Amazon offers more publishing services than most authors realize — and using the right combination can double your book’s reach overnight.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Every Amazon publishing service available to you in 2026 (and what each one actually does)
- How to set up your KDP account and publish your first book step by step
- The royalty structures, pricing strategies, and distribution options that maximize your earnings
- Which services to use at each stage of your publishing journey
Here’s everything you need to know.
What Are Amazon Publishing Services?
Amazon publishing services are the collection of tools, platforms, and programs Amazon provides for authors to publish, distribute, and sell books. The core platform is Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), but it extends far beyond ebooks.
Here’s the full ecosystem:
| Service | What It Does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) | Publish ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers | Free |
| KDP Select / Kindle Unlimited | Enroll ebooks in Amazon’s subscription library | Free (requires exclusivity) |
| ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) | Produce and distribute audiobooks | Free or royalty-share |
| Author Central | Manage your author profile and book pages | Free |
| A+ Content | Add rich media to your book’s product page | Free |
| Amazon Ads | Run sponsored ads for your books | Pay-per-click |
| Kindle Vella | Serialized fiction platform | Discontinued Feb 2025 |
Most authors only use KDP for ebooks. That’s leaving money on the table. The authors earning six figures combine multiple services into a cohesive publishing strategy.
How to Set Up Your KDP Account
Before you publish anything, you need a properly configured KDP account. Mistakes here can delay your first book by weeks.
Step 1: Create Your Account
Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your existing Amazon account — or create a new one. Use the email address you want associated with your publishing business long-term.
Step 2: Complete Tax Information
KDP requires tax information before you earn royalties. U.S. authors complete a W-9 form. International authors complete a W-8BEN. This is a one-time setup, and KDP walks you through it during onboarding.
Step 3: Set Up Payment
Add your bank account details for royalty deposits. KDP pays monthly, approximately 60 days after the end of each month. You can set different bank accounts for different Amazon marketplaces if you sell internationally.
Step 4: Verify Your Identity
Amazon tightened verification requirements in 2025. New accounts may need to verify identity with a government-issued ID. This protects against spam accounts and ensures royalty payments reach the right person.
How to Publish an Ebook on Amazon KDP
Publishing your first ebook takes about 30 minutes once your manuscript is ready. Here’s the process.
Prepare your manuscript. KDP accepts EPUB, KPF (Kindle Package Format), and DOCX files. EPUB is the preferred format for best formatting control. If you’re writing with AI tools like Chapter, your manuscript exports in a KDP-ready format automatically.
Our Pick — Chapter
Chapter’s AI writing assistant helps you draft, outline, and refine your book — then export a clean, KDP-ready manuscript in one click. Over 2,147 authors have used it to create 5,000+ published books.
Best for: Authors who want to write faster without sacrificing quality Pricing: $97 one-time (nonfiction) | Varies (fiction) Why we built it: Most authors spend months writing. Chapter cuts that to weeks.
Upload your cover. Your cover must be at least 1,000 x 625 pixels, though Amazon recommends 2,560 x 1,600 pixels for the best display quality. The cover file should be a JPEG or TIFF. If you need help, check out our guide to AI book cover generators.
Fill in your book details. This includes your title, subtitle, author name, description, keywords (up to seven), and categories. Your Amazon keywords are critical for discoverability — choose them carefully.
Set your price and publish. Select your royalty rate (more on that below), set your list price, and hit publish. Your ebook typically goes live within 72 hours.
How to Publish a Paperback or Hardcover on KDP
Amazon merged its former print-on-demand service (CreateSpace) into KDP in 2018. Now you handle print and digital from one dashboard.
Interior formatting matters more for print. Your manuscript needs proper margins, bleed settings, and trim size specifications. KDP’s print formatting requirements are strict — a single misaligned margin can get your book rejected. Tools like Atticus or book formatting software simplify this.
Choose your trim size. The most common sizes are 5.5” x 8.5” and 6” x 9” for nonfiction, and 5” x 8” for fiction. Your trim size affects your cover template dimensions.
Upload a print-ready cover. Print covers require a front, spine, and back in a single PDF file. KDP provides a cover template calculator based on your trim size and page count. The spine width changes with your page count, so finalize your interior before creating your cover.
Paper type and ink options. Choose between cream or white paper and black-and-white or color ink. Fiction typically uses cream paper with black ink. Nonfiction with images uses white paper with color ink. These choices affect your printing cost — and therefore your royalty.
Review your proof. Always order a physical proof copy before approving your book. The digital previewer is helpful but doesn’t catch everything. A $5 proof copy can save you from an embarrassing typo on page one.
Understanding Amazon’s Royalty Structure
Amazon’s royalty rates directly affect how much you earn per sale. Here’s the breakdown for 2026.
Ebook Royalties
| Royalty Rate | Price Range | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 70% | $2.99 – $9.99 | Delivery costs deducted; must be 20% below print price |
| 35% | $0.99 – $200 | No delivery cost deduction; available at any price |
Most authors price between $2.99 and $9.99 to qualify for the 70% rate. At $4.99 with the 70% rate, you earn approximately $3.44 per sale.
Paperback Royalties
Amazon reduced paperback royalties from 60% to 50% in June 2025. Your royalty is calculated as:
Royalty = (List Price × 50%) – Printing Cost
Printing costs vary by page count, ink type, and marketplace. A 200-page black-and-white paperback costs roughly $3.25 to print. At a $14.99 list price, your royalty would be approximately $4.25.
Hardcover Royalties
Hardcover royalties follow the same 50% structure, but printing costs are higher — typically $7-$10 per book. Price accordingly. Most hardcovers sell for $24.99 and up.
For a deeper breakdown, use our book royalties calculator.
KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited
KDP Select is Amazon’s exclusivity program. When you enroll, your ebook becomes available in Kindle Unlimited (KU) — Amazon’s subscription reading service with millions of subscribers.
How KDP Select Works
You enroll for 90-day periods. During enrollment, your ebook can only be sold digitally through Amazon. You can still sell print and audio versions anywhere.
KU authors earn from a shared fund called the KDP Select Global Fund. Payment is calculated per page read (KENPC — Kindle Edition Normalized Page Count). In early 2026, the per-page rate hovers around $0.004-$0.005.
Is KDP Select Worth It?
Best for: Romance, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy authors. Genre fiction readers are heavy KU users.
Skip it if: You want to sell on Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and other platforms simultaneously. Going wide gives you more distribution channels but typically lower initial volume.
Read our full breakdown of Kindle Unlimited pros and cons.
ACX: Amazon’s Audiobook Service
ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) lets you produce audiobooks and distribute them on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books.
How ACX Works
You upload your manuscript and choose a production path:
- Hire a narrator at a per-finished-hour (PFH) rate. Professional narrators charge $100-$500+ per finished hour. A 10-hour audiobook could cost $1,000-$5,000.
- Royalty share with a narrator. The narrator works for free upfront, and you split royalties 50/50 for seven years. This works if you can’t afford upfront costs, but it cuts your earnings significantly.
- AI narration. Amazon now offers AI-generated narration for some titles. Quality has improved dramatically, but human narration still sounds more natural for fiction.
ACX Royalty Rates
| Distribution | Royalty |
|---|---|
| Exclusive (Audible, Amazon, Apple Books) | 40% |
| Non-exclusive | 25% |
Most authors choose exclusive distribution because Audible dominates the audiobook market. For more details, see our guide on how to create an audiobook.
Amazon Author Central
Author Central is your public-facing author profile on Amazon. It’s free and takes 10 minutes to set up — but most authors never touch it.
What You Can Do in Author Central
Build your author page. Add a professional bio, photo, and links to your website and social media. Readers who click your name on any book listing land here.
Track your sales rank. Author Central shows your BookScan sales data — actual print sales numbers reported by major retailers. This is data you can’t get anywhere else for free.
Edit your book descriptions. You can update your book’s product description with HTML formatting directly from Author Central, giving you more control than the KDP dashboard.
Claim all your editions. If you have print, ebook, and audio editions, Author Central lets you link them all to your author profile so readers see your complete catalog.
Add editorial reviews. Pull quotes from reviews and add them to your book’s product page. These appear above your book description and build credibility.
A+ Content: Rich Media for Your Book Page
A+ Content (formerly Amazon Marketing Services Enhanced Content) lets you add images, comparison charts, and formatted text modules to your book’s product page.
Why A+ Content Matters
Standard book listings are plain text. A+ Content lets you add:
- Hero images with text overlays
- Comparison charts showing your books side by side
- Image and text modules highlighting key features or testimonials
- “From the author” sections with your photo and a personal message
Books with A+ Content see higher conversion rates because the listing looks more professional and gives readers more reasons to buy.
How to Access A+ Content
Navigate to your KDP dashboard, select a book, and look for the A+ Content option. You’ll need to choose from Amazon’s module templates and upload your own images. Each module has specific image dimension requirements.
A+ Content is available for ebooks and print books, but only on the Amazon.com marketplace (U.S.) and select international marketplaces.
Amazon Ads for Books
Amazon Ads is the paid advertising platform for promoting your books directly on Amazon. It’s the most effective advertising channel for most self-published authors because you’re reaching people who are already shopping for books.
Types of Amazon Book Ads
Sponsored Products. These appear in search results and on product pages. You bid on keywords, and your book shows up when readers search for those terms.
Sponsored Brands. These display your author name, logo, and up to three books in a banner format. They’re great for authors with multiple titles.
Lock Screen Ads. These appear on Kindle e-reader lock screens. They work well for Kindle Unlimited titles.
For a deep dive, read our complete Amazon Ads for authors guide.
ISBN: Do You Need One?
This is one of the most common questions new authors ask. The answer depends on your format.
Ebooks: No ISBN required on Amazon. KDP assigns an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) automatically.
Paperbacks and hardcovers: KDP offers a free ISBN, but it lists the publisher as “Independently Published.” If you want your own imprint name listed as publisher, purchase your own ISBN through Bowker (U.S.) for $125 per ISBN, or $295 for a pack of 10.
Audiobooks: ACX provides a free ISBN for audiobooks.
Using Amazon’s free ISBN is perfectly fine for most self-published authors. Buying your own only matters if you plan to distribute through bookstores or want a professional imprint name. Check our complete free ISBN guide for more details.
Pricing Strategies That Maximize Royalties
Your pricing strategy depends on your goals: maximum revenue per sale, maximum unit sales, or maximum page reads.
Launch Pricing
Many authors launch at $0.99 or $2.99 to build initial momentum and reviews. Once you have 15-25 reviews, raise your price to $4.99-$9.99. The lower launch price drives volume, and the reviews provide social proof at the higher price point.
Series Pricing
If you’re writing a series, price Book 1 at $0.99 or make it free (through price-matching). This creates a low-barrier entry point. Price subsequent books at $4.99-$6.99. Readers who enjoy Book 1 will pay full price for the rest. This is how most six-figure fiction authors structure their series.
Nonfiction Pricing
Nonfiction ebooks can command higher prices — $7.99 to $14.99 — because readers are buying a specific solution to a specific problem. Your price signals the value of that solution. A $2.99 business book looks less credible than a $9.99 one.
For complete cost breakdowns, see our guide on Amazon self-publishing costs.
KDP’s 2026 Content Rules (Including AI Disclosure)
Amazon updated its content policies significantly in 2025 and 2026. Here’s what you need to know.
AI-Generated Content Disclosure
KDP now requires authors to disclose whether their book content is AI-generated or AI-assisted. The distinction matters:
- AI-generated: Content created entirely by AI with minimal human input. Must be disclosed.
- AI-assisted: Content where AI helped with brainstorming, editing, or drafting, but a human substantially edited and shaped the final output. Must be disclosed.
Failure to disclose AI involvement can result in your book being removed and your account flagged. Read our detailed breakdown of Amazon KDP AI books rules.
Content Quality Standards
Amazon’s system scans manuscripts for formatting issues, low-resolution images, and broken layouts before approving your book. Common rejection reasons include:
- Mismatched fonts or broken paragraphs
- Images below minimum resolution requirements
- Content that duplicates existing books on the platform
- Missing or incorrect metadata
DRM-Free Downloads (New in 2025)
Authors who set their ebooks as DRM-free now allow buyers to download EPUB and PDF versions. Readers can sideload these to Apple Books, Kobo, and other e-readers. This is a significant shift toward reader flexibility.
Alt Text Requirements
KDP now requires alt text on all ebook images for accessibility compliance. Every image in your manuscript needs a descriptive alt text tag.
How to Optimize Your Book Listing for Maximum Sales
Publishing your book is step one. Optimizing your listing determines whether it actually sells.
Write a Compelling Book Description
Your book description is a sales page, not a summary. Structure it like this:
- Hook — One sentence that grabs attention or states the core promise
- Pain/desire — What problem does your book solve? What desire does it fulfill?
- Bullet points — 3-5 key takeaways or plot hooks
- Social proof — Awards, endorsements, press mentions, or reader count
- Call to action — “Scroll up and click Buy Now” (yes, this works)
Use HTML formatting in Author Central for bold text, bullet points, and line breaks. The default KDP description editor is limited.
Choose the Right Categories
You can select up to three BISAC categories through KDP. But you can request up to 10 categories total by contacting KDP support after publishing. More categories mean more browse opportunities.
Pick categories where you can realistically rank. A general “Fiction” category has millions of books. A specific subcategory like “Fiction > Mystery > Cozy Mystery > Animals” has far fewer competitors.
Leverage Your Seven Keywords
KDP gives you seven keyword slots of up to 50 characters each. These aren’t visible to readers but determine which searches surface your book. Use full phrases, not single words. Instead of “romance,” try “second chance romance small town.” For keyword research strategies, see our Amazon keywords for books guide.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the proof copy. Digital previews don’t catch everything. Spend $5 on a proof before going live with your paperback or hardcover.
- Pricing too low permanently. A $0.99 ebook earns you $0.35 per sale at the 35% rate. That’s not sustainable unless you have a large backlist or a high-converting funnel.
- Ignoring A+ Content. It’s free and takes an hour to set up. There’s no reason not to use it.
- Enrolling in KDP Select without a strategy. Exclusivity works for some genres but kills earnings in others. Research your genre’s KU readership before committing.
- Not linking all editions. If your ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook aren’t linked in Author Central, you’re splitting your reviews and sales rank.
How Long Does It Take to Publish on Amazon?
Publishing on Amazon KDP takes 24-72 hours for ebooks after you click “Publish.” Paperbacks and hardcovers typically take 3-5 business days for the first edition (subsequent updates are faster). Audiobooks through ACX take 7-14 business days for review and approval.
The actual upload process takes 30-60 minutes for each format. The timeline depends more on how quickly Amazon reviews your submission than on any action you need to take.
Plan your book launch around these timelines. If you want a specific release date, upload your book at least two weeks early and use KDP’s pre-order feature.
Can You Make a Living With Amazon Publishing?
You can — but expectations matter. The average self-published author earns under $1,000 per year. But that average includes millions of books uploaded without any marketing effort.
Authors who treat publishing as a business — optimizing listings, running ads, building a backlist, and growing an audience — regularly earn five and six figures annually. For a realistic breakdown, read how much do authors make.
The authors earning the most on Amazon share three traits: they publish consistently, they invest in quality covers and editing, and they understand Amazon’s algorithms well enough to work with them.
How to Choose the Right Amazon Publishing Services for You
Not every author needs every service. Here’s a quick decision framework:
First-time author with one book: Start with KDP (ebook + paperback) and Author Central. Skip ads until you have reviews. Skip audio until you know the book sells.
Fiction author building a series: KDP Select for all titles, ACX for audiobooks once your series has traction, Amazon Ads once you have 3+ books. Series pricing with Book 1 free or $0.99.
Nonfiction author with a business: KDP (all formats), A+ Content for professional listings, Amazon Ads from day one (nonfiction converts well with ads), and ACX if your topic suits audio. Consider using Chapter to write your manuscript faster — authors have generated $13,200 from a single book and landed speaking gigs for audiences of 20,000.
Author going wide: Skip KDP Select. Use KDP for Amazon distribution only. Publish on other self-publishing platforms simultaneously.
FAQ
What Are Amazon Publishing Services?
Amazon publishing services are the tools and platforms Amazon provides for authors to self-publish books. The core service is Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), which handles ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers. Additional services include ACX for audiobooks, Author Central for author profiles, A+ Content for enhanced book pages, and Amazon Ads for promotion.
How Much Does It Cost to Publish on Amazon?
Publishing on Amazon KDP costs nothing upfront. There are no fees to upload or list your book. Amazon deducts printing costs from your royalty on each print sale. Your only costs are optional investments in editing, cover design, and marketing. For a full cost breakdown, see our self-publishing cost guide.
What Royalties Does Amazon Pay Authors?
Amazon pays ebook authors 35% or 70% royalties depending on the price and royalty plan selected. Paperback and hardcover authors earn 50% of the list price minus printing costs. Audiobook authors earn 25-40% royalties through ACX depending on their distribution choice.
Do You Need an ISBN to Publish on Amazon?
You do not need an ISBN for ebooks on Amazon — KDP assigns a free ASIN instead. For paperbacks and hardcovers, KDP provides a free ISBN, though it lists “Independently Published” as the publisher. You can purchase your own ISBN through Bowker if you want a custom imprint name.
How Long Does Amazon Take to Publish a Book?
Amazon KDP typically publishes ebooks within 24-72 hours after submission. Paperbacks and hardcovers take 3-5 business days for initial review. Audiobooks submitted through ACX require 7-14 business days for quality review and approval.
Is Amazon KDP Select Worth It?
KDP Select is worth it for genre fiction authors in romance, thriller, fantasy, and sci-fi — genres where Kindle Unlimited readers are most active. It requires 90-day ebook exclusivity with Amazon. Authors earning well in KU often make more from page reads than direct sales. Skip it if you want to sell on multiple platforms simultaneously.
