What you need before you start
KDP will not let you finish pricing until your account is complete, so do this part first. It takes about twenty minutes and you never repeat it.
A KDP account
Sign up at kdp.amazon.com with an Amazon account. The account is free, there is no listing fee, and one account handles Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions of every book you publish.
Author or publisher details
KDP asks for your legal name, address and country. This is the payee identity, so use the name that matches your bank and tax records rather than your pen name. Your pen name goes in the book's author field later.
The tax interview
Under Account, complete the tax interview. US residents give a SSN or EIN on a W-9; everyone else answers a short W-8 questionnaire and can claim a treaty rate if their country has one. Skipping it means Amazon withholds at the default rate.
Bank details for each marketplace
Royalties are paid by direct deposit per marketplace. Add at least a US account, and add local accounts for the UK, EU and other regions if you have them, otherwise those earnings are paid by wire or held until the threshold is met.
ISBN decisions
You need no ISBN at all. Amazon assigns a free ASIN to the Kindle edition automatically, and offers a free KDP ISBN for the paperback. A free KDP ISBN lists Amazon as the publisher of record and cannot be used anywhere else, so buy your own from your national agency if you also plan to print through IngramSpark or Lulu under your own imprint.
Which AIWriteBook files go where
KDP is two separate submissions from the same book, and AIWriteBook's Export and Format steps produce every file both of them need.
EPUB
Goes in the Kindle eBook submission, in the Manuscript section of the Content screen. KDP also accepts DOCX, but EPUB is the format Amazon converts most cleanly and the one that preserves your chapter breaks and table of contents.
eBook cover JPG
Goes in the Kindle eBook submission, in the Book Cover section, as the front cover only. Do not upload the wraparound print cover here.
Print PDF
Goes in the paperback submission as the manuscript. It is already laid out at the trim size you chose, with the correct inside margin for the page count.
Wrap cover PDF
Goes in the paperback submission as the cover. It is one PDF containing back cover, spine and front cover as a single spread, which is exactly what KDP expects.
DOCX
Not needed for KDP. Keep it for editing, for collaborators, or for a platform that prefers a word processor file.
Exact file and metadata specs
These are the numbers Amazon enforces. A submission that misses one of them either fails conversion or comes back from review.
| Kindle manuscript | EPUB or DOCX. Upload the file as exported; adding HTML tags to the title, subtitle, author, contributor or keyword fields is not accepted. |
|---|---|
| Kindle cover | JPEG or TIFF, RGB, 1.6:1 height-to-width ratio. Amazon's ideal size is 2,560 x 1,600 pixels and the minimum is 1,000 pixels on the longest side. Front cover only. |
| Paperback interior | One PDF at your chosen trim size. Without bleed, the page size equals the trim size. With bleed, add 0.125 in (3.2 mm) to the top, bottom and outside edges, so a 6 x 9 in book becomes a 6.125 x 9.25 in page and images run 0.125 in past the trim. |
| Paperback cover | One PDF containing back cover, spine and front cover as a single image, at a minimum of 300 DPI. Cover files over 650 MB will not convert and Amazon recommends staying at or under 40 MB because large files slow printing. |
| Spine | Spine width depends on page count, paper type and binding, so recalculate it whenever the page count changes. Spine text must sit at least 0.0625 in (1.6 mm) clear of both spine edges. |
| Title and subtitle | Must match the cover and the title page exactly. KDP does not accept HTML in these fields, and you can create up to 10 titles per book format per week. |
| Description | 4,000 characters including any HTML tags you use for bold, italics and line breaks. Write it as sales copy, not a synopsis. |
| Keywords | Seven keyword fields, 50 characters each. Use phrases a reader would type, not single words, and do not repeat words already in your title, subtitle or author name. |
| Categories | Up to three categories chosen during title setup, per marketplace. Pick the narrowest ones that honestly describe the book rather than the biggest. |
| Review time | Normally within 72 hours of submission, and often the same day. A first submission from a brand new account, or a book with mature content, can take longer. |
The upload walkthrough, screen by screen
KDP splits a title into three screens: Details, Content, Pricing. Steps 1 to 6 are the Kindle eBook. Steps 7 to 10 add the paperback from the same Bookshelf row, so the two editions link automatically.
- 1
Start the Kindle eBook
From the Bookshelf, click Create, then Kindle eBook. You land on the Paperback and Hardcover Details screen's sibling, Kindle eBook Details.
Click: Create > Kindle eBook.
- 2
Fill the Details screen
Set the language, then the title and subtitle exactly as they appear on your cover. Add a series name and number only if the book is genuinely part of a series. Enter the edition number if this is a revision, the author name, and any contributors such as an editor or illustrator.
Fields: Language, Book Title, Subtitle, Series, Edition Number, Author, Contributors.
- 3
Write the description, rights and keywords
Paste your 4,000-character description. Choose 'I own the copyright' unless the work is public domain. Then fill all seven keyword boxes and pick up to three categories.
Fields: Description, Publishing Rights, Primary Audience, Keywords (7), Categories (up to 3).
- 4
Set pre-order or release
Choose to release the book for sale now, or set a pre-order date up to a year ahead. A pre-order locks the manuscript deadline, so only choose it if your file is final.
Choose: Release my book now, or Make my book available for pre-order.
- 5
Upload the Kindle content
On the Content screen, decide on DRM, upload your EPUB, then upload the cover JPG. Wait for conversion to finish, then open the Kindle Previewer or the online previewer and page through the front matter, the first chapter, a chapter break and the table of contents.
Click: Upload eBook manuscript > Upload eBook cover > Launch Previewer.
- 6
Price the Kindle edition and publish
On the Pricing screen, choose KDP Select or not, pick the 35% or 70% royalty option, set your primary marketplace price and let Amazon convert the others or set them by hand. Then click Publish Your Kindle eBook.
Click: Publish Your Kindle eBook.
- 7
Add the paperback edition
Back on the Bookshelf, use the + Paperback link on the same book row. This keeps both formats on one Amazon detail page instead of creating a second listing.
Click: + Create paperback, on the existing book row.
- 8
Confirm the print details and ISBN
The Details screen repeats title, author, description, keywords and categories. Then choose your ISBN: Assign me a free KDP ISBN, or Use my own ISBN. Set the publication date only if the book was published before.
Choose: Assign me a free KDP ISBN, or Use my own ISBN.
- 9
Choose print options and upload the print files
Pick ink and paper, the trim size that matches your PDF, bleed or no bleed, and matte or glossy finish. Upload the interior print PDF, then upload the wraparound cover PDF. Run the Print Previewer and fix anything it flags before you leave the screen.
Click: Upload paperback manuscript > Upload a cover you already have > Launch Previewer.
- 10
Price the paperback, order a proof, publish
KDP shows the printing cost and the minimum list price it implies. Set your price above that minimum, order a physical proof copy if you want to check the print, then click Publish Your Paperback Book.
Click: Order a proof copy, then Publish Your Paperback Book.
Royalties, prices and territories
Two royalty decisions matter: which band your Kindle price falls into, and whether your paperback price clears the printing cost. Everything else follows from those.
| Kindle 35% option | Available in all territories. On Amazon.com the list price runs from $0.99 (a $2.99 minimum applies to larger files) up to $200.00, and no delivery cost is deducted. |
|---|---|
| Kindle 70% option | Available in a defined list of territories only. On Amazon.com the list price must sit between $2.99 and $12.99, the upper limit having moved up from $9.99 on 7 July 2026. |
| Delivery cost | The 70% option subtracts a delivery charge based on your converted file size: $0.15 per MB on Amazon.com, £0.10 on Amazon.co.uk, €0.12 on the European sites, ¥1 in Japan, ₹7 in India, R$0.30 in Brazil and MXN $1 in Mexico. |
| Other marketplaces | The 70% band is C$2.99-C$12.99 in Canada, £1.77-£12.99 in the UK, €2.69-€12.99 in the EU, ¥250-¥1,650 in Japan and A$3.99-A$15.99 in Australia. |
| Print price cap | To keep the 70% rate your Kindle list price must be at least 20% below the list price of any physical edition of the same book on Amazon. |
| Paperback royalty | 50% or 60% of the list price depending on the price and the marketplace, with the printing cost subtracted from your share. KDP calculates the minimum list price as printing cost divided by that royalty rate, and will not let you price below it. The maximum is $250 on Amazon.com and £250 on Amazon.co.uk. |
| KDP Select | Enrolling makes the Kindle edition exclusive to Amazon for 90 days in exchange for Kindle Unlimited page reads and promotional tools. In Brazil, Japan, Mexico and India, the 70% option requires KDP Select enrolment. |
Proofing and common rejections
Almost every KDP hold traces back to one of these. Each one is quick to fix once you know what Amazon is actually objecting to.
Cover and metadata do not match
The title, subtitle and author on your cover must match the fields you typed, character for character. A stray subtitle on the cover that is missing from the form, or an ampersand where you typed 'and', is enough to fail. Fix the field, not the cover, if the cover is already printed correctly.
Interior content is cut off at the edges
Your PDF was built without bleed but contains images that run to the page edge, or was built with bleed and then exported at the plain trim size. Re-export at the right page size: trim size exactly for no bleed, trim plus 0.125 in on top, bottom and outside for bleed.
Spine text too close to the fold
Text on the spine needs at least 0.0625 in of clearance on each side, and a thin book may not have room for spine text at all. Regenerate the wrap cover after any change to page count or paper type, because the spine width changes with both.
Low resolution cover
The Print Previewer warns when cover art is under 300 DPI at final size. Scaling a small image up does not add resolution; export the cover again at full size.
Cover file will not convert
Files above 650 MB fail outright and very large files slow printing. Flatten transparency and downsample photographs so the cover PDF lands well under 40 MB.
Free preview or public domain flags
Amazon blocks books that duplicate freely available public domain text without substantial added value, and books whose description misrepresents the content. If your book adapts public domain material, say what you added in the description and in the front matter.
Pricing rejected
A paperback price below the calculated minimum, or a Kindle price outside the band for the royalty option you chose, both stop the Pricing screen. Either move the price into the band or switch royalty options.
After you hit publish
The listing going live is the start of the work, not the end of it. These are the jobs worth doing in the first week.
Check the editions are linked
Open your Amazon detail page and confirm the Kindle and paperback editions appear as format options on one page. If they split into two listings, contact KDP support with both ASINs and ask them to link the editions.
Claim your Author Central page
Set up an Amazon Author Central profile, add a photo and biography, and claim every edition of the book. It is what turns the author name on your listing into a clickable page with all your titles.
Re-check your categories
Look at what the listing actually shows in the breadcrumb. If the categories are wrong or too broad, change them in title setup and republish; the change costs no review time on an already-live book.
Publish updates properly
To change the interior or cover, edit the existing title on the Bookshelf and re-upload. Never create a new title for a corrected file, because it splits your reviews and sales history across two listings.
Watch the first royalty report
Reports show orders and estimated royalties per marketplace within a day or so. Payments run about 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale happened, per marketplace, once the threshold is met.
Questions people actually ask
Do I need an ISBN to publish on KDP?+
No. Amazon assigns a free ASIN to the Kindle edition, and offers a free KDP ISBN for the paperback. The free KDP ISBN names Amazon as the publisher of record and cannot be reused on another platform, so buy your own if you want your imprint on the record or plan to print elsewhere.
How long does KDP review take?+
Usually within 72 hours, and frequently much faster. New accounts and books with mature content tend to take the longer end of that window, so submit at least three days before any launch date you have announced.
Should I take the 35% or 70% royalty?+
If your Kindle price is inside the 70% band for your marketplace, 70% almost always earns more even after the per-megabyte delivery cost. The 35% option exists for prices outside that band and for territories where 70% is not offered.
Can I publish the paperback and the eBook at the same time?+
Yes, and you should start them from the same Bookshelf row so they appear on one detail page. They are reviewed separately, so the two editions may go live hours apart.
Does KDP Select mean I cannot publish anywhere else?+
It makes the digital edition exclusive to Amazon for 90 days. Print editions are unaffected, so you can still sell paperbacks through IngramSpark, Lulu or your own site while enrolled.
What happens if I fix a typo after publishing?+
Upload the corrected file to the existing title and republish. The listing stays live during the short re-review, and readers who already bought the book can get the updated file through Amazon's content update process.
The bottom line
KDP is the fastest route to a live book because Amazon supplies the identifiers, the printing and the storefront, and the whole submission is three screens per format. The parts that trip people up are all mechanical: a cover that disagrees with the metadata, a PDF exported at the wrong page size, or a price that sits outside the royalty band.
Get those three right and the review is routine. If you wrote and formatted the book in AIWriteBook, the EPUB, the cover JPG, the print PDF and the wraparound cover PDF are already sitting in your Export and Format steps in exactly the shape KDP asks for.
Complete guides for every other store
Seven platforms, seven walkthroughs. Each one covers the files, the form fields, the royalties and the rejections for that store.
Write the book, then publish it everywhere
AIWriteBook drafts your book chapter by chapter, designs the cover, and exports the EPUB, print PDF and wraparound cover that Amazon KDP asks for.
No credit card required. First chapter on the house.