There is satisfaction attached to knowing that your created content, in this case, book(s), written by you, is available in public space for consumption. For budding writers, it helps to avail that needed mental break in-between the end of writing a book, and the decision to start another.


In this age and times where the world has become a single market space with millions of buyers looking for that exact content you just created, leaving it in their traditional published form and/or in softcopy state on your computer, is not only anti-progressive, it is also anti-reasonable.

The Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) offers that space. This is different from the Amazon Publishing, which is the traditional Amazon Publishing House. KDP is so user-friendly, that you may not need to employ somebody's service to publish your work for you, except you choose to.

This article, in few steps, would teach you how to publish your book on KDP, either as Paperback, with shipping cost off your royalties, or as Kindle e-book, a form which, in addition to selling your work as ebook, offers you KENP (Kindle Edition  Normalized Page) on your published work, if registered on Kindle Select. This generates little income for you when first timers read your work for the first time.

Clicking 'Publish' when you are done with the below-listed steps is expected to be done once, with 'Save and Continue' taking you there.

Steps in Publishing on KDP

1. Create a KDP Account

To do this, visit: kdp.amazon.com and create an account, using details of your Amazon Account. If you do not have an Amazon Account, create one first on Amazon.com, before visiting the KDP site.

For persons who already have an Amazon account, simply sign in with your Amazon sign-in details.


2. Create a new Kindle ebook

As soon as you are logged in, you will see, 'Create Kindle ebook'. Click on it and begin. This is in assumption that you already have your book in softcopy format. The setting will direct you on how to make your soft copy book eligible for uploading. 

3. Primary Language Setting

Here you are required to set your primary language.

4. Key in your Title and Subtitle

Your title is the primary title of the book, while your subtitle gives it colouring. For instance, if your title is: The Last Humans, and your subtitle is: The Battle of the Earthly Species. Your book title will appear thus: The Last Humans: The Battle of the Earthly Species.

5. Input the Author's Name

This is where you are expected to enter your name just as you want it to appear on Amazon. There is also where you are expected to add the names of other co-writers who wrote the book with you as contributors below that.

6. Input your Book Description

You are expected to enter atmost 4,000 words in description of your book. This is the part, intending readers or buyers go through on Amazon, after picking interest in your title. It is the reason, their interest moves from the title to actually wanting to read it.

7. Publishing Rights Verification

You are to tell if the content is fully yours or a public domain product.

8. Choosing your Key Words

These, help potential readers or buyers to see your work when they search. Care must be taken in imputing key words.

9. Choosing Category for your Book

Here, you are to choose what category your book falls into. For example, 'Historical Fiction'.

10. Book Release Options

You are expected to choose either to release your book now, or pre-order.

11. Digital Rights Management (DRM) Rights

To checkmate against people copying and distributing you book, enable DRM.

12. Upload your Book

As Amazon ebook is unique, KDP provides formatting tool for your work before upload. It could be done manually too if you follow the guidelines. This is necessary to make your ebook look professional and for KENP to be applicable. Usually, readers online get to be taken to Chapter One of your book when they click, if the reverse is the case, then KENP isn't possible. KENP has to do with you being paid when your work is read online, having registered it on Kindle Select.

13. Upload or Create your Book Cover

You are to upload or create your book cover here.

14. Preview your Book

When you preview, you get to see how your work will appear to readers, and more importantly, if it starts from Chapter One when clicked.

15. ISBN and Publisher Section

KDP avails you ISBN if you do not have already. This is not however useful outside Amazon.

You are to save and continue after this, if applicable.

16. Register for Kindle Select

You are availed promotional opportunities here.

17. Choosing Territories

This section gives you the opportunity to choose where you want your work available.

18. Choosing Pricing and Royalties

Most writers choose the 70% plan. Input your price and use Amazon.com as your marketplace to determine royalties in other places.

19. Book Lending Option

Most writers enable it.

20. Save as Draft or Publish

You could either save as Draft here for future release date, or you can publish. 

One very-admirable factor about Amazon KDP is that you can edit almost everything, including your book, even after publishing.



Written by:
Bello Omokhowa Precious
Author of:
1. The Blacksmith
2. The Crook's Honour
3. BOP Homes and Offices Ltd. Easy to Hard 480 Sudoku Puzzles.
All available on Amazon