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How to Self-Publish on Amazon KDP: Complete 2026 Guide

Published August 20, 2026 · 30 min read

Table of Contents

What You Need to Know Before Publishing on Amazon KDP

How to self publish on amazon kdp starts with understanding what you're actually getting into. Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is a platform that lets you publish books without a traditional publisher. You upload your manuscript, design a cover, set your price, and your book goes live. That's the simple version. The real work happens before you hit publish.

Most people think the hard part is writing the book. But once you've got a manuscript, you're really just getting started. You need to format it correctly, design a professional cover, write a description that actually sells, and understand how Amazon's algorithm works. Some writers use tools like ShakespeareAI Book Writer to help generate their first draft, but even with a completed manuscript, you still need to navigate KDP's technical requirements.

The good news: if you follow the steps in this guide, you can have a book live on Amazon within a week. The catch: rushing through any step usually costs you sales later. Take the time to do this right.

Setting Up Your Amazon KDP Account

Creating your Amazon KDP account takes about 15 minutes. Go to kdp.amazon.com and click "Sign in." If you already have an Amazon account, use those credentials. If not, create one first.

You'll need to provide some basic information: your name (or pen name), email address, and country of residence. Amazon will ask for tax information next. This is where many new authors get confused. If you're a U.S. citizen, you'll need your Social Security Number. If you're not, you'll need a tax identification number from your country. Amazon doesn't withhold taxes automatically for U.S. authors, but you'll owe them when you file your annual return.

Person's hands on a laptop keyboard viewing the Amazon KDP dashboard with a warm home office background and coffee mug nearby
Person's hands on a laptop keyboard viewing the Amazon KDP dashboard with a warm home office background and coffee mug nearby

Once your account is active, you'll see the KDP dashboard. This is your command center. From here, you create new titles, upload files, set pricing, and track sales. Spend a few minutes exploring. You'll see tabs for "Bookshelf" (your published and draft books), "Reports" (sales data), and "Community" (forums where other authors hang out). The dashboard looks clean but it's packed with features you'll use constantly.

One important step people skip: set up Author Central. This is separate from KDP and lives at authorcentral.amazon.com. It's where you build your author profile, add a biography, upload a photo, and manage your author page. Readers find you here. Spend time on this. A professional author page with a good photo and bio converts better than a blank profile.

Preparing Your Manuscript: KDP Formatting Requirements

Your manuscript needs to be formatted correctly or KDP will reject it. This is non-negotiable. Amazon accepts two file types: PDF and DOCX (Microsoft Word). Most authors use DOCX because it's easier to edit if you catch mistakes later.

Here's what KDP requires for interior formatting:

The easiest way to get this right is to download a KDP template. Go to your KDP dashboard, click on "Resources," and download the template for your trim size. Open it in Microsoft Word and paste your manuscript content into it. This ensures your formatting matches what Amazon expects.

Many authors use tools to help with KDP formatting requirements. If you're starting from scratch, writing tools can export directly to PDF and EPUB formats ready for KDP, which saves hours of manual formatting work. You still need to review the final output, but the heavy lifting is done.

Common formatting mistakes: using fancy fonts that Amazon doesn't recognize, inconsistent spacing, headers and footers that interfere with page numbers, and embedded images that don't display correctly. Test your file by uploading it to the KDP previewer before you publish. This tool shows you exactly how your book will look on different devices.

Designing Your Book Cover

Your cover is the first thing potential readers see. It matters more than you think. A bad cover kills sales even if your book is excellent. A good cover makes people click.

You have three options: hire a designer, use a template tool, or generate one with design software.

Whatever method you choose, follow these rules:

Amazon requires your cover to be at least 1,000 pixels on the longest side and in RGB color mode (not CMYK). The file should be JPG or PNG. If you're unsure whether your cover meets specs, upload it to the KDP previewer and check.

Choosing Book Dimensions and Trim Sizes

Trim size is the physical size of your printed book. For paperbacks, the most common trim sizes are 5x8 inches (pocket size) and 6x9 inches (standard novel size). For hardcovers, 6x9 inches is standard. For children's books, sizes vary more widely.

Your trim size affects several things: how many pages your book will be, the cost to print it, and how it looks on shelves. A 5x8 inch paperback feels pocket-friendly. A 6x9 inch book feels more substantial and is easier to read for longer periods.

Here's the practical math: a 50,000-word novel in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins will be roughly 200 pages in 6x9 format and about 250 pages in 5x8 format. More pages mean higher printing costs, which eats into your royalties.

For ebooks (Kindle), trim size doesn't matter because the reader's device adjusts the text size. But for paperback and hardcover, it's important. Most indie authors choose 6x9 inches because it's the sweet spot between readability and production cost.

Test different trim sizes in the KDP previewer. Upload your manuscript in different formats and see how the page count changes. Pick the size that feels right for your book and your budget.

Using Writing Tools to Speed Up Your Draft

If you're starting with a blank page, using writing tools can save you months. These tools don't write your book for you (that's not how good writing works), but they can help you generate a first draft you can build on.

The key is using the right tool. Generic writing assistants will give you generic-sounding text that reads like a robot wrote it. Specialized tools are better because they understand story structure, character development, and how different genres work.

Tools built specifically for novel writing can help with series consistency if you're planning multiple books. They understand pacing and conventions of different genres like romance, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy. You can try ShakespeareAI free to see if it helps your writing process.

The real advantage: you can go from concept to a solid first draft in one afternoon. That's not because the tool writes perfectly (it doesn't), but because it generates something you can edit and refine. Most authors spend weeks writing a first draft. Using writing tools, you spend hours.

The catch: you still need to edit. The draft is rough. You'll rewrite sections, fix dialogue, adjust pacing, and add your own voice. But you're working from something, not staring at a blank page.

Writing a Compelling Book Description and Blurb

Your book description is your sales pitch. It appears on your Amazon product page and is often the deciding factor between a reader clicking "Buy" or moving on.

A good description does three things: hooks the reader with a compelling opening line, sets up the story's central conflict or question, and makes the reader want to know what happens next. It's not a summary. It's a teaser.

Here's the structure that works:

Opening line: something that grabs attention. A question, a bold statement, or an intriguing scenario.

Setup: introduce your main character and the situation they're in. What's at stake?

Conflict: what's stopping them from getting what they want? What's the obstacle?

Closing hook: end with a question or cliffhanger that makes readers want to buy.

Length: keep it between 100-200 words. Shorter descriptions underperform. Longer ones lose attention.

Example (fiction): "Sarah thought she'd left her past behind. Then the letter arrived. Now she has 48 hours to decide: return to the town she swore never to see again, or lose everything she's built. But going back means facing the man who broke her heart, and the secret that could destroy them both."

That's 50 words and it works because it raises questions. What's in the letter? Why only 48 hours? Who's the man? What's the secret? Readers want answers, so they buy.

Avoid generic descriptions like "A thrilling tale of adventure and discovery" or "A heartwarming story about family and love." Readers see those phrases everywhere. Be specific. Give them a reason to care about YOUR book.

How to Choose KDP Categories and Keywords for Discoverability

Amazon lets you choose up to two categories and up to seven keywords for your book. These aren't optional. They determine where your book shows up in search results and category browsing. Getting this wrong means readers never find your book, even if it's excellent.

Understanding Categories vs. Keywords

Categories are broad buckets. You might choose "Science Fiction > Space Opera" or "Romance > Contemporary." Amazon has roughly 30 main categories, each with multiple subcategories. Your book can live in only two.

Keywords are specific phrases readers actually type into Amazon's search bar. "Paranormal romance," "time travel mystery," "found family fantasy." These are what drive discoverability. A reader searching for "paranormal romance with mystery" is more likely to find your book if you've used that exact phrase as a keyword.

Here's the critical difference: categories help browsers. Keywords help searchers. You need both.

How to Research Your Categories

Step 1: Find five books similar to yours that are already selling well on Amazon. Search for them by title or author.

Step 2: Look at each book's product page. Scroll down to the "Product details" section. You'll see a line that says "Best Sellers Rank." It will look like this: "#1,234 in Kindle Store > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Space Opera."

That tells you the exact category path. Write it down for all five books.

Step 3: Open the KDP category browser. Go to your KDP dashboard, click "Bookshelf," then "Create a new title," and scroll to the categories section. You'll see a dropdown menu. Explore the categories where your comparable books live.

Step 4: Pick the two categories that best fit your book. Don't pick categories that are too broad (like just "Fiction") or too niche (like a subcategory with only 50 books). You want categories with hundreds or thousands of books, that means readers are actively searching there.

How to Research and Choose Keywords

Keywords are harder to get right because you can't see what other books are using. But you can infer keyword strategy by looking at where books rank.

Step 1: Use Amazon's search bar autocomplete. Go to Amazon.com and start typing keywords related to your book. After you type three or four letters, Amazon will suggest search phrases. These are real searches people are doing. Write them down.

Example: If you're writing paranormal romance, type "paranormal" and see what Amazon suggests. You might see:

These are all real searches. People are looking for these exact phrases.

Step 2: For each suggested phrase, click on it and see what books appear. If 500 books show up, that keyword is competitive but viable. If 50,000 books show up, that keyword is oversaturated. If 10 books show up, that keyword is too niche.

Step 3: Look at the books that rank on the first page for each keyword. Check their titles, descriptions, and categories. If your book is similar to the books ranking for a keyword, that keyword is a good fit for you.

Step 4: Build a list of 10-15 keyword phrases. Include a mix:

Step 5: Pick your best seven. You get seven keyword slots. Don't waste them on generic phrases like "love" or "adventure." Be specific.

Keyword Placement Matters

Amazon weights your first keyword more heavily than your seventh. Put your most important keyword, the one with the best balance of search volume and competition, in slot one. Put your second-best in slot two, and so on.

If you're writing paranormal romance, your keyword strategy might look like this:

  1. paranormal romance
  2. paranormal romance series
  3. supernatural love story
  4. witch romance
  5. paranormal mystery romance
  6. dark paranormal
  7. paranormal romance with humor

Common Keyword Mistakes

Don't stuff keywords. Amazon penalizes keyword abuse. If you list "paranormal paranormal paranormal romance romance romance," Amazon will flag it and your book may be delisted.

Don't use keywords that don't describe your book. If you write contemporary romance but use "paranormal romance" as a keyword, readers will buy your book expecting ghosts and be disappointed. They'll leave bad reviews. Bad reviews kill sales.

Don't ignore long-tail keywords. A long-tail keyword is a phrase with three or more words, like "paranormal romance with mystery." These have lower search volume but higher intent. Readers searching for "paranormal romance with mystery" are more likely to buy a book that matches that description than someone searching just "romance."

Testing and Adjusting

Your keywords aren't permanent. After your book has been live for two weeks, check your KDP dashboard. Go to "Reports" and look at "Keyword Clicks." You'll see which keywords are driving traffic to your book page.

If a keyword you chose is getting zero clicks, it might be too niche or not relevant to your book. After 30 days, you can update your keywords. Go to your book's details page, click "Edit," and change them.

If a keyword is driving clicks but not sales, your book description might not be compelling enough. Readers are finding you but not buying. That's a description problem, not a keyword problem.

If a keyword is driving both clicks and sales, you're doing it right. Keep it.

Understanding KDP Royalty Rates

KDP offers two royalty options: 35% and 70%. The difference depends on your pricing and how you distribute your book.

35% royalty: available for any price. Amazon pays you 35% of the list price. Simple.

70% royalty: only available if your ebook is priced between $2.99 and $9.99 AND you enroll in KDP Select (which means you can't sell your ebook anywhere else for 90 days).

Example math:

The 70% option is almost always better if you qualify. The catch: KDP Select locks you in. You can't sell on other platforms like Apple Books, Google Play, or your own website during the 90-day enrollment period.

For paperbacks, royalty rates are different. You set your list price, Amazon deducts printing costs, and you get the rest. Printing costs vary by page count and trim size. A 200-page 6x9 inch paperback might cost a certain amount to print. If you price it at $12.99, you earn the difference per sale.

The royalty rates are designed to incentivize lower prices (which sell more copies) and exclusive distribution (which helps Amazon). The higher royalty rate sounds good, but it only matters if people buy your book. A 35% royalty on 100 sales beats a 70% royalty on 10 sales.

Uploading Your Files to the KDP Dashboard

Once your manuscript is formatted and your cover is ready, uploading is straightforward but requires attention to detail.

Log into your KDP dashboard and click "Create a new title." You'll see a form asking for basic information: title, subtitle (optional), author name, description (the blurb you wrote earlier), and language (English, unless you're publishing in another language).

Next, you'll upload your interior file (your formatted manuscript) and your cover file. The dashboard has specific requirements for each:

Interior file: DOCX or PDF, at least 1,000 pixels on the longest side, RGB color mode Cover file: JPG or PNG, at least 1,000 pixels on the longest side, RGB color mode

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Close-up of a computer screen showing a file upload interface with a manuscript document and a person's hand hovering over the mouse
Close-up of a computer screen showing a file upload interface with a manuscript document and a person's hand hovering over the mouse

After you upload, Amazon processes the files. This usually takes a few minutes. Then you'll see a preview of how your book looks. This is critical. Check everything:

Use the previewer to look at your book on Kindle Fire, iPhone, and standard Kindle devices. Books look different on each one. Make sure it's readable everywhere.

If you find problems, you can upload new files and preview again. Don't publish until everything looks right. Once it's live, you can update files, but it takes a few hours for changes to appear on Amazon.

When you publish on Amazon, you own your work. But you need to understand copyright and make sure you have the legal right to publish what you're selling.

If you wrote the manuscript yourself, you own the copyright automatically. You don't need to register it with the U.S. Copyright Office, though registration provides legal benefits if you ever need to sue someone for infringement.

For your KDP book, include a copyright page. This is a page at the front of your book (after the title page) that states:

"Copyright [Year] by [Your Name]. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author."

If you used writing tools to help generate your manuscript, you still own the copyright to the final published book. The tool is like Microsoft Word. You're responsible for the content and its legality.

Be careful with content that might infringe on others' rights:

If your book includes real people, real events, or real locations, be factually accurate. Libel is a real legal risk if you write false, damaging statements about identifiable people.

Tax and Banking Setup for Authors

This part is boring but important. When you earn royalties from KDP, you owe taxes. Amazon will send you a 1099-NEC form if you earn over a certain amount in a year. Even if you don't hit that threshold, you still owe taxes on the income.

Set up a separate bank account for your author business. This makes taxes easier at the end of the year. When your accountant asks "How much did you earn from book sales?", you can point to one account and give a number.

For tax purposes, you're a self-employed person running a business. You'll need to:

  1. Report your book income on your tax return
  2. Deduct business expenses (cover design, editing, marketing, software subscriptions)
  3. Pay self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes for self-employed people)

The good news: if you use tools to help write your books, the subscription cost is tax-deductible as a business expense. Same with cover design, editing, marketing, and any other costs related to publishing.

Keep records of everything. Save receipts, invoices, and bank statements. If you earn significant income from books, consider hiring a tax professional. They'll save you money and headaches.

Launching Your Book and Post-Publishing Maintenance

Publishing your book is not the finish line. It's the starting line. The first 30 days after launch are critical for visibility, but the real work happens in the months and years after.

The First 30 Days: Building Momentum

Amazon's algorithm ranks books based on sales velocity. Books that sell quickly get featured in "Hot New Releases" and category bestseller lists. That visibility drives more sales. Books that sell slowly disappear into obscurity.

Here's what to do in the first 30 days:

Tell everyone you know. Email your contact list. Post on social media. Ask friends and family to buy and leave reviews. The first 10-20 reviews matter a lot for credibility.

Consider running a free or discounted promotion. If you're in KDP Select, you can offer your book free for up to 5 days every 90 days. Free downloads don't earn royalties, but they boost visibility and often lead to reviews and word-of-mouth.

Monitor your sales and rankings daily. You'll see real-time data in your KDP dashboard. Pay attention to which categories and keywords drive sales. This tells you what's working.

Long-Term Strategy: Beyond the Launch

After the first 30 days, shift to long-term strategy. Most indie authors make money from backlist sales, not launch sales. If you write multiple books, each new release boosts sales of your previous books. Series are more profitable than standalones because readers buy the whole series.

Managing File Updates and Corrections

One of the biggest surprises for new authors: you can update your book after it's published. This is crucial because almost every author finds typos or formatting errors after launch.

Here's how it works:

Go to your KDP dashboard and click "Bookshelf." Find your published book and click "Edit book content." You'll see options to upload a new interior file or a new cover file.

Upload your corrected file. Amazon will process it (usually within 24 hours for ebooks, up to 72 hours for paperbacks). During processing, your book remains for sale, but readers who buy during that window might get the old version. Once processing is complete, all new purchases will have the updated version.

Old versions don't disappear. Readers who already bought your book keep their original copy. But new readers will get the corrected version.

This is why the KDP previewer is so important. Before you publish, use it to check every page. Look for:

If you catch errors before publishing, you avoid the update process entirely. But if you miss something, don't panic. You can fix it.

Updating Your Book Description

Your book description isn't permanent either. If sales slow down after the first month, try rewriting your description. Sometimes a small change in wording increases sales by 20% or more.

Go to your KDP dashboard, click "Edit book details," and update the description. Changes take effect immediately.

Test different hooks. If your current description opens with "Sarah thought she'd left her past behind," try opening with a question instead: "What would you do if the person who broke your heart showed up at your door?" Track your sales for a week. If the new version converts better, keep it. If not, try something else.

Adjusting Pricing

Your book price isn't locked in either. You can change it anytime.

For ebooks, you can adjust your price instantly. Go to your book's details page, click "Edit," and change the list price. The new price takes effect within a few hours.

For paperbacks, pricing is more complex because it's tied to printing costs. If you change your trim size or page count, your printing cost changes, which affects your royalty. But you can still adjust your list price.

Many authors use pricing as a marketing tool. Run a temporary discount to boost sales and visibility. If you're in KDP Select, you can offer your book free for up to 5 days every 90 days. You can also run a Kindle Countdown Deal, which lets you discount your ebook for up to 7 days.

Don't change your price constantly. Readers notice, and frequent price changes can hurt your ranking. But strategic pricing, a discount during a promotion, a price increase if demand is high, is smart business.

Managing Multiple Editions

If you publish both a Kindle ebook and a paperback, they're technically separate products on Amazon. But they're linked. Readers can see both versions on the same product page.

Keep them in sync. If you update your ebook with corrections, update your paperback too. If you change your ebook description, update the paperback description to match. Consistency builds trust.

If you publish a second edition (a major revision with new content), you can create a new listing. This is useful if you're adding chapters, rewriting sections, or making significant changes. A new edition gets a new ISBN and a new product page. Your original edition stays live, but readers can choose which version to buy.

Most authors don't need multiple editions. But if you're publishing a revised or expanded version years later, a new edition makes sense.

Handling Reviews and Reader Feedback

Once your book is live, readers will leave reviews. Some will be positive. Some will be critical. Some will point out errors you missed.

You can't delete negative reviews, but you can respond to them. Go to your book's product page and click "See all reviews." You'll see an option to respond to each review. Use this to address legitimate concerns.

If a review points out a factual error or typo, acknowledge it and explain that you're working on a corrected edition. Readers appreciate transparency.

If a review is just someone saying "I didn't like this book," don't respond. Not every book is for every reader. That's normal.

Monitoring Sales Data

Check your KDP dashboard at least weekly. You'll see:

Look for patterns. Which keywords drive the most sales? Which time of day do you sell the most? Do sales spike after you promote on social media?

This data informs your next book. If paranormal romance keywords drive sales, write another paranormal romance. If a particular keyword gets lots of clicks but few sales, your description might not match reader expectations.

Building a Long-Term Author Platform

One book rarely generates sustainable income. Most successful indie authors build a catalog. They write multiple books in the same genre or series, so readers who like one book buy the others.

After your first book is live and selling, start planning your second. Write in the same genre. Create a series if possible. Build an email list so readers can follow you. Post on social media about your writing process.

Each new book you publish boosts visibility of your previous books. Amazon's algorithm recognizes that you're an active author. Readers who like your first book look for your second. Over time, your backlist generates more income than any single launch.

Post-publishing maintenance is really about building a sustainable writing career, not just launching one book.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Self-Publishing on KDP

Most authors make the same mistakes. Learning from them saves you time and money.

Mistake 1: Publishing without editing. A typo on page 50 kills credibility. Have someone else read your manuscript before you publish. Better yet, hire a professional editor. Editing is worth the investment.

Mistake 2: Choosing the wrong trim size. Test your book in the previewer with different trim sizes. Choose the one that looks best and fits your budget. Don't just pick the default.

Mistake 3: Writing a weak book description. Your description is your sales pitch. Spend time on it. Test different versions and see which converts better. A small change in wording can increase sales by 20%.

Mistake 4: Pricing too low. Many new authors underprice their books to compete. A very cheap ebook doesn't signal quality. Price reasonably unless you have a specific reason to discount. Readers judge quality partly by price.

Mistake 5: Not using KDP Select. If you're publishing an ebook, KDP Select is usually the right choice. The higher royalty rate and free promotion days make it worth the exclusivity.

Mistake 6: Ignoring categories and keywords. Your book won't sell if readers can't find it. Spend time choosing the right categories and keywords. Update them if sales are slow.

Mistake 7: Publishing and disappearing. The first month matters, but so does the long term. Keep promoting your book. Write more books. Build an author platform. One book rarely generates sustainable income.

Mistake 8: Not tracking your numbers. Check your sales and rankings regularly. You'll learn what works and what doesn't. This data informs your next book.

Mistake Impact Fix
Publishing without editing Readers leave bad reviews, sales drop Hire an editor or have beta readers review
Wrong trim size Higher printing costs, awkward page count Test in previewer, choose 6x9 inches for novels
Weak book description Low click-through rate, fewer sales Write compelling hooks, test different versions
Pricing too low Readers assume low quality, less profit per sale Price reasonably unless running a promotion
Not using KDP Select Lower royalty rate, less visibility Enroll for higher royalty and free promotion days
Ignoring categories/keywords Readers can't find your book Research similar books, choose specific keywords
Publishing and disappearing Sales drop after first month Keep promoting, write more books, build platform
Not tracking numbers Don't know what works, repeat mistakes Check dashboard weekly, adjust strategy based on data

Self-publishing on Amazon KDP is achievable for anyone willing to do the work. The technical steps are straightforward: set up your account, format your manuscript, design a cover, write a description, upload your files, and hit publish. The real challenge is doing each step well and maintaining momentum after launch.

If you're starting from scratch with your manuscript, writing tools can help compress months of work into weeks, letting you focus on the parts that matter: editing, cover design, marketing, and building your author platform. Start with a free trial to see how much time you actually save. Then move through the publishing steps outlined here. Your first book is the hardest. The second one gets easier because you know the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an ISBN to publish on Amazon KDP?

Amazon KDP gives you a free ISBN when you publish a paperback through their system. For ebooks, you don't need an ISBN at all, KDP assigns a unique identifier. However, if you want to sell your paperback in bookstores beyond Amazon, you'll need to buy your own ISBN separately. Most authors publishing only on Amazon use KDP's free option.

How long does it take for a book to go live on Amazon after I publish?

Ebooks typically go live within 24 to 48 hours of upload. Paperbacks take longer, usually 5 to 7 business days, because KDP prints a proof copy and reviews your files for quality. This is normal. You can check the status in your KDP dashboard anytime. Some books appear faster, but plan for the full timeline to be safe.

What are the most common mistakes to avoid when using KDP?

The biggest mistakes are poor formatting (misaligned text, broken chapter breaks), weak book descriptions that don't explain what readers get, choosing wrong categories so your book doesn't show up in searches, and not proofreading before upload. Also avoid setting prices too low thinking it helps sales, KDP royalty rates mean you earn less on cheaper books. Take time to do these steps right the first time.

Is Amazon KDP good for self-publishing if I'm a complete beginner?

Yes. KDP is designed for beginners. You don't need publishing experience, the platform walks you through each step. The hard part isn't the platform itself; it's writing a good book, formatting it correctly, and writing a description that makes people want to buy it. If you use tools like ShakespeareAI to generate your manuscript quickly, you can focus on editing and formatting instead of staring at a blank page.

Can I use AI-generated content to write my book for KDP?

Yes, many authors use AI writing tools to draft their books. Amazon doesn't ban AI-generated books. What matters is that your final book is good enough that readers enjoy it and don't leave bad reviews. Tools designed for book writing, like ShakespeareAI, create human-sounding prose that passes quality checks. The key is editing and polishing the AI output so it reads like a real book, not a robot wrote it.

How much does it cost to self-publish through Amazon KDP?

Publishing itself is free. You don't pay KDP to upload or sell your book. You only pay if you order physical proof copies for yourself (optional), and you keep royalties from each sale. Some authors invest in professional editing, cover design, or marketing, but those are choices you make, not requirements. You can publish your first book for zero dollars out of pocket.

What happens if I use AI to write my book but readers find out?

Readers care about story quality, not whether an AI helped write it. If your book is engaging and well-edited, most readers won't care how it was written. Amazon's Terms of Service don't require you to disclose AI use. The real risk isn't disclosure, it's poor quality. If your book reads like a robot wrote it, readers will leave bad reviews. That's why using a tool built for book writing, with humanizing features, matters more than the source.

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