9
Novels	5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.5 × 8.5
Business books	6 × 9
Self-help books	5.5 × 8.5 or 6 × 9
Workbooks	7 × 10 or another larger format
Journals	Larger formats can be more practical
Children’s storybooks	Often larger formats depending on illustrations
Activity books	Larger formats are often more practical

These are starting points, not rules.

A workbook containing exercises may need more writing space.

A children’s book containing full-page illustrations may need a completely different layout from a 200-page business book.

A novel can look awkward if formatted like a workbook.

The mistake is choosing a trim size simply because someone on YouTube said, “Use 6 × 9.”

Choose the physical format based on the reading experience you are trying to create.

If you’re still trying to estimate what your manuscript might become physically, use our Word Count to Page Count Calculator before finalizing your trim size and cover plans.

The calculator is useful for planning because page count depends on more than word count—it also changes with trim size, font size, spacing, margins, chapter openings and other formatting decisions.

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Set Up Your Manuscript Page Size

Once you have chosen your trim size, set the actual page size in your writing software.

For example, if your book is 6 × 9 inches and does not require interior bleed, your document should be formatted to the 6 × 9 trim size.

If you are using Microsoft Word:

Layout → Size → More Paper Sizes

Enter your width and height and apply it to the entire document.

KDP’s own formatting instructions recommend setting the page size before setting your margins because your page count can change when the page size changes.

This is an important detail.

Don’t format a 150-page manuscript using A4 paper and then simply upload it expecting KDP to turn it into a professional 6 × 9 book.

The physical page needs to be designed intentionally.

For a deeper technical explanation, see our Amazon KDP formatting guide for print and Kindle, which goes deeper into manuscript formatting, trim sizes, margins and file preparation.

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Set the Correct Margins

Margins become especially important with paperbacks because the pages are bound together.

The inside margin is commonly called the gutter.

The thicker your book becomes, the more space is required near the binding.

KDP currently specifies these minimum inside margins:

Page count	Minimum inside/gutter margin
24–150	0.375″
151–300	0.5″
301–500	0.625″
501–700	0.75″
701–828	0.875″

For books without bleed, the outside margin must be at least 0.25 inches. For books with bleed, the outside margin must be at least 0.375 inches.

Why this matters

Imagine opening a 400-page book and finding that the text is almost touching the binding.

You technically have a readable book, but the reading experience is poor.

Formatting isn’t simply about satisfying KDP’s upload requirements.

It is about making the finished book comfortable to read.

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Decide Whether Your Interior Needs Bleed

Bleed is required when an image, background or other visual element needs to extend all the way to the physical edge of the printed page.

For example, suppose you are creating a children’s picture book and the illustration fills the entire page.

You don’t want a thin white border accidentally appearing around the illustration after trimming.

That is where bleed becomes important.

For a 6 × 9-inch book requiring bleed, KDP’s current instructions specify a manuscript page size of 6.125 × 9.25 inches.

Simple rule

If your book is primarily text and nothing reaches the edge of the page, you may not need interior bleed.

If you have full-page illustrations, photographs, colored backgrounds or graphics that intentionally reach the edge, you need to consider bleed carefully.

For more detailed technical instructions, use the KDP paperback formatting guide while preparing the actual file.

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Format Your Chapters Properly

Now move into the actual typography.

Don’t format each chapter manually by pressing Enter repeatedly, adding spaces or using random font changes.

Use consistent styles.

For example:

Chapter title

Then the chapter text.

Use the same approach throughout the entire manuscript.

A nonfiction book might use:

• Chapter number
• Chapter title
• Optional subtitle
• Opening paragraph
• Subheadings
• Body text

A novel might use:

• Chapter number
• Chapter title, if applicable
• Body text

A workbook might use:

• Lesson title
• Explanation
• Instructions
• Exercise
• Writing space

Consistency makes the book look professionally produced.

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Format Your Front Matter

Your front matter should have a deliberate structure.

For a typical nonfiction book, you might have:

1. Half-title page
2. Title page
3. Copyright page
4. Dedication
5. Table of contents
6. Introduction

You don’t have to use all six.

For example, a short devotional may have a much simpler structure.

The important thing is that the pages should feel intentional.

Don’t fill the first ten pages with unnecessary material simply to make the book appear longer.

That is not useful to the reader.

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Format Page Numbers Correctly

Page numbering is another area where first-time authors often discover that book formatting is different from writing a normal Word document.

You may use Roman numerals for some front matter and Arabic numerals for the main body.

For example:

• i
• ii
• iii

Then:

• 1
• 2
• 3

You should also check that:

• Blank pages are intentional.
• Chapter openings occur where you want them.
• Odd/even page placement is correct.
• Headers are consistent.
• Page numbers aren’t appearing on pages where they shouldn’t.

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Create Your Table of Contents

For a longer nonfiction book, a table of contents is useful because it lets readers understand the structure of the book before they begin reading.

Make sure the chapter names in your table of contents match the actual chapter names.

For example, don’t have:

Chapter 4 — Finding Your Purpose

in the table of contents and then:

Chapter Four: Discovering Your Purpose

inside the manuscript unless you intentionally want them to differ.

Consistency matters.

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Export the Paperback Manuscript Correctly

Once your manuscript is finished, proofread it again.

Then export it in the appropriate format for your book.

For paperback interiors, KDP supports different manuscript formats depending on whether the file uses bleed.

For a professional paperback, I recommend treating the final PDF as the print-ready version and checking it carefully before uploading.

Look for:

• Missing pages
• Blank pages
• Cut-off text
• Wrong chapter titles
• Incorrect page numbers
• Images moving unexpectedly
• Font changes
• Strange spacing
• Headers appearing where they shouldn’t
• Table of contents errors

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Prepare the Paperback Cover Separately

This is one of the areas that gave me trouble when I was learning KDP.

An ebook cover is relatively straightforward.

A paperback cover is different.

You are not creating just the front cover.

You are creating a complete wraparound cover containing:

Back cover + spine + front cover

The final dimensions depend on:

• Trim size
• Page count
• Paper type
• Ink type

KDP provides a cover calculator and templates that can be used to determine the required dimensions.

Don’t guess the paperback cover dimensions

This is one of the biggest practical lessons I would give a first-time author.

Don’t simply tell your designer:

“The book is 6 × 9.”

That isn’t enough information for the complete paperback cover.

The spine width also depends on the final page count and paper specifications.

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Generate a KDP Cover Template

After your manuscript is finalized, you will know the actual page count.

That is when you should generate the cover template.

The template gives you the dimensions for:

• Back cover
• Spine
• Front cover
• Bleed
• Safe areas
• Barcode area

This is much safer than trying to calculate the complete cover by yourself.

And there is a practical reason for doing it after the manuscript is finalized:

Changing the manuscript can change the page count, which can change the spine width.

So don’t finalize a paperback cover too early.

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Understand the Spine

The spine is the narrow section between the front and back covers.

If your book is thick enough, you can put:

• Book title
• Author name
• Publisher name, if applicable

on the spine.

But don’t assume every paperback can have spine text.

KDP currently requires a minimum of 79 pages for spine text to be printed.

This is another reason page count matters.

A 50-page book and a 250-page book do not have the same cover requirements.

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Keep Important Cover Content Away From the Edges

Your title, author’s name, important text and other essential elements should not sit too close to the trim edge.

Remember that printed books are physically trimmed.

This is particularly important if you’re designing your own cover.

A cover that looks perfectly aligned on your computer can look different after printing if important text is positioned too close to the edge.

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Step 4: Upload the Book to KDP

Now you can finally begin the actual publishing process.

Inside KDP, select the type of book you want to create.

For a paperback, you will enter information such as:

• Language
• Book title
• Subtitle
• Series information, if applicable
• Edition information
• Author
• Contributors
• Description
• Publishing rights
• Keywords
• Categories
• Age range where applicable

Then you move into the content section where you upload:

• Your manuscript
• Your cover

This is why I recommend preparing everything first.

By the time you reach this stage, you’re no longer trying to write your book.

You’re assembling a finished publishing package.

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Step 5: Write the Book Description for the Reader

Your description is not merely a summary of your book.

It is part of the sales presentation.

When I was learning to sell my books, I became increasingly aware that the reader wants to know:

“What is this book going to do for me?”

A good description should make the value clear.

For example, instead of saying:

This book contains ten chapters about personal development.

you want the reader to understand:

• What problem does the book address?
• What will the reader learn?
• What transformation or practical benefit does it offer?
• Who is the book for?
• Why should the reader continue reading?

Your title gets attention.

Your cover creates a first impression.

Your description helps the reader decide whether the book is relevant.

If you’re struggling to turn those points into an effective Amazon description, use our Book Description Generator as a starting point, then edit the result so that it accurately reflects your actual book and sounds like you.

Do not simply paste the generated text into KDP without reviewing it.

The tool is there to help you develop the description, not replace your judgment as the author.

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Step 6: Choose Your Categories Carefully

Your categories should accurately represent the book.

Don’t choose a category simply because you think it will be easier to rank there.

If your book is a Christian devotional, make sure its categories reflect that.

If it is a business book, use relevant business categories.

If it is a novel, choose categories that actually describe the genre.

The objective is not to make the book appear in a category where it doesn’t belong.

The objective is to help the right readers discover it.

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Step 7: Choose Keywords Based on What Your Reader Is Looking For

Think like a reader.

Suppose you wrote a book about overcoming anxiety.

A reader may search for phrases related to:

• anxiety
• overcoming anxiety
• Christian anxiety
• prayers for anxiety
• peace of mind
• biblical encouragement

The exact keywords you choose should reflect the actual subject and audience of your book.

Don’t stuff unrelated high-volume phrases into your metadata simply because you want traffic.

A book about Christian prayer shouldn’t be optimized for an unrelated audience just because the keyword receives more searches.

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Step 8: Price Your Book Using the Market, Not Just Your Desired Income

This is one of the biggest lessons I learned from publishing.

When I was pricing my books, I didn’t simply think:

“I want to make as much money as possible, so I’ll set the highest price.”

I would search Amazon for books in the same or closely related category and examine comparable books.

I would look at things such as:

• Topic
• Format
• Book length
• Physical size
• Audience
• Overall presentation
• Comparable prices

Then I would use that information to determine a price that made sense for the market.

For example, imagine you find five reasonably comparable books priced at:

• $4.99
• $6.99
• $8.99
• $9.99
• $7.99

The simple average is:

$7.79

That doesn’t mean your book must cost exactly $7.79.

It simply gives you a reference point.

You then consider the differences between your book and the comparable books.

A 70-page book should not necessarily be priced like a 350-page comprehensive guide simply because both are nonfiction.

Likewise, a professionally produced workbook may justify a different price structure from a short devotional.

The question I ask is:

What price would a reader reasonably consider for this particular book?

That is a better starting point than:

“How much money do I want to make from each copy?”

Your desired income matters, but readers ultimately decide whether the price represents enough value for them to buy.

Then calculate the actual royalty

Price isn’t the same thing as earnings.

A $14.99 paperback does not mean you receive $14.99.

Printing costs and the applicable royalty structure affect what remains from each sale.

Before finalizing your price, use the KDP Royalty Calculator to estimate what different prices could mean for your royalties.

I would use both pieces of information:

market comparison → reader-facing price

and

royalty calculation → author-facing economics

That gives you a much more useful pricing decision than looking at either one in isolation.

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Step 8: Upload and Preview the Manuscript

After uploading the files, use KDP’s previewer.

Don’t skip this.

The previewer can reveal problems that weren’t obvious in your Word document.

Check every section carefully.

Look for:

• Chapter headings
• Page breaks
• Margins
• Page numbers
• Images
• Tables
• Blank pages
• Headers and footers
• Front matter
• Back matter
• Cover alignment

If something is wrong, go back to the original manuscript, fix it and upload the corrected file.

Don’t try to convince yourself:

“It will probably look fine when printed.”

This is exactly what the preview stage is for.

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Step 9: Order a Physical Proof When Appropriate

A digital preview is useful.

A physical copy is better for evaluating the actual reading experience.

Once you have the opportunity to obtain a proof copy, inspect it physically.

Look at:

• Font size
• Line spacing
• Margins
• Gutter
• Cover colors
• Spine alignment
• Page turning
• Image quality
• Chapter openings
• Overall thickness
• General readability

Something can look perfectly acceptable on a computer monitor and feel completely different when you hold the printed book.

This is especially important if this is your first paperback.

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Step 10: Publish the Book

Once you are satisfied with:

• Manuscript
• Cover
• Metadata
• Description
• Categories
• Keywords
• Pricing
• Preview

you can submit the book for publication.

KDP will process the book and make it available according to its publishing process and marketplace requirements.

At this point, your book has been published.

But remember the lesson from my first publishing experience:

Publication is not the finish line.

It is the beginning of the selling process.

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What I Learned From My First KDP Experience

Looking back at my early publishing experience, I would summarize the biggest lessons this way.

1. A publisher is not automatically a marketer

My earlier experience with an online publishing agency taught me this.

My books were online.

People could find them.

But that did not automatically produce sales.

Availability and demand are two different things.

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2. A good book still needs good packaging

Your manuscript may be excellent.

But readers first encounter:

1. Your title
2. Your cover
3. Your description
4. Your sample/preview
5. Your price

Those elements need to communicate the value of the book.

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3. The title needs to communicate clearly

A clever title isn’t always a useful title.

If the reader cannot understand what the book is about, you have created unnecessary friction.

The title should make the subject clear, particularly when the reader discovers the book through search.

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4. The cover should communicate the book’s message

The cover doesn’t have to tell the entire story.

But it should create an appropriate expectation.

A Christian devotional should look like it belongs to its audience.

A business book should communicate business value.

A children’s storybook needs to visually appeal to its intended audience.

Your cover is not decoration.

It is part of the product.

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5. The description should explain the benefit

Don’t spend the entire description telling the reader how wonderful you are as an author.

Tell the reader what the book contains and why it may be useful to them.

If you need help developing it, the Amazon KDP book description tool can give you a structured starting point.

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A Practical KDP Publishing Workflow for First-Time Authors

If I were starting with a finished manuscript today, I would follow this order:

Phase 1 — Account

1. Create/sign into KDP.
2. Complete account information.
3. Add payment/bank information.
4. Complete tax information.

Phase 2 — Book preparation

5. Finish the manuscript.
6. Identify whether the book is fiction, nonfiction, workbook, journal, children’s book, etc.
7. Choose trim size.
8. Set page size.
9. Set margins.
10. Decide whether interior bleed is required.
11. Format chapters.
12. Format front matter.
13. Format page numbers.
14. Format images/tables.
15. Create the table of contents where appropriate.
16. Proofread.
17. Export the print-ready manuscript.

Phase 3 — Cover

18. Confirm final page count.
19. Generate the KDP cover template.
20. Design the complete cover.
21. Check spine and safe areas.
22. Export the cover correctly.

Phase 4 — KDP upload

23. Enter book details.
24. Write the description.
25. Select categories.
26. Add keywords.
27. Upload manuscript.
28. Upload cover.
29. Preview the book.
30. Correct any errors.

Phase 5 — Commercial preparation

31. Research comparable books.
32. Compare format, length, topic and prices.
33. Calculate estimated royalties.
34. Set a reasonable price.
35. Review the final listing.
36. Submit the book for publication.
37. Obtain a physical proof when appropriate.
38. Begin marketing and reader acquisition.

If you want this entire workflow in a printable format, use the First-Time Author Publishing Checklist as your working checklist.

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

The basic KDP publishing process does not require you to pay a traditional publisher an upfront publishing fee.

That is one of the reasons KDP was so useful to me when I was trying to figure out how to publish my own books.

You can prepare the manuscript yourself, create the cover yourself and upload the files yourself.

However, “publish for free” does not mean “the entire publishing process can never cost money.”

You may choose to spend money on:

• Professional editing
• Proofreading
• Cover design
• Interior formatting
• ISBNs where relevant
• Advertising
• Proof copies
• Marketing
• Professional photography or illustrations

Those are optional services or expenses rather than a requirement to pay a traditional publisher simply to put the book on KDP.

If you want to calculate the potential cost of producing the entire book—not just putting the file on Amazon—use our book publishing cost calculator.

For Nigerian authors, the Nigeria self-publishing cost calculator is more useful because it lets you think about the budget in naira.

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Can a Complete Beginner Publish on KDP?

Yes.

But being able to click the Publish button is not the same thing as producing a professional book.

A beginner can learn the technical process.

The harder part is learning how to make good decisions about:

• Content
• Editing
• Formatting
• Cover design
• Reader expectations
• Pricing
• Positioning
• Marketing

That is why I recommend treating KDP as a publishing system rather than a magic money-making button.

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The Biggest Mistake I Would Avoid

If I had to give a first-time author one warning, it would be this:

Don’t rush to publish simply because your manuscript is finished.

A finished manuscript is not necessarily a finished book.

Before publishing, ask:

• Has the manuscript been properly edited?
• Is the formatting professional?
• Is the trim size appropriate?
• Does the cover fit the genre?
• Does the description communicate the benefit?
• Is the price reasonable for the market?
• Is the book actually useful to the intended reader?
• Have I previewed the entire book?
• Have I checked what comparable books look like?

Publishing quickly is not the same as publishing well.

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What KDP Can Actually Change for You

When I first discovered KDP, what impressed me was not simply that Amazon could put my book online.

It was that I could take responsibility for the publishing process myself.

Before that, I thought publishing largely meant finding someone who would publish my manuscript for me.

KDP changed that way of thinking.

I learned how to prepare my own manuscript, work through paperback formatting, create and adjust covers, write descriptions, research pricing and understand that publishing and marketing are separate activities.

My first experience also taught me something that I think every first-time author should understand before publishing:

Getting your book onto Amazon is only one part of becoming a published author.

The real work is creating a book that deserves to be read, packaging it so the right reader understands what it offers, pricing it sensibly and then putting it in front of people who actually need it.

If you approach KDP with that mindset, you are not simply uploading a file to Amazon.

You are learning how to publish a real book.

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Quick KDP Checklist

Before clicking publish, make sure you can answer yes to these questions:

• My KDP account is complete.
• My payment information is correct.
• My tax information is complete.
• My manuscript is completely edited.
• I have chosen an appropriate trim size.
• My page size matches my chosen trim size.
• My margins meet KDP requirements.
• I have correctly handled bleed where necessary.
• My chapters are consistently formatted.
• My page numbers are correct.
• My table of contents matches my chapters.
• My manuscript has been exported correctly.
• My paperback cover was created using the correct dimensions.
• My final page count matches my cover template.
• My title, description and keywords accurately represent the book.
• My categories are relevant.
• I researched comparable books before setting the price.
• I calculated the expected royalty at my chosen price.
• I checked the entire book in KDP’s previewer.
• I have considered getting a physical proof.
• I understand that publishing the book does not automatically create sales.

That is the complete process: prepare the author account, prepare the book, prepare the cover, upload both files, inspect the result, price the book intelligently and then work on getting it discovered by the right readers.