Tips for publishing to Kindle Direct, from award-winning authors and an Amazon Books expert

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) offers a free, easy, and fast way to self-publish e-books, paperbacks, and hardbacks. With KDP, the power of publishing is accessible to authors around the world, allowing a more powerful and diverse set of voices to share stories with a wider audience than ever before.

There are no gatekeepers deciding which books to publish authors can write and publish the books they want with KDP, including novels, children’s books, comics, cookbooks, magazines, poetry and textbooks. Hundreds of thousands of authors worldwide have seen their publishing dream come true.

KDP’s tools make it easy to publish in digital and print formats, and the entire process can be completed in minutes, with your book appearing in Amazon stores worldwide within 72 hours. Kindle Direct Publishing is a completely free service to use that offers 70% royalties on e-book sales and 60% on hardback/paperback sales. In addition, by signing up for KDP Select authors can earn more money through Kindle Unlimited and can create promotions or discounts on their existing books.

Four tips from Darren Hardy, Amazon’s book expert

We spoke to Darren Hardy, Head of UK Author and Editorial Programs at Amazon, to get his best tips and insights for successful publishing on KDP.

Ultimately, authors want readers and readers to engage with a well-written book that captures their imagination.

Editing, formatting, cover design and a compelling book description are key to attracting readers.

Writing and publishing takes practice, and very few authors get everything right the first time. Set realistic goals and build on your successes.

KDP offers many resources to help authors on their journey. Indie authors can be incredibly supportive and willing to share their experiences – of KDP community it’s a place you can go to learn from other authors.

Kindle Direct Publishing Tips from Bestselling Authors

We also spoke with three successful KDP authors to learn more about their experience with Kindle Direct Publishing, their advice for new authors, and their tips for literary success.

A thriller writer, Rachel McLean creates stories that make people think.

She heard about Kindle Direct Publishing through friends and blogs like The Creative Penn and the Self-Publishing Show. However, sales weren’t as high as she expected when Rachel uploaded her first book in 2016 – selling just 31 copies. But since then, her literary career has blossomed and she was crowned winner of the Kindle Storyteller Award for her crime thriller The Korfe Castle murders series in 2021. She now considers going independent the best decision she ever made.

Find out the 2022 Kindle Storyteller Award winner here.

Rachel advises new authors thinking about using Kindle Direct Publishing to just do it, or maybe start by reading Let’s go digital by David Gaughran.

Go for it. It can’t do any harm, and if you realize it’s not for you, you can always put your book down and try another path.

According to Rachels, the key to finding success in Kindle Direct Publishing is to write for the reader, not for yourself.

Take the time to learn what readers enjoy and what they respond to. A great place to start is by looking at authors like yourself on the Amazon website and reading their reviews.

Living and writing from the Scottish Highlands, Barry Hutchison is a full-time author with experience in traditional and independent publishing, often writing under the pen name JD Kirk. He has written over 140 books for both children and adults spanning genres such as science fiction and crime thrillers.

Barry first heard about Kindle Direct Publishing through a self-publishing podcast. The journey of KDP started with the people Space Team series and haven’t looked back since.

Kindle Direct Publishing has allowed me to write the stories I want to write and get them into the hands of readers—in a fraction of the time it would take with a traditional publisher.

In addition to a shorter publishing time, Barry now also enjoys full ownership as an independent author with Kindle Direct Publishing.

One of the best things about KDP is that it allows you to keep your publishing rights. We were already exploring audio, foreign language, merchandising rights and working on TV and film.

He added: We may even adopt the same indie publishing mentality and produce some of the screen content ourselves.

Barry advises new authors considering self-publishing to just get started, then keep developing and learning as you go.

It can seem daunting at first, but between the formatting tools and the built-in cover designer, Kindle Direct Publishing makes it very easy to get started, and getting started is the first step.

Martin Smith is a former journalist turned children’s author who has found self-publishing an opportunity to raise awareness cystic fibrosis through Charlie Fry’s best-selling series.

He started publishing with KDP after reading about it on a blog. At first, it was a step in the dark and he wasn’t sure if anyone would want to read his first book. Today, his titles are sold around the world and he has complete freedom to write about new subjects and topics without any compromise or fear of failure.

Kindle Direct Publishing offers a full range of great tools for authors to produce high-quality books. I make all the decisions and reap the rewards, which will be very appealing.

The best advice he has for new authors is to take the time to learn about self-publishing and gather as much information as possible about the publishing process and the genre you want to publish in. Martin spent six months reading about self-publishing children’s books before he started, and he’s still learning about it years later.

Read, read and read some more. KDP is a fantastic opportunity. It’s logical and straightforward to use, but it’s also much more powerful when you understand how to maximize the potential it offers.

Martin adds: There is so much useful information out there. It can make all the difference in the world.

To set yourself up with Kindle Direct Publishing, visit KDP registration page start publishing your first book today or discover more literary tips by lead author LJ Ross.