Self-publishing on Amazon isn’t complicated.
Publishing a book that is genuinely ready for readers is another matter.
Kindle Direct Publishing can show you where to click. It can accept your files, assign your book a product page and make it available for sale.
What KDP cannot tell you is whether the book is ready, whether the positioning is clear, whether the cover communicates the right message or whether a stranger will understand why she should buy it.
That part is still your job.
Amazon publishes files. Readers buy books.
This sounds obvious until you’ve watched authors rush to upload because they’re excited to finally be “published.”
Finishing the manuscript is not the same thing as finishing the book. Before you publish, the content needs to be edited, the promises need to match what you actually deliver, and the book needs to feel complete rather than merely done.
For Christian nonfiction, take the extra time to verify Scripture references, quotations and permissions.
Amazon may approve the file. That doesn’t mean the reader will approve the book.
Your Kindle book and paperback are not the same thing
A Kindle book adjusts itself to the reader’s device.
A paperback has fixed pages.
That difference affects how the book looks and feels, which is why I don’t treat the ebook and paperback as interchangeable files with different covers.
The goal isn’t simply to make both formats technically acceptable. The goal is to make each one pleasant to read.
KDP keeps its current formatting requirements here: KDP ebook formatting guidance.
Use Amazon’s current instructions for the mechanics. They change.
Your book details are part of the marketing
One of the biggest mistakes first-time authors make is treating the information they enter into KDP as administrative paperwork.
It isn’t.
Your title, subtitle, description, categories and keywords all help communicate what the book is and who it is for.
They should be extensively researched to ensure they are accurate. They should also make sense together. When I’m working on a client’s book, I typically spend 12-14 hours on that research to make sure I get it right.
If the cover promises one book, the description suggests another, and the categories put it somewhere completely different, readers are left to figure out what you failed to make clear.
Most won’t bother.
They’ll click on the next book.
KDP approval is a very low bar
Amazon can approve a book that still looks amateur. That’s why I never confuse accepted by KDP with ready for readers.
Look at the finished product as a customer would.
- Does the cover look professional at thumbnail size?
- Does the interior feel clean?
- Does the Kindle edition read smoothly?
- Does the paperback look like a real book when you hold it in your hands?
This is also why I recommend ordering a physical proof before sending readers to buy the paperback.
There are things you will notice in your hand that you simply won’t notice on a computer screen.
Be careful with decisions you don’t understand
KDP gives authors a surprising amount of control. That’s good. But it also means you can make decisions without understanding what they mean.
ISBNs are one example. KDP Select is another.
An ebook does not require an ISBN, while print books do. KDP offers a free ISBN for print, or you can supply your own. Amazon explains the current options here: KDP ISBN guidance.
KDP Select is not simply another box to check. Enrollment comes with a digital exclusivity requirement.
That may be a perfectly good decision for your book. But make it because you understand the tradeoff, not because Amazon put the option on the screen.
Publishing and launching are two different jobs
This is the distinction I wish more authors understood.
Publishing puts your book in the store.
It does not put your book in front of readers.
Amazon can make the book available. But it cannot create demand for it. That work begins long before you click Publish. So don’t wait until your book is live to start wondering:
- Who is going to buy this?
- How will they find it?
- Why will they choose mine?
Those questions belong at the beginning of the publishing process, not the end.
Use Amazon for the mechanics
KDP has its own current instructions for creating and publishing a book, and I recommend using them. You can find the official guide here: Create a Book on KDP.
There is little value in memorizing which button Amazon currently puts where. The more important work is making sure you are uploading the right book, presented the right way, for the right reader.
Because clicking Publish is easy.
Publishing a book people actually want to read takes considerably more thought.
Quick answers
How much does it cost to self-publish on Amazon?
KDP does not charge an upload fee. That does not mean publishing a professional book is free. Editing, cover design and formatting are investments in the finished product.
Do I need an ISBN?
Not for a Kindle ebook. Print editions do require one, and KDP currently offers a free option or allows you to provide your own.
Should I enroll in KDP Select?
Only after you understand the digital exclusivity requirement and decide whether it makes sense for your book. Don’t enroll automatically.
Is getting the book onto Amazon the hardest part?
Not even close. The mechanics are relatively simple. The harder questions are what to publish, how to position it, and how to help the right readers discover it.
Not sure what kind of writer you are—or what may be keeping your book stuck?
Take my free 90-second What Kind of Writer Are You? quiz and discover your writer type, your biggest strength, the hidden trap slowing your book down, and your one next step.
Not sure what kind of writer you are? Take my free 90-second quiz — What Kind of Writer Are You? — and discover your writer type, the hidden trap stalling your book, and your one next step.