How to Publish a Book on Amazon and Make Money

You’ve got an idea for a book—or maybe you’ve already written one. Maybe it’s a children’s book, a personal memoir, a novel, or a helpful guide you know others could benefit from. The big question now is: How do you publish it on Amazon and actually make money from it?

The good news is this: you can publish your book on Amazon for free. You can earn money from it. And no, you don’t need to be a bestselling author, a tech expert, or a marketing genius. You just need a step-by-step plan, a little help with the details, and a publishing partner like Estorytellers to make the process smooth and successful.

This guide walks you through everything in simple terms: how to publish, how to price, how to promote, and how to earn real income from your book. We’ll even show you how people are making money on Amazon without even writing a word themselves.

What Is Amazon KDP and Why It’s Perfect for New Authors

KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform. It lets anyone upload a book and make it available for sale as:

• An eBook (for Kindle devices or the Kindle app)
• A paperback (printed when someone orders)
• In some countries, even a hardcover

You don’t need to buy copies in advance. You don’t need a warehouse. Amazon prints and ships each copy when it’s ordered. This is called print on demand.

Is it really free?

Yes—publishing on Amazon costs nothing upfront. You only pay when someone buys your book. Amazon takes a small cut from each sale (more on that later).

How to Publish a Book on Amazon for Free (Step-by-Step)

Here’s how to publish your book on Amazon with zero upfront cost:

Step 1: Finish your manuscript

Write your book. It doesn’t have to be perfect yet—that’s what editing is for.

Step 2: Format your book for Kindle and print

Your manuscript needs to be formatted properly for Amazon. That means:

• Page numbers in the right places
• Clean, readable fonts
• The right file type (usually DOCX or PDF)

This part can be tricky, so many authors use Estorytellers to handle it for them. That way, your book looks professional, like the ones in bookstores.

Step 3: Create your cover

Your cover is what sells your book. It must be the right size and resolution, and it should clearly show what your book is about. Estorytellers offers affordable, custom cover design if you don’t want to do it yourself.

Step 4: Upload everything to Amazon KDP

Go to kdp.amazon.com, create an account, and:

• Enter your book title, description, and keywords
• Choose categories so readers can find your book
• Upload your manuscript and cover
• Preview it using Amazon’s previewer tool

Step 5: Set your price and publish!

You’ll choose your price and royalty rate (more on that in the next section), then hit “Publish.” Your book will be live within 72 hours—often sooner.

How to Make Money on Amazon KDP

Once your book is published, it’s time to make sales. Here’s how the money part works:

eBook Royalties:

• If your book is priced between $2.99 and $9.99, you get 70% of the sale
• If it’s outside that range (like $0.99), you get 35%

So if you sell an eBook for $4.99, you keep about $3.50.

Paperback Royalties:

• Amazon deducts the printing cost (usually $2–$4)
• You keep 60% of the remaining amount

Example: You price your paperback at $12.99. Amazon subtracts $3.50 to print it. That leaves $9.49. You keep 60% of that = about $5.70.

You get paid every month, about 60 days after the end of the month when you make a sale.

Can You Make Money Without Writing the Book Yourself?

Yes—you can.

This surprises people, but many authors on Amazon earn money without writing every word. Here’s how:

Option 1: Hire a ghostwriter

You bring the idea; a professional ghostwriter brings it to life. You own the book 100%. Estorytellers offers ethical, high-quality ghostwriting for all kinds of books: children’s, business, lifestyle, fiction—you name it.

Option 2: Use public domain content

Books like classic poetry, vintage cookbooks, or 100-year-old novels are in the public domain. You can repackage them with your own introduction, design, or extras.

Option 3: Create a journal, workbook, or planner

You don’t need a long manuscript. You can design a useful planner, activity book, or journal and publish it as a low-content book. Estorytellers can help you design and format these properly.

What Does It Really Cost to Make a Book That Sells?

You can publish for free—but here’s the truth: investing in professional help leads to more sales and better reviews.

Here’s a realistic breakdown:

Typical Estorytellers publishing package: $2,000–$5,000 depending on what you need. You only pay for what helps you.

Smart Ways to Market Your Book and Earn More

Amazon is huge, but it’s also crowded. Don’t just publish and hope for the best. Instead:

1. Build a launch plan

Estorytellers helps authors build step-by-step launch timelines—when to post, who to email, what ads to run.

2. Offer your book at a low price at first

Start at $0.99 or $2.99 to attract new readers. Raise the price later after getting reviews.

3. Run promotions using KDP Select

Enroll your eBook in KDP Select (it’s free). You get:

• 5 days where you can offer the book free
• Kindle Unlimited inclusion (you get paid by the page!)

4. Use Amazon Ads wisely

Start small. Target your genre and a few authors like you. Estorytellers can set up and manage these campaigns for better results.

5. Collect emails and stay in touch

Put a page at the end of your book inviting readers to join your mailing list. That way, your next book sells even better.

How to Publish a Book on Amazon and Make Money for Free

Let’s say you’re on a tight budget. You still have options!

Do-it-yourself route:

• Write your own book
• Use free editing tools (like Grammarly)
• Design your own cover using Canva
• Format in MS Word using Amazon templates
• Upload it on Amazon KDP
• Market using free social media posts and email

This works best if you’re good at learning and willing to spend time figuring things out. Just remember: quality sells. Invest in what you can.

How Estorytellers Makes Everything Easier

If you want to do it all yourself, go for it! But if you want help, Estorytellers is your best friend.

Why authors love working with Estorytellers:

• Start-to-finish help: They guide you from idea to royalties.
• Affordable packages: You pay only for what you need.
• Creative support: Writers, editors, designers, and marketers under one roof.
• Proven results: Estorytellers authors have gone from blank pages to bestselling charts.

Whether you need a little help or full publishing support, they’ll work with you at your pace—and make sure your book is something you’re proud to share.

Conclusion:

Publishing on Amazon is a powerful way to reach readers and make money from your creativity. Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, or children’s stories—or even if you want to earn without writing—Amazon KDP gives you a simple, global platform to do it.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

Estorytellers is here to help you every step of the way—writing, editing, design, publishing, and marketing. Whether you’re just starting or ready to grow your author brand, they make publishing stress-free and rewarding.