Heads up: This is a plain-language summary, not official policy, and rules change often. Always confirm the current requirements with the official source linked in each section. BookZeta does not publish on your behalf and can't guarantee any marketplace will accept your book.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is the most popular way to self-publish eBooks and print-on-demand paperbacks and hardcovers. It's free to use, reaches a huge audience, and handles printing and shipping for you on print titles. Because it's the biggest store, it's also the one whose rules people ask about most — and those rules are updated regularly, so the official KDP guidance is always the final word.
What to check before you upload
- Content guidelines. KDP publishes what's allowed and what's prohibited, plus quality expectations (things like a working table of contents, no placeholder text, and accurate metadata). Books that look like duplicated, low-effort or misleading content are routinely rejected.
- Metadata rules. Your title and subtitle must match your cover and can't be stuffed with keywords. The description is your sales pitch. You get up to 7 keyword slots and a set of categories (BISAC subjects) — choose ones that genuinely describe the book, since misuse can get a title removed.
- eBook (EPUB) specs. Reflowable text, a logical chapter structure, and a cover image that meets Amazon's size and quality minimums.
- Print specs. Trim size, interior margins, bleed (if your art runs to the page edge), and a wraparound cover sized to your exact page count and paper type. Page count changes the spine width, so finalise your interior before building the print cover.
- AI-content questionnaire. During setup KDP asks whether your book includes AI-generated content (text, images or translations). Answer honestly — see AI content disclosure for how the distinctions work.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting a print cover built for the wrong page count or paper — the spine won't line up.
- Keyword-stuffing the title or subtitle, which can trip Amazon's metadata rules.
- Forgetting to set territories, pricing or the royalty plan, which affects what you actually earn.
- Assuming a file that passed previously will pass again — specs and reviews change.
Official sources
BookZeta's print-ready interior and Cover Editor are built to align with common KDP specs, including standard trim sizes and bleed handling. They give you a strong starting point — but always verify your finished files against the current official guidance above before you hit publish, because Amazon's requirements are the ones that decide whether your book goes live.