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How Do You Publish a Book On Kindle?

5 January, 2026 Book Publishing 10 mins read

Estorytellers is a premier ghostwriting and book publishing agency that specializes in delivering high-quality writing solutions customized to the unique needs of authors and businesses. We are the most sought-after ghostwriting company that handles every aspect of your book writing, book publishing, and marketing all under one roof.


how do you publish a book on kindle a 2026 guide

If you have ever asked yourself, “How do you publish a book on Kindle?” you are standing at the threshold of a huge opportunity. Gone are the days when authors required a literary agent or a traditional publishing house to get their words into the hands of readers. Today, you are able to reach millions of people globally from the comfort of your home office.

The self-publishing landscape has been completely changed by Amazon. Amazon sells over 487 million ebooks through Kindle every year. This dominance means that if you are not publishing on Kindle, you are missing out on the vast majority of your potential readership. This guide is designed to take you from a raw manuscript on your laptop to a live Amazon listing that generates sales.

These are the steps for guides:

  1. Prepare your manuscript with professional editing and formatting.
  2. Create a compelling book cover that fits your genre.
  3. Set up a Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account.
  4. Upload your files and set your metadata/keywords.
  5. Launch your book and start your marketing strategy.

Preparing Your Manuscript Before You Hit Publish

Before you even log into Amazon, you need to ensure your product is ready for the shelf. The huge mistake new authors make is rushing the “upload” process before the book is truly ready or polished.

Editing is Non-Negotiable

You might have written a great book, but if the first page is riddled with typos, readers will refund the book and leave a one-star review. Before stressing about the publishing dashboard, focus entirely on quality. Even the best writers in the world need fresh eyes on their work. Self-editing is not enough because your brain tends to skip over errors it has seen a hundred times.

If you want to be taken seriously as an author, consider investing in professional help. Services such as Estorytellers’ editing options may help polish your prose, ensuring your story flows logically and is free of grammatical nightmares.

Formatting for Kindle

A standard Microsoft Word document isn’t always enough for a professional eBook experience. While KDP accepts Word files, complex formatting (like bullet points, fancy headers, or images) might break during the conversion process.

  • .docx: Good for simple, text-only novels.
  • .kpf (Kindle Create): Amazon’s free tool, which adds professional flourishes like drop caps and active tables of contents.
  • .epub: The industry standard for eBooks, giving you the most control over how the text flows on different devices.

Cover Design

People absolutely judge books by their covers. On Amazon, your cover is a tiny thumbnail on a smartphone screen. If your book’s title isn’t readable or the genre isn’t immediately obvious from that one-inch image, potential readers will scroll right past. Your cover needs to scream “Thriller,” “Romance,” or “Self-Help” instantly.

The Setup: Creating Your KDP Account

The hub for your publishing journey is Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Setting this up is simple but vital.

Search to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your existing Amazon account or create a new one. Once inside, you’ll need to complete the less exciting but necessary admin tasks:

  • Author Information: Your name and address.
  • Tax Information: You will need to complete a tax interview so Amazon knows how to withhold taxes on your royalties.
  • Banking Details: Input your bank account information so you can receive direct deposits.

This dashboard will become your command center for sales tracking, marketing campaigns, and file management.

Step-by-Step Guide: How Do You Publish a Book on Kindle?

Once your account is all set and your manuscript is ready, it is time to go live. Click the big “Create” button on your bookshelf and select “Kindle eBook.”

Step 1: The “Book Details” Tab

This section is all about metadata, the information that helps Amazon’s algorithm find your book.

  • Title and Subtitle: Ensure these are correctly spelled as they appear on your book cover.
  • The Blurb: This is your sales pitch. Don’t just summarize the plot; hook the reader. Present the conflict, the stakes, and the potential resolution. A weak description will kill your conversion rate, even if your cover is amazing.
  • Keywords & Categories: You will be asked to choose up to 7 backend keywords and two browser categories. This is vital for SEO visibility. Rather than generic terms like “romance,” use certain phrases readers might type, such as “enemies to lovers office romance.”

Step 2: The “Kindle eBook Content” Tab

How Do You Upload a Book to Kindle Without Formatting Errors?

In this section, you will upload your manuscript file and your cover file.

  • Digital Rights Management (DRM): Now, you will be asked if you want to enable DRM. If you enable this, it prevents people from copying your file or sharing it easily. But many authors choose not to enable it to make it easier for legitimate buyers to read the book on different devices.
  • Kindle Previewer: Never skip this step. Amazon offers an online previewer that simulates how your book looks on tablets, phones, and Kindles. Click through every chapter to ensure your line breaks aren’t weird and your images are centered. If you spot an error here, fix it in your original file and re-upload.

Step 3: The “Pricing” Tab

Understanding Royalties When You Learn How to Publish a Book on Kindle

Amazon offers two main royalty structures, and understanding the difference is key to your income.

  • 35% Royalty: This applies to books priced below $2.99 or above $9.99. It is even the only option for sales in certain international territories.
  • 70% Royalty: This is the standard for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. But to get this rate, you must pay a small “delivery fee” depending on your file size (usually a few cents).

You will also see an option for KDP Select, which enrolls your book in Kindle Unlimited (KU).

The KDP Select Dilemma: To Join or Not to Join?

When you publish, you have to decide between “going wide” (selling on Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or being exclusive to Amazon via KDP Select.

Feature Standard Distribution (Wide) KDP Select (Exclusive)
Exclusivity None. Sell anywhere you want. Must be exclusive to Amazon for eBook format.
Royalty Rate Standard 35% or 70%. Standard royalties + payment for pages read in KU.
Reach Available on all major retailer platforms. Amazon only, but access to millions of KU subscribers.
Promotional Tools Standard tools. Access to Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotions.

Recommendation: For many new authors, figuring out how do you publish a book on Kindle, beginning with KDP Select for the first 90 days, is a smart move. It allows you to utilize free promotion days to build up reviews and gain initial traction.

Common Technical Hurdles (And How to Fix Them)

Even with a guide, you might have some confusion or difficulties. Here are the most frequent issues authors face.

Cover Dimensions

If your cover looks blurry or gets rejected, check the pixels. Amazon recommends dimensions of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels for the best quality. A low-resolution cover screams “amateur” to a potential buyer.

How do you upload a book to Kindle if the file size is too big?

If your book is image-heavy (like a cookbook or a children’s book), you might exceed the file size limits or eat into your profits with delivery fees. To solve this issue, you need to compress your images before inserting them into your document. Use tools that reduce the file size of JPEGs without visibly reducing the quality on a screen.

Table of Contents (TOC)

The “broken NCX view” is a classic error. This means the clickable navigation menu on the Kindle doesn’t work. If you are using MS Word, you must use the “Heading 1” style for your chapter titles so the Kindle converter recognizes them as chapters. Manually bolding the text won’t work.

After the Upload: Marketing Your New Book

Congratulations! Your book is live. But the work isn’t done. In fact, publishing is only 50% of the battle. If you don’t market your book, it will sit on page 500 of the search results, gathering digital dust.

Amazon Author Central

Go to Author Central and claim your profile. This allows you to add a biography, photos, and blog posts to your author page. It makes you look professional and gives readers a place to connect with you.

Getting Reviews

Reviews are the lifeblood of the Amazon algorithm. You require “Verified Purchase” reviews to prove to Amazon that people are actually buying and enjoying your work. Encourage your email list or social media followers to leave an honest review during launch week.

Estorytellers Advantage

Learning the technicalities of publishing while trying to be a creative genius is exhausting. It is a complex process that involves multiple skill sets. This is where services like Estorytellers shine. They offer comprehensive marketing packages designed to boost visibility, meaning you don’t have to navigate the advertising world alone.

Once you understand how do you publish a book on kindle, the next logical step is mastering book marketing to ensure your hard work actually pays off.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it free to publish books on Kindle?

Yes, it is free to publish a book on Kindle using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform. There is no upfront publishing fee. However, authors may choose to invest in editing, formatting, cover design, or marketing to improve quality and sales. Amazon only takes a percentage from each book sold.

How many words is a 300 page Kindle book?

A 300-page Kindle book usually contains around 75,000 to 90,000 words, depending on formatting, font size, and spacing. Kindle pages are flexible and adjust to the reader’s device, so word count is a more reliable measure than page count when planning your book length.

How much does it cost to publish your book on Kindle?

Publishing on Kindle itself costs nothing, but optional expenses can vary. Professional editing, formatting, and cover design may cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. These are not mandatory but strongly recommended if you want your book to look professional and perform well on Amazon.

How do I upload a book to Kindle?

To upload a book to Kindle, create a KDP account, click “Create Kindle eBook,” and follow the steps. Upload your manuscript and cover, add your title, description, keywords, and categories, then set pricing and royalties. Always preview your book before publishing to catch formatting issues.

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