The Amazon KDP Self-Publishing Checklist for Nonfiction Authors

Publishing on Amazon KDP is not difficult. Publishing well is, because a dozen small decisions each cost you a few percent of visibility and they compound.

Here is the checklist we give authors finishing a manuscript.

Files

• Manuscript: a clean DOCX or a print ready PDF. Chapter headings styled as Heading 1, page breaks before each chapter, no manual double spaces.
• Front matter: title page, copyright page, dedication if you have one.
• Back matter: about the author, a call to action, and a request for a review.
• Cover: 1600 x 2560 pixels for ebook, RGB, and readable as a thumbnail on a phone.

Metadata

• Title and subtitle exactly as they appear on the cover. Mismatches trigger review delays.
• Description, 4,000 characters maximum, with light HTML. Lead with the reader's problem, not your biography.
• Two categories at setup, then email KDP support to request additional relevant categories.
• Seven keywords, each a phrase rather than a single word. Think in search phrases a buyer would type, not topics.
• Author bio, third person, credible, no invented credentials.

Pricing

For nonfiction ebooks, 4.99 to 9.99 keeps you in the 70 percent royalty band. Paperback pricing is set by page count and print cost, so check the calculator before promising a number in your marketing.

Before you hit publish

• Order a proof copy for print. Screens hide layout problems.
• Read the first ten pages out loud. This is what the Look Inside sample shows.
• Check the table of contents links in the ebook preview.
• Confirm your author page on Author Central and add a photo and bio.

The first two weeks

Reviews and read-through matter more than launch day rank. Line up ten honest early readers before publication, and send them the finished file the week before launch.

Common avoidable mistakes

Uploading a manuscript with tracked changes still in it. Using a cover that is unreadable at thumbnail size. Choosing categories that are enormous and generic. And writing a description that opens with "In this book, I will".

If you want the metadata drafted from your actual manuscript, run our free KDP Metadata Generator and our Back Cover Generator before you start the upload flow.