How to Publish a Book on Amazon KDP

Publishing on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) breaks into a few big milestones: finish the book, prepare files that meet Amazon’s technical rules, set up metadata and pricing, then publish and iterate. This guide is a concise map — with emphasis on the step where indie authors most often lose days: the paperback interior PDF.

Published book
Photo Sophia Baboolal on Unsplash
  1. Create or sign in to your KDP account and complete tax and payment information so royalties can be paid.
  2. Start a new paperback (or hardcover) title and choose your trim size — this choice locks the geometry your interior must match.
  3. Prepare the interior PDF for that trim. Before you upload, run a mechanical check for margins, bleed, gutter, and font embedding. InkAlign does this in the browser: free scan first, then a print-ready export when you are satisfied — tuned for standard paperback sizes used with KDP and other POD printers.
  4. Prepare the cover using KDP’s cover templates or a cover designer’s package; spine width depends on page count and paper choice.
  5. Enter metadata — title, subtitle, description, categories, keywords — and set pricing per marketplace.
  6. Upload, preview, and order a proof if you print paperbacks. Fix any issues the preview reveals; if the rejection is file-based, return to the interior PDF step rather than guessing in the uploader.
  7. Publish and monitor for updates from KDP; keep your source files so future editions are easy.

Note: InkAlign is not affiliated with Amazon.com, Inc. Follow current KDP help for your edition type and territory.

Trim reference: What size is Amazon KDP?

If uploads fail: manuscript issues, bleed, margins.

Get your interior PDF ready before you hit “Upload”

Start with InkAlign