Yes, you can publish a book on Amazon for free. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform charges zero upfront fees — no listing costs, no hosting fees, no hidden charges. Amazon makes money by taking a percentage of each sale, so you only pay when you earn. This guide walks you through every step of how to publish a book on Amazon for free, from creating your account to seeing your book go live.
What you need before you start
Before you touch KDP, get these three things ready:
A finished manuscript. Your book needs to be written, edited, and formatted. For ebooks, KDP accepts DOCX, EPUB, and KPF files. For paperbacks, you will need a properly formatted PDF. If you need help with formatting, our guide on how to format a book for Kindle covers the technical requirements.
A book cover. You need a cover image that meets Amazon’s specifications — at minimum 1000 pixels on the shortest side for ebooks, with a 1.6:1 height-to-width ratio recommended. Paperback covers require a full wrap design including spine and back cover.
Basic information about your book. Title, subtitle, description, author name (pen names work fine), and 2-3 categories plus up to seven keywords for Amazon search. Think about these before you start — rushing through the metadata step costs visibility later.
Step 1: Create your KDP account
Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with an existing Amazon account or create a new one. The process takes about 15 minutes.
Once signed in, you need to complete three setup items:
Author information. Enter your legal name or pen name. This is the name readers see on your book’s product page. You can use different pen names for different books later.
Payment details. Add your bank account for royalty deposits. KDP pays via electronic funds transfer in most countries, with payments issued roughly 60 days after the end of each month. You can set up different bank accounts for different Amazon marketplaces (US, UK, Germany, etc.) or route everything to one account.
Tax information. This step is mandatory and required by US law before you can publish. US residents complete a W-9 form. International authors go through a tax interview that determines withholding rates based on their country’s treaty with the US — the default withholding is 30%, but many countries have treaties reducing this to 0-10%. Have your tax identification number ready.
Do not skip the tax interview. Amazon will not let you publish until your tax information is validated, and an incomplete profile shows a status of “Action Required” that blocks your bookshelf.
Step 2: Start a new title
From your KDP Bookshelf, click the ”+ Create” button. You will see options for Kindle eBook, Paperback, and Hardcover. Pick the format you want to publish first.
A practical approach: start with the Kindle ebook. It is the simplest format, goes live fastest, and lets you test your listing before committing to print. You can always add a paperback or hardcover edition later and link them together on the same Amazon product page.
For a deeper look at how the entire KDP platform works, see our full guide to Amazon KDP for self-publishing.
Step 3: Enter your book details
The first tab — Book Details — creates your Amazon product page. Every field here affects discoverability, so fill them in carefully.
Title and subtitle. Your title must match what appears on your cover exactly. The subtitle gives you room for keywords — use it to describe the book’s benefit or audience. Keep titles under 200 characters.
Author name. Use whatever name you want readers to see. Pen names are perfectly acceptable and common in self-publishing.
Description. You get up to 4,000 characters. This is your sales pitch. Lead with the reader’s problem, explain what the book delivers, and include a brief chapter overview or bullet list of key topics. Amazon supports basic HTML formatting in descriptions — bold, italic, and line breaks.
Keywords. You get seven keyword slots. Use specific phrases readers search for, not single words. “Memoir writing tips for beginners” outperforms “memoir” because it targets specific search intent. Our guide on Amazon keywords for books breaks down keyword strategy in detail.
Categories. You can select up to two browse categories (previously called BISAC categories). Pick the most specific categories where your book is competitive. A nonfiction business book might choose “Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Home-Based” rather than just “Business & Money.” For a complete walkthrough, see how to choose Amazon book categories.
Step 4: Upload your manuscript
The second tab — Book Content — is where you upload your actual book file.
Click “Upload eBook manuscript” and select your file. Amazon strongly recommends EPUB format for the best reading experience across Kindle devices and apps. DOCX files work but may introduce formatting quirks during conversion.
After upload, KDP processes your file and launches the Online Previewer. Use it. Check every chapter, review heading formatting, confirm images display correctly, and verify that your table of contents links work. The previewer shows exactly what readers see on different Kindle devices.
Common issues to watch for:
- Page breaks missing between chapters
- Images appearing too small or misaligned
- Tables that do not render well on smaller screens
- Font inconsistencies from copy-pasting between documents
If your manuscript needs formatting help, AI book formatting tools can speed up the process significantly. For a manual approach, our manuscript formatting guide covers the essentials.
Step 5: Design and upload your cover
You have two options here: use the KDP Cover Creator (free, built into the platform) or upload your own cover.
KDP Cover Creator offers basic templates and is functional for simple designs. It is limited — you cannot upload custom fonts or create complex layouts — but it works if you have zero budget and need a clean, simple cover.
Better free option: Use Canva’s free plan with one of their book cover templates. Download the KDP cover template for your trim size, note the dimensions, and create a custom-sized design in Canva matching those dimensions. This gives you far more design control than the built-in tool. For more options, see our roundup of AI book cover generators.
Your ebook cover needs to be a JPEG or TIFF file, at least 1000 pixels on the shortest side, with a maximum file size of 50MB. For paperbacks, you need a full-wrap PDF that includes back cover, spine, and front cover — KDP provides a template calculator that generates the exact dimensions based on your page count and trim size.
Our Pick — Chapter
Chapter handles book formatting and export automatically, producing KDP-ready files in the formats Amazon requires — no manual formatting headaches.
Best for: Authors who want to write and export a publish-ready manuscript without wrestling with formatting software. Pricing: $97 one-time (nonfiction) Why we built it: Getting a manuscript from draft to KDP-ready format is one of the biggest friction points in free publishing — Chapter eliminates that step.
Step 6: Set your price and royalties
The third tab — Pricing & Royalties — determines what you earn per sale.
Ebook royalties
Amazon offers two royalty tiers:
| Price Range | Royalty Rate | Delivery Cost | Example: $4.99 book |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.99 – $9.99 | 70% | $0.15/MB deducted | ~$3.44 per sale |
| $0.99 – $2.98 | 35% | None | ~$0.35 per sale |
The 70% royalty option requires your ebook to be priced at least 20% below any print edition’s list price. Most self-published authors price between $2.99 and $5.99 to maximize the 70% rate.
Print royalties
For paperbacks and hardcovers, your royalty is calculated as: (royalty rate x list price) – printing cost. Books priced at $9.99 or higher earn a 60% royalty rate. Books priced below $9.99 earn 50%.
Printing costs depend on page count, trim size, and ink type (black-and-white vs. color). A 200-page black-and-white paperback costs roughly $3.40 to print. Use Amazon’s royalty calculator to model different price points before you commit.
For a broader breakdown of what self-publishing actually costs at each stage, see our guide on the cost to self-publish a book.
Step 7: Hit publish
Review everything one final time — title, description, keywords, manuscript preview, cover, and pricing. Then click “Publish Your Kindle eBook” (or paperback/hardcover equivalent).
Your book typically goes live within 72 hours, though many books appear in 24-48 hours. Amazon reviews your content to confirm it meets their content guidelines — standard books pass quickly, but certain categories may take longer.
Once live, you will receive an email notification with a link to your book’s Amazon product page. Your book now has its own ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) and is available to millions of Amazon shoppers worldwide.
Optional: Enroll in KDP Select
After publishing, you will see an option to enroll in KDP Select. This is Amazon’s exclusivity program — you agree to sell your ebook only on Amazon for 90-day periods, and in return you get:
- Kindle Unlimited access. Your book becomes available to KU subscribers (who pay a monthly fee to read unlimited books). You earn roughly $0.004-0.005 per page read from a shared global fund.
- Promotional tools. Kindle Countdown Deals let you run time-limited discounts with a countdown timer. Free Book Promotions let you offer your ebook free for up to five days per enrollment period.
- Higher royalties in select markets. You earn 70% on sales in Japan, India, Brazil, and Mexico regardless of price.
KDP Select works especially well for genres with heavy Kindle Unlimited readership — romance, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy in particular. If you plan to distribute on other platforms like Apple Books or Kobo, skip KDP Select and keep your distribution options open. For a full breakdown of the tradeoffs, see our guide on Kindle Unlimited pros and cons.
What about ISBNs?
For ebooks, Amazon assigns a free ASIN — you do not need an ISBN. For paperbacks and hardcovers, you have two options:
- Free Amazon ISBN. KDP provides one at no cost. The publisher of record will be listed as “Independently Published” on your book’s detail page.
- Your own ISBN. Purchase from Bowker (US) or your country’s ISBN agency. This lists you (or your imprint name) as the publisher. A single ISBN costs $125 in the US, or $295 for a pack of 10.
For most first-time authors publishing exclusively on Amazon, the free ISBN is the practical choice. You can always purchase your own ISBN for future titles if you expand to other distribution channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Rushing the description. Your book description is a sales page. A flat, unformatted block of text loses readers before they click “Buy.” Use formatting, lead with benefits, and study the descriptions of bestsellers in your category.
- Ignoring keywords and categories. Seven keyword slots and two category picks determine whether Amazon shows your book to the right readers. Research what readers actually search for rather than guessing. Check out our Amazon keywords guide for a data-driven approach.
- Uploading without previewing. The KDP previewer exists for a reason. Formatting errors, broken links, and missing page breaks are visible in the preview and invisible in your Word document. Check every chapter.
- Pricing too low. A $0.99 ebook earns $0.35 per sale at the 35% royalty rate. Unless you are running a short-term promotional strategy, pricing at $2.99 or above gives you the 70% rate and signals to readers that your book has real value.
- Skipping the cover. Readers judge books by covers — the data backs this up. A generic or amateur cover actively reduces clicks and sales. If you have zero budget, spend the time to create something clean and genre-appropriate using free design tools rather than publishing with a placeholder.
FAQ
How long does it take to publish a book on Amazon?
The upload and setup process takes 1-3 hours if your manuscript and cover are ready. After you click publish, Amazon typically makes your book available within 24-72 hours.
Can I publish a book on Amazon for free without an ISBN?
Yes. Ebooks receive a free ASIN from Amazon and do not require an ISBN. Paperbacks can use Amazon’s free ISBN option. You only need to purchase your own ISBN if you want your name or imprint listed as publisher of record.
How much money can I make publishing on Amazon?
Earnings vary enormously. A single ebook priced at $4.99 earns roughly $3.44 per sale at the 70% royalty rate. Authors who consistently publish quality books in active genres and invest in marketing typically earn $500-5,000 per month. First-time authors with a single title commonly earn $50-300 per month.
Can I publish both an ebook and paperback of the same book?
Yes, and you should. Create both formats on KDP and Amazon will automatically link them on the same product page. Many readers prefer print, and offering both formats increases your total sales. Our guide to how to price a self-published book covers pricing strategy across formats.
Do I need a business license to publish on Amazon KDP?
No. Individual authors can publish on KDP using their personal name and Social Security Number (in the US) or personal tax ID. You only need a business entity if you want to publish under a company name or for specific tax advantages.
