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How do I set up and publish a book on Amazon's KDP platform?

A step-by-step guide to StoryTerrace's self-publishing process, for anyone taking on a self-publishing project for the first time.

Last edited by Elsa and Agustina on 15th September 2026

This guide covers each stage of the self-publishing process, organised in the order the steps typically happen, along with the templates and links you'll need at each stage. If you have any questions along the way, please reach out to the editorial team.

What is self-publishing?

Self-publishing is how StoryTerrace helps a client publish their finished book on Amazon and IngramSpark, in ebook and paperback formats, once it's been sent to print. The process takes up to four weeks from the intro email to the book going live.

How do I get these requests?

The project manager (PM) hands the project off to you once the book has been approved and sent to print.

What to check first?

Ask the PM to send you the approved book cover and the approved book interior before you start. You will need a document with just the cover (to be resized for the paperback), a document with just the internal pages (to be the inside of the paperback), and a document with the cover attached to the internal pages (to be converted into the ebook).

The Process, Step by Step

STEP 1: Send the intro email to the client

Send this once you receive the project from the project manager.

Email template:

Hi [Client Name],


I hope you are doing well!


I'm [Your Name], a self-publishing specialist with StoryTerrace. Congratulations on sending your book to print! I will be helping you publish it on Amazon.


What follows is a step-by-step overview of what to expect. The process can take up to four weeks, after which time your book will be available for sale in ebook and paperback formats exclusively on Amazon.


Step One: I will send your book files to be converted to an ebook and Amazon-compatible files. And I will also draft Amazon book metadata, such as book descriptive copy, keywords, and pricing suggestions, for your review and approval.


Step Two: Once everything is ready, I will schedule a call with you to set up your Amazon KDP account.


Step Three: I will upload the book files and all metadata to Amazon KDP and submit them for review.


Step Four: Once the review process is done, your book will be live on Amazon.


I'll keep you posted on my progress and the next steps.


Publishing your book to Amazon is an exciting opportunity to share your story with the world. We are here to help make this happen, and I look forward to working with you!


Best,

[Your Name]

STEP 2: Prepare the Amazon paperback cover

Use Amazon's cover calculator to generate the cover template: kdp.amazon.com/cover-calculator.

Our standard trim size is 6″ × 9″, and most books use standard color printing.

Download the generated template from Amazon and send it, along with the approved cover and any other cover materials, to a typesetter to create the Amazon cover (Jelena is very good at this and is quick to turn around the file). The fee for the work is, as standard $25. This should be in the costs section of Hubspot.

Email template to your typesetter:

Hi [Name],


I hope you had a wonderful weekend!


I have a new Amazon custom cover project. The fee is $25.


Here are the details:

Project ID: [Project ID]

Book Title: [Book Title]

Subtitle: [Subtitle]

Author Name: [Author Name]

Back cover text:

[Paste the approved back cover text here]


I've attached the standard cover the client has approved, the cover image, as well as the Amazon cover template. Please let me know if you need anything else. Thank you!


Best,

[Your Name]

STEP 3: Create the ebook

Ebook creation portal: portal.publishingautomationsystem.com

You'll need an account for the ebook creation system — ask the team to have the ebook provider create one for you. Feel free to send along the cover and inner pages, and you can be shown how to use it.

STEP 4: Create the metadata

We typically use AI to help write the Amazon book descriptive copy and to suggest keywords and category assignments. Upload the book PDF to the AI tool and use the prompt below.

AI prompt template:

Please write Amazon descriptive copy for this PDF. Open with a single punchy sentence that captures the book's central tension or premise. The copy should be 150–200 words, written in third person, and end with a question or statement that entices buyers. Do not use the words: gripping, unputdownable, page-turner, riveting, or powerful. Please also suggest Amazon keywords, potential pricing (USD/GBP), and category assignments.

Use Amazon's royalty calculator to find the book's printing cost and suggest a price based on it. We usually suggest a price that gives the client around $4 royalty.

STEP 5: Send the metadata to the client for review and approval

Once you have the descriptive copy, keywords, and price, send them to the client for review and approval. Add categories at your discretion, as sometimes the suggested options are not the same ones available on Amazon.

Email template:

Hi [Client Name],


I hope you are well!


I've prepared the descriptive copy and keywords for your book, and they're now ready for your review and approval. You'll find the details in the attached Word document. Please review it and feel free to make any edits as you see fit.


Just a quick reminder:

• The descriptive copy should be no more than 250 words.

• The keywords list should include no more than 7 terms.


Also, below are our suggested pricing options for the book. These are mid-range prices based on the book's length and printing cost (standard color printing) and give you the flexibility to adjust them later, whether to lower them for promotions or increase them for higher royalties:

• eBook: $0.00 (Estimated royalty per sale: $0.00)

• Paperback: $0.00 (Estimated royalty per sale: $0.00)


Let me know if you have any questions. After you approve it and we have all the files ready, I'll reach out with information about setting up your account on Amazon KDP. Thanks so much!


Best,

[Your Name]

STEP 6: Set up the KDP account

Once all the necessary files are ready and the metadata has been approved, it’s time to set up the client’s KDP account. There are a couple of ways to go about this:

  • Schedule a Zoom meeting with the client to set up their KDP account together.
  • Some tech-savvy clients may prefer to set up the account themselves. In that case, send them the self-setup instructions.
  • Ask the customer if they are comfortable sharing their information over email, and you can do it for them.

The process is straightforward, but if you're not familiar with it, try setting up an account with your own Amazon account first to get a sense of how it works.

Amazon may sometimes ask the client to upload a photo of their government-issued ID and complete a facial recognition check to further verify their identity. This is fairly random and can only be done by the client. Once the account is set up, try refreshing the page a few times to see if Amazon requires this further verification.

See instructions on how to set up the account here: Instructions

Email template:

Hi [Client Name],


I hope you had a great weekend!


I received all the necessary files for your book for publishing, and we are ready to move forward!


The next step is to schedule a Zoom meeting so we can set up your author account on Amazon KDP together.


Here is the information we will need for the account setup:

• Your Amazon username and password

• Contact details: email address, phone number, and mailing address

• Banking details: Account number and Routing number

• Tax identification number: [SSN or NI - depending on region]


These details are needed to link your account to your bank for royalty payments. We will use Zoom so I can share my screen, and you can see where the information is entered. All information will be kept confidential and used only for account setup.


I completely understand that this is private information, so if you would prefer not to share these details, that is absolutely fine. I have attached the instructions for setting up the account on your own to this email for your reference. The process is very simple and usually takes no more than 15 minutes to set up one account. After that, you can simply share the login information with me so I can go into your account to upload and submit the book to Amazon. Please note that whenever I try to log into your account, Amazon will send you an OTP code that expires within 10 minutes, which I will need to access your account. We will need to arrange a time that is suitable for you to be able to forward me the code to grant me access.


Please let me know what you think. If you'd like to have the Zoom meeting with me, please let me know a few times that work for you.


I'm on [time zone], so I believe my mornings and your afternoons may work well for both of us. Just let me know a few times that work for you, and we can go from there.


I look forward to publishing your book soon!


Best,

[Your Name]

Note: adjust the timezone line above to reflect your own working hours relative to the client's.

STEP 7: Upload the book to Amazon KDP

Once the account is set up, start uploading the book to Amazon KDP following the steps in the self-publishing handbook. It's best to begin the upload immediately after account setup (the client doesn't need to join this part) because each time you log in to the client's account, Amazon sends a verification code directly to the client. It's usually easiest to complete as much of the setup and submission as possible in one go.

After the book is submitted, Amazon will take up to 72 hours to review it. Amazon sometimes sends the client notifications asking for adjustments to their files (most commonly cover size issues). Ask the client to forward these notifications to you, then coordinate with the typesetter to adjust the files and re-upload to Amazon.

Check the client's book after 2–3 days to see if it's published.

Please see upload instructions here: Read more

STEP 8: Confirm the book is live and notify the client

This is the last step in the process.

Email template:

Hi [Client Name],


I hope you are doing well!


I just checked your book and saw that it is now live on Amazon!


You can find your book's Amazon listing page here: [Amazon Listing Link]


Feel free to share it with anyone who wants to purchase a copy of your book!


As I mentioned before, you can order your author copies at the cost price directly from Amazon. Here's how to do that:


1. Go to kdp.amazon.com and log in with your Amazon KDP username and password.


2. After logging in, scroll down the page a little bit to find the “Bookshelf” section and find the “Order author copy” button beside each version of your book. [Insert screenshot of the Bookshelf section, if helpful]


3. Click the button, and it will bring you to the order page. You only need to enter the quantity you want, select “Amazon.com” in the marketplace, and then submit your order. Once submitted, follow the checkout process to enter your payment information and shipping address to check out. [Insert screenshot of the order page, if helpful]


The process should be very straightforward, but if you run into any issues, please let me know.

I'm excited to see your book reach more readers. Congratulations again!

Quick Answers

How long does the whole process take?

Up to four weeks from the intro email to the book going live, after which the book is available exclusively on Amazon in ebook and paperback formats.

Does the client need to join the KDP upload call?

No — it's best to do as much of the upload and submission as possible right after the account-setup call, without the client, since each login sends a verification code to the client's phone or email.

What if the client doesn't want to share their KDP login or banking details?

That's absolutely fine. Send them the self-setup instructions so they can create the account themselves (it usually takes about 15 minutes), and have them share the login with you afterward.

What if Amazon asks for changes after the book is submitted?

Ask the client to forward any notifications from Amazon to you — these are most often about cover size issues. Coordinate with the typesetter to adjust the files, then re-upload to Amazon.

How do we decide on a price?

Use Amazon's royalty calculator to check the book's printing cost, then suggest a price that gives the client around $4 royalty per sale.