KDP Walk-through

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KDP Publishing Walkthrough

Ebook → Paperback → Hardback

A step-by-step checklist you can follow every time you publish a new title.

Before You Start — Have These Ready

• Final manuscript file — clean DOCX for ebook; print-ready PDF for paperback/hardback interior

• Cover file(s) — ebook cover (front only) + a separate full-wrap print cover (front, spine, back)

• Title, subtitle, series name & number

• Book description (can polish later, but have a draft)

• 7 keywords + categories picked out

• Your KDP account with tax interview and bank details already completed (one-time setup)

Tip: Publish the ebook first — it's the simplest upload. Once it's live, you add Paperback and Hardback right from the same book listing, and KDP auto-fills most of the details for you.

STEP 1: Format Your Manuscript

Ebook:

• A clean DOCX is genuinely fine — KDP converts it automatically

• Use real heading styles for chapter titles (not just bold/large text)

• Insert real page breaks between chapters — don't hit Enter repeatedly

• Add a linked Table of Contents (Kindle readers navigate with it)

Paperback/Hardback interior:

• Upload a print-ready PDF whenever possible — what's in the PDF is exactly what gets printed

• Embed your fonts before uploading — un-embedded fonts are the #1 cause of print rejections

• Images at 300 DPI minimum

• Pick your trim size before formatting (this determines your margins/spine width)

STEP 2: Publish the Kindle eBook

1. From your KDP Bookshelf, click + Create, then Kindle eBook

2. Details page: title, subtitle, series info, edition (leave blank unless it's a revision), author/pen name, description, keywords, categories

3. Content page:

   • No ISBN needed — Amazon auto-assigns an ASIN

   • Upload your manuscript file

   • Upload your ebook cover (or build one in Cover Creator)

   • Open the online previewer and scroll through every page before continuing — this is your last easy chance to catch formatting issues

4. Rights & Pricing page:

   • Choose KDP Select (90-day Amazon exclusivity + Kindle Unlimited royalties) or keep it non-exclusive

   • Set your list price — 70% royalty requires pricing between $2.99–$9.99; outside that range you get 35%

5. Click Publish. Ebooks usually go live within ~12 hours.

STEP 3: Add the Paperback

From your live ebook's Bookshelf entry, click the "…" menu → Add Paperback (this links both editions on one product page).

1. Details page: auto-filled from your ebook — check it, add "Adult Content" flag if applicable

2. Content page:

   • Choose free KDP ISBN, or use your own if you plan to distribute wider than Amazon someday

   • Pick trim size, paper type (white/cream), and cover finish (matte/glossy)

   • Upload your interior PDF

   • Use KDP's Cover Template Generator to get the exact spine width for your page count — never reuse a template from a different book or page count

   • Upload your full-wrap cover PDF and preview it carefully (spine text centered, nothing clipped)

3. Rights & Pricing page:

   • Print royalty is 60% (list price minus printing cost), or 40% if you opt into Expanded Distribution

   • Expanded Distribution puts your paperback in front of bookstores/libraries/other retailers, but at a lower royalty — weigh this against going wide yourself later

4. Publish. Print titles typically take 24–72 hours to go live and each revision re-triggers a review.

STEP 4: Add the Hardback

Same flow as paperback — from Bookshelf, + Create Hardcover (auto-fills from existing editions).

• KDP hardcovers are case laminate (cover printed directly on the board — no dust jacket option)

• Only 5 trim sizes available, and only prints in the US/UK/EU

• Hardback printing costs run roughly $7–$12 for a standard novel, so most indie hardbacks are priced $22.99–$34.99 to leave real royalty room

• Everything else — ISBN, cover template, interior PDF, previewer — works exactly like paperback

Quick Royalty Reference

Format	Royalty Rate	Notes
Ebook	70%	Must be priced $2.99–$9.99
Ebook	35%	Outside that price range
Paperback/Hardback	60%	List price minus print cost
Paperback/Hardback	40%	If enrolled in Expanded Distribution

After You Hit Publish

• Check the live listing on all formats once it's up — confirm cover, description, and "Look Inside" preview render correctly

• Confirm all editions are linked on one product page

• Set a reminder for your KDP Select end date if enrolled (90-day terms auto-renew unless you turn it off)

• Add the new title to your series page / author site

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Reusing an old cover template on a book with a different page count (spine width will be wrong)

• Forgetting to embed fonts in the print PDF

• Publishing without previewing every single page first

• Pricing an ebook outside $2.99–$9.99 by accident and losing the 70% royalty

• Letting KDP Select auto-renew when you actually wanted the exclusivity to lapse