How to Sell Amazon Ebooks

Amazon KDP gets your ebook in front of Kindle shoppers. No website, no email list, no ad spend required to get a listing live. The tradeoff: Amazon’s rules on formatting, royalties, and exclusivity are stricter than Gumroad or Etsy. Get them right and Amazon becomes your highest-volume channel. Get them wrong and your book sits stuck in review or under-earning.

This guide walks through selling an ebook on Amazon specifically through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) – account setup, file formatting, the royalty structure, the KDP Select exclusivity decision, and how to choose categories and keywords so Kindle shoppers can actually find your book. It assumes your manuscript is finished. If you have not written it yet, read how to make an ebook to sell first, then come back here to publish it.

What you need to start: a finished manuscript in DOCX, EPUB, or a Kindle Create project file, a cover image sized to Amazon’s specifications, and a free KDP account. No ISBN and no upfront cost are required.

What Is Amazon KDP and How Is It Different From Gumroad or Etsy?

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform for ebooks, print books, and audiobooks. Unlike Gumroad or Etsy, which are direct-sale storefronts you drive traffic to yourself, KDP lists your book inside the Kindle Store, where Amazon’s own shoppers browse and search. You do not need an existing audience to make a sale on KDP – discovery is built in.

KDP is fundamentally a marketplace, not a storefront. On Gumroad, a sale happens because you sent someone a link. On KDP, a sale can happen because a stranger searched a Kindle Store category and found your book on their own.

That built-in discovery comes with tradeoffs the direct-sale platforms do not have:

• Amazon controls formatting requirements and rejects files that do not meet them.
• Royalty rates depend on your list price, not a flat percentage.
• Enrolling in Kindle Unlimited requires exclusivity Amazon enforces, not a suggestion.
• You do not receive buyer email addresses the way you do on Gumroad.

None of these are reasons to skip KDP. They are reasons to set it up correctly the first time, which is what the rest of this guide covers.

How Do You Set Up a KDP Account and Format Your Ebook?

To publish on Amazon KDP, create a free account at kdp.amazon.com with your tax and payment information, then upload a manuscript in DOCX, EPUB, or Kindle Create format. Amazon no longer accepts MOBI files for new uploads (per kdp.amazon.com’s file format requirements). Kindle Create, Amazon’s free formatting tool, is the fastest path from a finished Google Docs or Word manuscript to a Kindle-ready file.

Step 1: Create your KDP account. Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with an existing Amazon account or create a new one. You will be asked for your legal name or business name, address, and tax information (a W-9 for US publishers or a W-8BEN for non-US publishers) before you can receive royalty payments.

Step 2: Set up your payment method. Add a bank account for direct deposit under Account Info. Amazon pays royalties roughly 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale occurred, per KDP’s published payment schedule at kdp.amazon.com – plan your first payout expectation around that delay, not around your publish date.

Step 3: Prepare your manuscript file. Amazon accepts DOCX, EPUB, or a Kindle Create project file. MOBI is no longer supported for new uploads, per kdp.amazon.com’s current file format guidance. If your manuscript is a plain Word or Google Docs file, download Kindle Create (free from Amazon) and import it directly – the tool automatically converts headings, page breaks, and a table of contents into Kindle-compatible formatting without manual coding.

Step 4: Prepare your cover. Amazon requires a minimum resolution and a specific aspect ratio for cover uploads (check the exact current pixel dimensions on your KDP dashboard’s cover requirements page, since Amazon updates these periodically). Canva’s Kindle cover templates at canva.com/create/ebook-covers/ are pre-sized to Amazon’s specifications.

Step 5: Fill in book details and upload. From your KDP Bookshelf, click “Create,” choose “Kindle eBook,” and complete the title, series information (if applicable), description, categories, and keywords before uploading your manuscript and cover files.

How Do You Choose Your Royalty Plan and Price Your Ebook?

Amazon KDP pays 70% royalty on ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and 35% royalty outside that range (per the KDP royalty schedule at kdp.amazon.com). A small delivery fee, based on file size, is subtracted from sales under the 70% plan. There is no delivery fee on the 35% royalty plan.

Price is the single biggest lever on KDP because it determines which royalty tier applies – not just how much revenue each sale generates.

The 70% royalty plan applies only to books priced $2.99 to $9.99 and sold to customers in eligible marketplaces (per kdp.amazon.com’s royalty terms). Amazon subtracts a per-megabyte delivery cost from each sale on this plan – a short text-only ebook costs only a few cents in delivery fees, while an image-heavy book costs more. Check the exact current rate on your KDP dashboard before finalizing your price, since delivery cost varies by file size and marketplace.

The 35% royalty plan applies to any price outside the $2.99-$9.99 window, with no delivery fee subtracted. A $14.99 flagship ebook earns 35% of list price with nothing deducted for file size – worth modeling against a $9.99 listing at 70% before deciding, since the higher price does not automatically win.

Kindle Unlimited page-read earnings. If you enroll in KDP Select, Amazon also pays a per-page-read rate to authors whose books are borrowed through Kindle Unlimited. That rate is set monthly from KDP Select’s global fund and published on your KDP dashboard – it is not a fixed number you can plan around in advance, so treat it as a bonus channel rather than your primary revenue model.

For a comparison of how KDP’s royalty structure stacks up against Gumroad’s flat fee and Etsy’s listing costs, see best platform to sell digital products.

Should You Enroll in KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited?

KDP Select requires 90-day exclusivity: your ebook cannot be sold or given away in digital form on any other platform, including your own website, during the enrollment term (per kdp.amazon.com’s KDP Select terms). In exchange, your book becomes eligible for Kindle Unlimited page-read payments and Kindle Countdown Deals. Enrollment auto-renews unless you opt out before the term ends.

This is the single most consequential decision in this guide, because it is difficult to reverse mid-term without violating your own agreement.

Enroll in KDP Select if:

• Your ebook is new and you have no existing following driving sales on Gumroad or Etsy.
• You want access to Kindle Unlimited’s page-read income as a secondary revenue stream.
• You are comfortable committing to a 90-day window before reassessing.

Skip KDP Select if:

• You already sell the same ebook on Gumroad, Etsy, or your own site and depend on that revenue.
• You plan to distribute the same content as a lead magnet or bundle it into a paid course elsewhere during the term.
• You want to keep pricing and distribution flexibility across multiple channels from day one.

Many first-time KDP publishers enroll for one 90-day term to test Kindle Unlimited demand, then opt out and go wide (selling everywhere) once they have sales data. That sequencing avoids losing exclusivity on a book with no market feedback yet.

How Do You Choose Categories and Keywords So Readers Find Your Book?

Amazon lets you select up to two browse categories at upload and add up to seven keyword phrases per book (per kdp.amazon.com’s category and keyword guidance). Additional categories beyond the initial two can be requested after publishing by contacting KDP support directly. Category and keyword choice determines which searches and bestseller lists your book can appear in.

Categories and keywords are the entire discovery mechanism on KDP. A book in the wrong category competes against titles it cannot outrank; a book in a narrow, accurate category can reach a bestseller badge with far fewer sales.

Choosing categories: Search the Kindle Store for your topic and note which categories the top 10-20 results are listed under. A narrower category (for example, a specific subgenre rather than a broad parent category) has a lower bar to reach a visible bestseller rank, which itself becomes a discovery signal to new shoppers.

Choosing keywords: Use the seven keyword slots for the exact phrases your reader would type into Amazon’s search bar – not brand names or a restated title. Avoid repeating words already in your title or subtitle, since Amazon’s search algorithm already indexes those; use the keyword fields for phrases you have not used elsewhere in your listing.

Requesting more categories: If your book fits additional relevant categories beyond the two selected at upload, contact KDP support after publishing with the exact category paths – Amazon adds them manually rather than through a self-service dashboard option.

How Do You Launch an Ebook on Amazon KDP?

A KDP listing typically goes live within 72 hours of submission, per kdp.amazon.com. Launch week matters because early sales velocity and reviews influence how Amazon’s algorithm surfaces your book in category rankings and “customers also bought” placements. A finished cover, a complete description, and a small push from your own audience in the first 72 hours outperform a passive listing with no initial activity.

Before you submit: Confirm your cover meets Amazon’s current resolution requirements, proofread your description for the exact same reasons you would proofread a product page on Etsy or Gumroad, and preview your manuscript using KDP’s built-in previewer to catch formatting errors before shoppers see them.

In the first 72 hours: If you have any existing audience – even a small email list or a handful of social followers – let them know the book is live with a direct Amazon link. Early sales in a narrow category climb the category bestseller list faster than the same number of sales in a broad, saturated one.

After the first week: Check your KDP dashboard for the “also bought” and category rank data. If sales are flat, the most common causes are a category that is too broad, a description that does not state the outcome clearly enough, or a cover that reads as low-production next to category competitors – revisit the section above on category and keyword choice before assuming the content itself is the problem.

Updating your file: You can replace your manuscript or cover at any time from your KDP Bookshelf at no cost. Reviews, sales history, and category rank carry over to the updated version, so fixing a typo or improving a cover after launch does not reset your listing.

Amazon KDP Royalty and Pricing at a Glance

Rates and delivery fee amounts are per Amazon’s published KDP royalty schedule at kdp.amazon.com; confirm current figures on your dashboard before setting a final price, since Amazon updates fee schedules periodically.

Amazon KDP Pros and Cons for Ebook Sellers

Pros:

• Built-in Kindle Store discovery – no existing audience required to generate a sale.
• Kindle Unlimited page-read payments add a recurring revenue stream beyond one-time purchases.
• Free to publish, with no listing fee and no monthly subscription cost.
• Kindle Create, Amazon’s formatting tool, converts a standard Word or Google Docs manuscript at no cost.

Cons:

• KDP Select’s 90-day exclusivity blocks selling the same ebook digitally anywhere else during enrollment.
• Royalty caps at 35% outside the $2.99-$9.99 window, versus Gumroad’s flat 10% fee regardless of price (per gumroad.com/pricing).
• No direct access to buyer email addresses – unlike Gumroad, which passes buyer contact information to the seller on every sale.

Deciding between Amazon KDP and a direct-sale platform for this book? The Digital Products hub at OfferEngine covers platform comparisons, pricing guides, and creation tutorials for every digital product type.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need an ISBN to sell an ebook on Amazon KDP?

No. Amazon assigns a free ASIN to every Kindle ebook automatically at publication, per kdp.amazon.com. An ISBN is only relevant if you also plan to publish a print edition through KDP’s paperback or hardcover options, and even then Amazon can assign a free one on your behalf.

Can you sell the same ebook on KDP and Gumroad or Etsy at the same time?

Yes, as long as you are not enrolled in KDP Select. Standard KDP publishing (without Select) has no exclusivity requirement, so the same ebook can be listed on Gumroad, Etsy, or your own site simultaneously. KDP Select is the only enrollment tier that requires 90-day digital exclusivity, per kdp.amazon.com’s KDP Select terms.

How long does it take for a book to go live after publishing on KDP?

Typically up to 72 hours, per kdp.amazon.com. Amazon reviews the file for formatting errors and content policy compliance before the listing appears in the Kindle Store, so submit your final files a few days before any planned launch date rather than the same day.

How much does it cost to publish an ebook on Amazon KDP?

Publishing itself is free – there is no listing fee, upload fee, or monthly subscription. The only cost is the per-megabyte delivery fee subtracted from sales made under the 70% royalty plan, which is calculated automatically per sale and shown in your KDP reports.

Can you update your ebook file after it is already live on Amazon?

Yes. Replace the manuscript or cover file at any time from your KDP Bookshelf at no cost. Existing reviews, sales history, and category rank carry over to the updated version, so correcting an error or refreshing a cover after launch does not reset the listing’s standing.

Keep Reading

• How to Sell Ebooks Online
• How to Make an Ebook to Sell
• How to Price Digital Downloads
• Best Platform to Sell Digital Products