Self-Publishing & KDP
Everything you need to publish on Amazon KDP with confidence — from setting up your account to earning royalties in multiple currencies.
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Set up your KDP account the right way the first time
Tax interviews, banking, author profile, and territory settings all seem trivial until they cost you a royalty payment or a launch date. These guides walk through KDP account setup step by step, flag the common mistakes non-US authors make, and show you how to keep your Author Central profile and product pages consistent across marketplaces.
Ebook, paperback, and hardback — decide what to publish
Not every book needs every format, and every format has its own file requirements, royalty maths, and reader expectations. We compare KDP Select versus wide distribution, ebook pricing sweet spots, paperback trim sizes, and when a hardback genuinely pays off. You will finish knowing exactly which formats to launch and in what order.
Files that pass QA the first time
Rejected files delay launches and derail momentum. Our KDP formatting posts cover cover templates and spine calculations, interior PDF requirements, EPUB validation, cover-to-page ratio warnings, and the little pre-flight checks that stop the dreaded 'unable to publish' email from arriving the night before your launch.
Royalties, reporting, and going wide
Understanding how KDP calculates 35 percent versus 70 percent royalties, delivery fees, and Kindle Unlimited page-reads is the difference between a hobby and a business. We also cover moving to wide distribution through Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, and Kobo when Amazon exclusivity stops making sense for your catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Is KDP really free to use?
Yes. You pay nothing upfront; Amazon takes a percentage of each sale and handles printing on demand for paperbacks and hardbacks.
Should I enrol in KDP Select?
Select trades exclusivity for Kindle Unlimited page-reads and promotional tools. It suits some genres brilliantly and starves others of wider readers.
How long does KDP take to approve a book?
Usually within 72 hours, often much faster. Complex covers, non-English text, or trademark concerns can extend the review.
Find the plan that fits your book
Compare Storyteller, Master Author and Enterprise Publisher – and start with a 7-day trial.