How to publish a book on Amazon with KDP

KDP: The Amazon platform for self-publishing books

If you are a novice writer, publishing a book can be very complicated.

Indeed, starting to work with a publishing house is almost impossible, while trying to promote it through meetings and events can prove to be a very slow and certainly not simple process.

This is where Amazon comes in. Thanks to this platform, the largest in Italy for book sales, you can access a self-publishing service called KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).

KDP allows you to publish your book in both digital and paperback formats.

Self-publishing a book is quite simple and begins with registering on the KDP website. Once access is obtained, however, several options will be made available. Therefore, it would be appropriate to know and evaluate them in advance.

Uploading your e-book file

After signing up, you must upload the book to Amazon KDP.

Obviously, this operation has many parameters to respect in terms of text and cover formatting.

To ensure success, Amazon provides a complete and exhaustive guidelines page so that your writing can be eligible for publication.

Regarding the cover, you can choose to create it with the tools provided by KDP or produce it independently from scratch—either by yourself or by hiring a professional—and then upload it later.

Even at this stage, try to stick as closely as possible to Amazon's guidelines.

Regarding publication times, KDP will publish your book in 24-48 hours.

What is an ISBN and how to get one

Have you ever noticed that every book has a barcode that differs from that of consumer goods? In fact, it is not the classic 13-digit EAN code (which we discuss here).

The barcode for books is called ISBN (International Standard Book Number), a number that identifies a book internationally, uniquely, and permanently.

Every edition has its own ISBN code. Even if the same book is published by two different publishers, the two editions will have different ISBN codes. This code is mandatory for paperback books, but not for ebook formats.

But how do you get an ISBN code to sell a book on Amazon?

At this point, there are 3 options for the digital format:

• Do not use an ISBN code. If you wish, it is possible to publish a book without an ISBN. However, should you decide not to use it, the VAT rate will be different, moving from 4% to 22%;

• Obtain an ISBN code from Amazon. It is quite easy and above all free, but it is possible only on one condition: the book cannot be published with the same ISBN on any other platform. To sell the book elsewhere, a new edition with a different ISBN code will be required;

• Purchase the ISBN code. This can be done directly through the portal of the ISBN agency in Italy.

Fees for selling a book on Amazon and royalties

Having introduced the program, let's move to the economic side: how much does it cost to sell books on Amazon? If you choose to publish your book with KDP, you will be your own publisher and, therefore, freer to set the price you prefer.

First of all, a distinction must be made, since Amazon offers two royalty plans to choose from:

• 35%

• 70%

This means that the percentage due to the author will be 35% or 70% of the final sale price, respectively. Below is the table with the maximum and minimum price imposed by Amazon, depending on the file size and the chosen royalty plan:

Observation: As users, had you ever noticed that the Kindle price is almost never above €0.99?

But, besides the price limits, how is it possible to select the 70% royalty plan?

Authors must meet three other conditions:

• The list price of the Kindle version must be at least 20% lower than the paperback;

• The book must be made available in all geographic areas where the author or publisher holds the rights;

• The work must have a copyright.

The 35% royalty option, on the other hand, is always possible.

Royalties distributed by Amazon are calculated net of VAT and delivery costs. Delivery fees for ebooks are calculated at €0.12 for every Megabyte.

In case you decide to sell the book in paperback format, Amazon even provides a printing service. As mentioned, the price must be 20% higher than the Kindle format and royalties will be fixed at 60%.

In the case of the paperback format, shipping costs are borne by the buyer and, therefore, not deducted from the list price when calculating royalties.

However, VAT and printing costs will be deducted, which are calculated as follows:

Fixed rate + (Number of pages x Rate per page).

Specifically, the costs for printing books in Italy through the Amazon program are:

• Fixed cost of €0.60;

• Variable cost equal to €0.012 per page.

So, printing a 150-page book will cost €2.40 for each copy.

Profits can therefore be calculated as follows:

• For ebooks priced from 2.99 to 9.99: 70% x (list price - applicable VAT - delivery costs).

Example: A book sold at €9.99, with an ISBN code and a file size of 1 MB, the profit will be: 70% x (€9.99 - 4% - 0.12) = €6.62

• For paperback books: 60% x (list price - applicable VAT - printing costs).

Example: A 150-page book sold at a price of €15 will result in earnings of: 60% x (€15 - 4% - €2.4) = €7.32

Promotion

Once your book is published, you need to start selling.

Self-publishing on Amazon is simple, but the competition is immense.

At least to provide an initial push, it will be necessary to promote both inside and outside the platform.

Amazon provides various tools to advertise its products, which we have explored in this article.

Advertising campaigns for books follow different logic than those for consumer products. In fact, for the former, word of mouth still works very well. Therefore, do not be discouraged if for the first few weeks the advertising costs exceed the revenue, you will be rewarded in the long run. However, to set up an advertising campaign optimally, the advice remains to consult a professional to avoid reaching the wrong target and spending excessively.

Outside of Amazon, a good idea might be to promote your book through social networks.

Having organic growth on social media is never easy, but with the right mix of good content and sponsored posts, you will have a good chance of expanding your audience. Another idea, again leveraging the word-of-mouth logic, can be to work with micro-influencers by asking them to promote your book. Write to these people and see if they are interested in reading and talking about it. You will probably receive many NOs, but those who accept will give you a big hand.

How to grow your self-publishing business

Once your book is online and you have started promoting it, the next step to turn writing into a real business is to expand beyond the Italian market. Limiting yourself to publishing only in Italy means giving up millions of potential readers: markets like Spain, France, Germany, and the United States offer great opportunities. Translating and adapting your books for these countries can exponentially increase sales and create an international audience. Furthermore, it is advisable not to rely exclusively on Amazon: diversifying platforms reduces risks and expands distribution channels, ensuring more stability and more earning possibilities in the long run.

Other platforms to consider

While Amazon KDP is an excellent starting point, there are other fundamental platforms for those who want to consolidate their career as an independent author.

• IngramSpark: ideal for the distribution of paperback and hardcover books in bookstores and libraries worldwide. Unlike Amazon, which focuses mainly on its marketplace, IngramSpark has a much wider distribution network and allows you to give your book greater visibility in traditional circuits. The strength of IngramSpark is the ability to distribute books without having to promote them directly on the platform. The disadvantage, however, is that unlike Amazon KDP it does not provide the ISBN code for free: the author must purchase it independently.

• Findaway Voices: the reference platform for audiobooks, which has seen strong growth in recent years. It allows you to distribute your audiobook across dozens of stores and subscription services (including Audible, Spotify, Apple Books) reaching readers who prefer the audio format. As with IngramSpark, on Findaway Voices it is not necessary to handle internal promotion: the platform takes care of distributing the audiobook directly to numerous stores and streaming services.

Supporting these platforms alongside Amazon means building a more solid and lasting business, maximizing earning opportunities across different formats and markets.

Creating new books

After taking your book to multiple markets and platforms, the next step in growing your business is to write new titles in the same niche. In this way, you can leverage the experience gained and replicate the publishing and promotion strategy already successfully tested. Furthermore, having multiple published books allows you to broaden your offering and build reader loyalty: those who enjoyed the first book will be more inclined to purchase the others as well. An additional strategy consists of creating digital bundles or box sets that collect multiple works at a higher price. This not only increases the number of products available on the market but also allows you to maximize royalties, offering the reader a higher perceived value and the author a more substantial profit.

If you desire professional support in writing and publishing your next book, you can consult the service offered by our partner eWritingHub. By using this package, you will have your book in Italian and 4 other European languages (Spanish, French, English, and German), ready to be published and promoted internationally.

Conclusions

Amazon is the largest book retailer in Italy and one's presence is essential for sales. The platform provides all the necessary tools for the publication of your book, in both ebook and paperback format. We have analyzed how to sell your book on Amazon and how to self-publish it. For more information on how to publish your book on Amazon contact us without obligation, otherwise:

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