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Uploading to Amazon KDP

You can list your books for sale at Amazon via their Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program:

To begin the process, sign up to publish with KDP. If you’ve ever bought anything from Amazon, you can start by signing in with your Amazon account.

Create a New Title

Once you’ve created your KDP account, use the buttons under Create a New Title button to begin the process of creating a new ebook or paperback.

Enter Book Details

Whether you’ve chosen to create a Kindle ebook or a paperback, you’ll be prompted to enter information about the title you wish to publish.

On this Details page, you will enter your book’s Language, Title, Subtitle, Description, Keywords, and more.

You can find more information about all of these fields in Amazon’s help pages:

Large Print

If you are uploading a Large Print edition, then you will need to make sure you check this option in the Categories section:

The large print checkbox

Kindle Ebook Content

Once you've provided your book’s details, you’ll move on to uploading your ebook’s content.

Upload Your Ebook File

In the Manuscript section of the Kindle eBook Content page, press Upload eBook manuscript. Then, select the Kindle version generated by Vellum, e.g. The-Invisible-Man-Kindle.epub.

Uploading a mobi file to the KDP dashboard

Once the file is uploaded, you should see a message reporting Manuscript uploaded successfully!

Upload Your Cover Image

You’ll then upload the ebook cover image generated by Vellum.

Select Upload a cover you already have, then press Upload your cover file. Find and select the cover image that Vellum has generated for Amazon, e.g. The-Invisible-Man-Kindle.jpg.

Once the image is uploaded, you should see a thumbnail version of your image and a message reading: Cover uploaded successfully!

Preview Your Ebook

You can use KDP’s online previewer to check your book one last time. Press Launch Previewer to begin.

Note: it can take a few minutes for the previewer to load your ebook. It may be a good time to make some coffee. ☕️

Paperback Content

If you are creating a paperback, then once you've provided your book’s details, you’ll move on to the Paperback Content page.

Your print edition requires an ISBN. If you haven’t purchased one already, click on Assign me a free KDP ISBN.

In the Print Options section, you’ll specify how your book should be printed:

Ink and Paper Type
Select whether to print in black & white or in color, and your preferred type of paper
Trim Size
Select the Trim Size that you configured for your book in Print Settings*
Bleed Settings
If you’ve used Full Bleed for a Full Page Image or a Heading Background, select Bleed. Otherwise, you can keep the default setting of No Bleed.
Paperback cover finish
Choose whether you’d like your cover to be matte or glossy

* If your book uses a trim size not listed in KDP’s presets, you can use the Self Define Trim Size section to enter the size manually. You’ll need to do this for any Mass Market trim size.

Upload Your Print Interior

In the Manuscript section, press Upload paperback manuscript. Then, select the print edition generated by Vellum, e.g. The-Invisible-Man-Print.pdf.

Once the file is uploaded, you should see a message reporting Manuscript uploaded successfully!

Upload Your Cover Image

The Book Cover section allows you to create your own cover using the KDP Cover Creator or upload one that you’ve created.

For best results, we recommend working with a cover designer. If you choose that route, you can use Amazon's Paperback Cover Template page to download a template that you can send your designer.

When you are ready to upload your own cover select Upload a cover you already have, then press Upload your cover file.

Once the cover is uploaded, you should see a thumbnail version of your cover and a message reading: Cover uploaded successfully!

Preview Your Paperback

After you’ve uploaded your print interior, you will need to approve it. In the Book Preview section, press Launch Previewer to proof your book.

The online previewer will warn you if you have any issues that would prevent you from publishing your book. If it doesn’t find any problems, click the Approve button in the lower-right to move on to the next section.

Note: it can take as long as 10-20 minutes for Amazon to assemble and create a preview of your book. It may be a good time to make a sandwich. 🥪

Rights & Pricing

In the final pane, you’ll select the pricing and royalty rate for your book.

For an ebook, if you select and qualify for the 70% royalty option, you will want to review the Delivery Costs associated with your ebook. As noted in Kindle Delivery Costs, these will be shown in the Delivery column with your royalties.

Publish Your Book

Once your files are uploaded and all required information is complete, your last step is to press Publish!

Remember that after you publish, you can return to Vellum in case you need to make changes. Simply re-generate your files and upload the new version to KDP.

Troubleshooting

Why does KDP tell me my trim size isn’t correct?

If you have used elements (such as a Full Page Image or a Heading Background) that call for a Full Bleed layout, then your PDF will be expanded slightly to include a bleed region.

When uploading to KDP, you will need to indicate that you’re using Full Bleed by selecting Bleed in Print Options.

Why am I seeing warnings about objects “outside the margins” or “insufficient gutter”?

If you receive these warnings from KDP, then it’s likely that your inside margin is too small.

KDP accepts most books that use Vellum’s default inside margin of 0.875". However, if your book is particularly long, you may need to increase your inside margin to avoid these KDP errors. In general, we advise using an inside margin value larger than the KDP minimum.

KDP Support

If you have specific questions regarding Kindle Direct Publishing, we recommend that you contact KDP support directly.