How do you get a book published on Amazon in 8 Simple Steps

Cheers! You have written your story book and are now dreaming of publishing it? Believe, you are not alone.

The good news is that you might never have thought publishing could be easy, all thanks to Amazon. No matter if it is your first time as an author or a seasoned writer, Amazon gives you the power to publish your book worldwide. This can be achieved from the comfort of your home.

In this blog, we will explore the steps to publishing your book on Amazon, with the help of the powerful platform, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). We will also review the costs, time required, and necessary tools to ensure the success of your book. Till the end, you will know:

The way to create and format your book for Amazon.
The steps to publish it.
The steps to promote your book and earn profits.
Some of the common red flags to avoid.
A difference between Amazon publishing and other methods.

So, let’s begin the publishing journey.

Reasons KDP Is the Only Choice for Authors

Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is one of the most popular self-publishing platforms globally. This is because:

It is free to use with no upfront costs.
Easiest of all with simple upload tools and instructions.
One of the quickest of all, as your book will be live within 72 hours.
Global reach to sell your book in dozens of countries.
Profitable, as you can earn up to 70% profit on each sale.

The graph will help you better understand the growing trends in self-publishing on Amazon.

With this growth, it is confirmed that more authors will shift towards this method, taking the power into their own hands. Now, let’s dive in and check how do you publish a book on Amazon.

Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Your Book Live On Amazon

This is the part of the blog where you will discover how to publish a Book on Amazon and then earn royalties by providing your readers with something they were searching for. So, let’s begin.

Step#1: Write and Finalize Your Book

Before you proceed to uploading your book, you must have a well-written and polished manuscript ready. Don’t rush to publish; quality is essential above all else. Before moving on to the next step, ensure that all the boxes on your checklist are ticked.

Is the final draft of the manuscript completed?
Have you edited it for grammar, spelling, and structure?
Did you proofread it yourself or hire a professional service?
Does your file have a saved copy in editable format, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs?

Tip: You can use different tools to make your writing clear and reader-friendly.

Step#2: Format the Manuscript for Kindle

You don’t need to worry about how to publish stories on Amazon. The platform requires its authors to format their masterpieces before they can publish. It has established guidelines for formatting e-books and printed versions.

For The E-Books (Kindle):

Authors need to:

Save their file in DOC or DOCX format.
Make use of simple fonts such as Times New Roman.
Avoid the use of headers and footers.
Add page breaks between chapters.

For The Printed Version (Kindle):

To get their printed copies approved, as an author, you must:

Use Amazon’s formatting template that is available in KDP.
Follow a format size that is typically 6” x 9”.
Number all your pages.
Add a title page and the copyright page.

Tip: For all these tasks, there are free tools available that can help you format your book easily.

Step#3: Design a Book Cover

The cover is the first thing people will notice before delving into the book. Therefore, you must make it eye-catching and relevant to your genre. For this, you have three options available:

Use the free cover-creating tool of Amazon.
Hire a designer from any platform.
Design it yourself using the available sources.

Some of the specific requirements of the book cover from Amazon include:

For the e-book, it must be in JPEG format with 2,560 pixels, which is highly recommended.
For the printed versions, it must be in PDF format with full cover, including the back and spine.

Tip: You must use large, readable fonts while avoiding clutter. Don’t forget to add subtitles and the name of the author.

Step#4: Create Your KDP Account

To publish books on Amazon, go to the site and sign in with your Amazon account or create a new one. After you have signed in:

Fill out all the details, including your bio and a picture.
Set up the tax information for all the payments.
Select your payment method and fill in the bank account details.

Step#5: Upload the Book on KDP

This is the most exciting part of all, getting your book published!

For this, you need to click ‘Create’ on the KDP dashboard. Then choose:

Kindle e-book for the digital file.
Paperback for the printed file.
And hardcover if you wish.

Being an author, before we can publish my book on Amazon, we need to fill out the details of the three main sections:

The Details Of The Book

This will include:

The title and subtitle.
Name of the author.
The description of the book that will appear on your Amazon page.
Some of the keywords that will help your readers find you.
And a category for choosing a genre of the manuscript.

Uploading The Content

Next, move to the content uploading.

Upload your manuscript file in either DOCX or PDF.
A cover of your book.
And use KDP Previewer to check the layout of the book.

The Pricing And Profit Range

All the details you add to this section will set the grounds for the sale.

Choose royalty between 35% to 70%.
Set a price for your book. To do this, you can review your competitors’ rates and then determine your own.
Finalize the marketplaces for your book. It can be either Amazon worldwide or some specific regions.

A Comparison of the Different Publishing Options

Before we move on to the next step, let’s wait for a few seconds and check out a quick comparison between KDP and other publishing methods:

Features	KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)	Traditional Publisher	Vanity Press
Cost	Free	Can be expensive	Expensive
Print Option	Both print and e-book	Yes	Yes
Royalty Rate	Up to 70%	10%-15%	Varies
ISBN Requirement	Optional	Required	Required
Control Over Rights	Full	Limited	Limited

With the help of KDP, you can have more control over your business and achieve better profit margins. If you still think that understanding all this on your own is like an uphill task, then you can contact professionals like Amazon Self Publishing for help.

Step#6: Hit Publish, And You Are Live

After you have filled in all your content and set a price, it is time to find out how to publish book on Amazon. It is simple, just hit the publish button. It will just go live on Amazon within 24-72 hours.

Just wait for a confirmation email, and then your book will be visible worldwide.

Step#7: Promote Your Book

After you have followed all the steps to publish with Amazon, this is not just the end. You need to make sales to promote your book. You can promote your book on Amazon using these techniques:

Promote it on your social media.
Write a blog or web content and share it with the audience.
If thinking of investing some amount, you can choose Amazon’s paid promotions and run ads.
Either set some discount rates or distribute your book to the readers for a few days to boost your reach.

Tip: Reviews are important for visibility and trust. Therefore, you can ask your friends and the readers to leave their valuable feedback.

Step#8: Keep an Eye on Your Sales

With the help of your KDP dashboard, you can monitor your:

Daily and monthly sales
Royalties you have earned.
Number of pages read, especially for Kindle Unlimited.
Top-selling marketplaces.

A Sample Tracking Chart from One of The Author’s Books on Amazon

Month	E-book Sales	Paperback Sales	Total Royalties
January	120	45	$350
February	95	60	$310
March	140	75	$470

Tips for Success on Amazon

After such a struggle, investing time and energy, and getting an answer of how do I publish a book on Amazon, you wish the platform to keep serving you. For this, you can use these strategies to keep your sales high:

Focus on writing more books, as series are known to sell more compared with standalone books.
Make the best use of your keywords when you are uploading them. Always think like a reader, not a writer.
When you see that your sales are dropping, work on updating your book description.
Make the best use of the thumbnails to allow your readers to click better.
Respond to all the reviews politely and professionally.

Common Red Flags You Must Watch Out For

Making mistakes is common, and even the best ones can make errors. Some of the areas you need to watch closely as you work in a professional setting during Amazon’s publication of a book are linked to how you manage your Amazon Author Central account. This platform allows you to update your profile, track book sales, and connect with readers more effectively, so errors here can impact your publishing journey.

Never upload an unedited or rough draft.
Avoid a blurry or generic cover.
Compare the prices of your book with those of the competitors. Your rates must not be too high or too low. The higher ones will never make their way into the readers’ carts, and the lower ones will give the impression that your content is not worthy.
Skipping out on the categories and the keywords.
Not working on promoting the book after you have published it on Amazon. No matter how experienced you are, to increase sales, you need to tell your readers about the new launch.

Once you have worked on all these areas, your journey from writing the book to earning a profit from it will be smooth.

How Is KDP Changing The Publishing World?

In recent years, it has been observed that authors have shifted towards KDP from traditional publishing. What is the reason behind this shift? Authors get:

Freedom of creativity in the manuscript they write.
A global reach where they can connect and sell to over 100 countries.
Keep on earning the royalties for a long time.
A quick and filter-less feedback from the readers that helps them to bring improvement in their work.

As an author working with the KDP, you don’t need to wait for months to get your book published. Amazon gives you the complete authority to decide when to launch your manuscript for the readers to view.

FAQs

What is the cost of publishing a book on Amazon?

If you are using the self-publishing option on Amazon, there are no charges.

Do we need to add the book’s copyright information on Amazon?

There are no fixed instructions to add a copyright page. If you wish, you can add it to the content file.

Does Amazon provide printing facilities?

Yes, there is a printing facility for its readers by Amazon. If you want a printed version, you need to upload the PDF format. Amazon will get it printed and delivered to their customers worldwide.

How can formatting the book according to the platform requirements help?

Following the platform’s norms for formatting helps increase reach. This will lead to profits.

The Final Comment

When you are publishing your book on Amazon, it is like opening the door to the world. You have put your heart and soul into writing your book, and now let others enjoy it.

Whether it is your dream to become one of the best sellers or your goal is just to share your story. With the help of KDP, you can achieve all your objectives. Take your final step: format your book and design a cover. Upload the file in the required format and click on publish. The world will love your masterpiece and recommend it to others.

British Book Publishing