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How to upload your book to Amazon KDP: a quick guide

[Updated November 2023]

(First set up your KDP account, of course.)

Log in to your KDP account and click the big yellow +Create button and choose paperback. There are three main sections to fill in…

i) Paperback Details

Language: English
Add title and author info.
Ignore Series/Edition
Description: use the back cover text here (or a more expanded description if you prefer).

Publishing rights: I own the copyright…
Categories: you can only pick three. (Amazon recently changed this so it now relates directly to the categories shown on the website.)
Do not tick ‘low content’ or ‘large print’ options at the bottom (unless appropriate).

Keywords: you will need to choose seven words/phrases that relate to your book which should attempt to relate to what people might type in the search box eg genre/subgenre etc.

The schedule bit is new – they don’t do pre-orders for printed books (but they do for ebooks, so bear that in mind if you are choosing a specific date). But you can now schedule a date for the paperback to be released.

Then Save and Continue

ii) Paperback Content

There are two options for ISBN:
1. ‘Assign me a free KDP ISBN’. This means Amazon will shw your book as ‘Independently published’ and you won’t be able to set the book up on other platforms if you wanted the option to do so (well, not with the same ISBN anyway).
2. ‘Use my own’ – see https://www.nielsenisbnstore.com/Home/Isbn (and you will need to use whatever imprint you set that up with).

Print options:
– select paper choice
– trim size: select page size choice
– bleed: no bleed
– cover finish: your choice (matt generally looks/feels higher quality)

Manuscript: upload the interior PDF.

Cover: ‘upload a cover you already have’. Upload the cover PDF file (do not tick the barcode box – Amazon will create the barcode – UNLESS you want the barcode somewhere else and the cover designer is dealing with that)

AI-generated content: no, of course!

Click Launch Previewer – this may take a while (couple of minutes or so). When it displays and assuming you’re happy after a look through, click Approve.

Save and Continue.

iii) Paperback Rights & Pricing

Choose all territories and your primary marketplace (ie .co.uk).

Now you need to choose your price – it will show you what you make per copy. If you tick ‘expanded distribution’, the book will be available to retailers outside Amazon – you make less money per copy because each business in the chain takes a cut, but you might get a few extra sales from other retailers *if* they choose to list the book in their online catalogues (you have no control over this). It’s probably worth ticking in your case, if your main focus is on Amazon and you are not planning to publish it anywhere else. (More info at https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45)

NOTE: Amazon don’t support ED with cream paper at B format (129 x 198).

When you’re ready, click the yellow Publish button.

(If you order a Proof here, it will have ‘proof’ stamped on every page and the book will not yet be published. This is not generally needed.)

When you click Publish, it will take up to 72 hours for Amazon to approve the book  on their system (they will email you).

Ebook version

The platform will then ask if you want to set up an ebook too. Choose yes if so.

Then you will be taken through three similar pages. All the info on the first page (eBook details) will already be there for you, so just save and continue.

On page (ii) (content), upload the content file (epub) and the ebook cover file (jpg).

You can preview if you like (there is no ‘approve’ bit here, and if you do you need to exit the previewer at the top left and come back to this page).

You don’t need an ISBN here (but can put one in if you have it).

Save and Continue.

Finally (iii), on the eBook pricing page, choose the 70% royalty option. Then set your price within the parameters allowed.

Then hit Publish – and you’re done!

How to set up an account with Amazon KDP

Amazon’s KDP platform offers print-on-demand paperback and ebook publishing exclusively through Amazon’s online stores (other options are available in the US, but not the UK, and if you want bookshops/libraries to be able to order your book, you should use IngramSpark or a combination of Ingram and Amazon).

Pros of using Amazon KDP

  • No set-up fees
  • No fees for revising your book
  • Easy interface
  • Access to Amazon’s advertising and promotion services

Cons of using Amazon KDP

  • Colour paperback book interiors are expensive
  • No hardback dust jacket option (but case laminate hardbacks are available)

KDP account set-up step by step

If you already use Amazon for shopping, you can use your existing account.

  1. Visit https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/ to start the process – click ‘Sign in’ if you already use Amazon, or sign up otherwise.

2. Amazon requires a two-step authentication process. So as well as your usual password, when you log in to your account using a new device (or after a long gap), you will need to request a code (OTP = ‘one time password’) to be sent to your phone, and then enter the code you are sent here:

3. When you have done that you can proceed to your account setup. Here you will need to provide:

i. Details of your name (or business name) and address

ii. Your bank account details for receiving revenue from your book sales. Note you’ll need to find your IBAN and BIC/SWIFT info – these are international versions of your sort code and account number which you can usually find on your bank statements – if not, you may need to ask your bank for them.

iii. Your tax information. NOTE: Amazon will withhold sales tax from sales in the US unless you fill this in. Here are the various questions and what you should enter:

  1. What is your tax classification? Individual (unless you are trading as a limited company with more than one owner).
  2. For U.S. tax purposes, are you a U.S. person? If you are a UK citizen and taxpayer, click No
  3. Are you acting as an intermediary agent, or other person receiving payment on behalf of another person or as a flow-through entity? No
  4. Now you need to fill in the form below. If you are in the UK, tick ‘I have a Non-US TIN’ at the bottom and enter your HMRC tax reference here. You can find this on tax returns and other HMRC letters.

When you have submitted all this information you should be able to set up a book. If you see the ‘Your account information is incomplete’ message as shown below, you can set up a book but you will not be able to publish it until the necessary tax/payment info has been supplied.

Setting up an account with IngramSpark

If you want your self-published book to be available through outlets other than Amazon alone, IngramSpark offers a popular option. It is also possible to order copies of your book in bulk. In general, pricing at Amazon’s KDP and IngramSpark platforms is very similar.

Pros of IngramSpark:

  • Cheaper colour printing, and more options for colour
  • Distribution to online stores other than Amazon
  • Bookshops and libraries can order copies through the Ingram catalogue
  • Hardback book options

Cons of IngramSpark:

  • More complex set-up process
  • Set-up fee (up to £49) – although this can often be waived through using a discount code
  • Sometimes books published through IngramSpark have longer availability times on Amazon
  • £25 fee (per file) if you want to make revisions to your book after publication

Account set-up step by step

  1. Visit Create Account at IngramSpark.com and set up an account with your name, email address and password.

 

 

2. You then need to accept various policy agreements – these cover Ingram’s relationships with various retail partners, etc.

3. Before you can set up your book, you will need to supply Ingram with:

your bank account details, for the money they will pay you when books have been sold

details of a debit/credit card – this is so Ingram can charge you for revisions if you need to make them, and the set-up fee (if applicable)

Note: if the blue button shows ‘Set up your account’ as in the screenshot below, you have not fully completed this set-up process yet.