How to Publish an Ebook with Amazon KDP: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Authors
Hello there, fellow writer! I'm Randall, your self-publishing guide through the sometimes overwhelming, often rewarding world of indie publishing. If you're looking to publish your first ebook on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), you've come to the right place. By the end of this guide, you'll know exactly what to do, what to watch for, and how to use tools like ScribeCount to keep an eye on your book's performance.
Let's get started!
What is Amazon KDP?
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon's platform for indie authors to publish ebooks and print books directly to the Kindle Store. It's free to use, and your book can go live within 72 hours—or even faster.
You control everything: pricing, distribution, description, categories—you name it. Plus, Amazon offers royalty rates up to 70%.
Amazon Account Rules: Personal vs. Business Accounts
Before you publish, you'll need an Amazon account. You don't need a separate KDP login—you can use your existing Amazon account or create a new one.
Here's the scoop:
A Personal Account is fine for most new authors. You'll enter your name, tax info, and banking details for royalty payments.
A Business Account is for authors publishing under an LLC or other business structure. You'll still enter tax and banking info, but tied to your company.
Tip: If you plan to scale your publishing business, consider forming an LLC and opening a business bank account. That said, it's perfectly okay to start personal and switch later.
Set up your KDP account here: kdp.amazon.com
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Publish Your Ebook
Once your account is set up, you're ready to begin publishing. Below is the process broken down into friendly, manageable steps.
Step 1: Create a New Title
From your KDP dashboard, click "+ Kindle eBook." You'll be guided through three main tabs: Details, Content, and Pricing.
Part I: KDP Ebook Details
Language
Choose the primary language of your book.
Book Title and Subtitle
Enter your book's title exactly as it appears on your cover. Subtitles are optional, but great for SEO and clarity.
Series Info
If this book belongs in a series, enter the series name and volume number.
Edition Number
Only needed if this is a new edition of a previously published book.
Author
Use your pen name or real name—whichever you plan to publish under.
Contributors
Add anyone else involved: co-authors, illustrators, editors, etc.
Description
This is your book blurb—it sells the story. Make it hooky and emotional. You can format it with basic HTML for bold/italics/paragraphs.
Publishing Rights
You must confirm you own the rights to the content. Select "I own the copyright."
Primary Audience
You must declare if your book is adult-only material. If it is a children's book or targeted to teens, select the best age-range. If your book is for all ages you can leave the selection blank. WARNING: If you choose "Age 12 to 18+" it will read "12 to 18" on the product page. Best to leave it blank to avoid readers thinking it's for that age group only.
Primary Marketplace
Where do you feel the majority of your sales will happen? For most US authors, this is Amazon.com.
Categories
Choose 2 official categories from Amazon's menu. After publication, request up to 8 more via Author Central.
Keywords
You get 7 slots. Think like a reader searching for your book: genre, theme, tropes. ScribeCount can later help you see which convert.
Pre-Orders
You can publish now or schedule a release. For pre-orders, upload the manuscript before the release date.
Part II: KDP Ebook Content
Manuscript
Upload your manuscript in DOCX, EPUB, or KPF (Kindle Package Format). Use styles for headings and scene breaks.
Ebook Cover
Upload a JPEG or TIFF cover (minimum 1,000px on longest side; recommended size: 2,560 x 1,600px). If you don't have one, use Amazon's Cover Creator.
AI-Generated Content Declaration
You must declare if you used AI tools when creating your book. This will not prevent your book from being published, but is required for transparency compliance.
Kindle eBook Previewer
Use this tool to preview how your book looks on various Kindle devices. Fix any formatting issues before proceeding.
ISBN
You don't need an ISBN for ebooks—Amazon gives it an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number). If you have your own ISBN, you can add it. (We recommend you use your own — for the many reasons why, see our article on ISBNs.)
KDP Ebook Pricing
KDP Select Enrollment
This is Amazon's exclusivity program. You agree to publish only with Amazon for 90 days and get perks like Kindle Unlimited page-read royalties and promotions. Read the fine print before opting in.
Territories
Choose where to sell your book. "Worldwide Rights" is best unless you've sold regional rights elsewhere.
Primary Marketplace
Pick your home store (usually Amazon.com if you're in the U.S.).
Pricing, Royalty, and Distribution
Choose between 35% or 70% royalties.
70% is available in most countries if your book is priced between $2.99–$9.99.
You can set prices per region or use Amazon's suggested conversions.
PUSH THE BUTTON!
Once everything looks right, click Publish. That's it. Your ebook is now in Amazon's review queue.
Post-Publication: What Happens Next?
Once you hit "Publish," your ebook enters Amazon's review queue. It typically goes live within 72 hours, but often sooner. You'll get an email confirmation when your book is live on the Kindle Store. Congratulations, author!
Now it's time to monitor your sales and royalties. That's where ScribeCount shines.
AI Tools for eBook Upload Quality
Two specific places in the upload process where AI tools save time and prevent errors:
Manuscript pre-check: Before uploading, paste a sample chapter into Claude or ChatGPT and ask it to identify formatting issues that commonly cause problems in KDP's conversion process — smart quotes vs. straight quotes, non-standard fonts, inconsistent heading styles, and line break anomalies. Fixing these before upload prevents the most common previewer surprises.
Book description formatting: Amazon's description field supports limited HTML — <b> for bold, <br> for line breaks, <i> for italics. Ask an AI tool to format your blurb with appropriate HTML tags for the KDP description field. This is faster than hand-coding and produces cleaner output than most word processors.
AI Content Declaration: If you used AI tools in your manuscript or cover, the declaration is required. Ask an AI tool to help you evaluate which of your workflow steps qualify as substantive AI generation vs. AI assistance. Amazon's guidance distinguishes between AI-generated content (requires declaration) and AI-assisted content (author exercises creative control — declaration may not be required). Understanding this distinction correctly protects your account.
Track Your Royalties with ScribeCount
Once your book is published, keeping tabs on your royalties across marketplaces is critical. ScribeCount pulls in sales data from Amazon KDP and other platforms (if you publish wide later) and shows you everything on one clean, colorful dashboard.
See income by title, marketplace, format, and timeframe
Visualize Kindle Unlimited page reads and track trends
Export data for accounting or planning ads
You can check it out here: ScribeCount.com
ScribeCount Author OS — From Publish Button to Dashboard
The moment your ebook goes live, ScribeCount begins tracking it. Connect your KDP account to the Author OS and your Sales Dashboard populates with your new title's data as soon as the first sale or page read registers. The title-level breakdown in ScribeCount shows your ebook's daily royalties, Kindle Unlimited page reads, and marketplace-by-marketplace performance — exactly the data you need to evaluate whether your category, keyword, and pricing decisions are producing results. AuthorVAULT records the title, ASIN, and format details for every book you publish — creating the catalog record that follows your ebook through its commercial life.
What About Paperbacks and Hardcovers?
Amazon KDP also allows you to publish paperback and hardcover versions of your book using the same dashboard. Those require different cover files, trim sizes, and interior formatting. But don't worry—we cover all that in separate articles just for those formats.
You Did It!
You've just learned the A to Z of publishing an ebook with Amazon KDP. From setting up your account to uploading files and choosing pricing options, you've walked the full road to indie publishing.
Give yourself a high-five—you're now a published author.
When your first sale comes in (and it will), don't forget to screenshot it and celebrate. Better yet, plug in ScribeCount and start tracking your royalties like a pro.
Stay creative, stay curious, and keep writing. Your readers are out there.
See you on the virtual bookshelves,
Randall
