Files are KDP-ready. Now the work is everything that surrounds the book on Amazon: cover that survives at thumbnail, a blurb that earns a click, the right categories and keywords, and A+ Content that builds trust.
Guides for this stage
Manuscript is formatted. Now design the cover, set up the listing, and upload to KDP. Work top-to-bottom – categories + keywords first, then cover, then blurb, then upload, then launch.
Listing metadata – set up before you design
- Pick your Amazon categories – How to research categories before you upload – so the book is positioned correctly.
- KDP keyword research (7 backend slots) – How to pick the 7 keyword phrases that drive discoverability – mining Amazon auto-suggest, using Publisher Rocket, iterating every 90 days.
- ISBN requirements (UK) – When you need one, when you don’t, and how the free Amazon ISBN affects distribution.
- ISBN vs copyright (UK) – Two things every UK author confuses – what each one actually does.
- UK legal deposit – What to send, where, when – and what happens if you don’t.
- Trademark + KDP Brand Registry – When to register a UK/US trademark (£220-£800), what Brand Registry unlocks (Sponsored Brands, A+ Premium, Brand Store), when ROI is positive.
Cover design
- Hire a cover designer – UK rates (2026) – £400-£650 typical. Where to find them (Reedsy, Damonza, 99designs), how to brief, what to avoid.
- Hire a children’s book illustrator – £3,000-£6,000 picture-book budget. Flat fee vs royalty share. Reedsy + SCBWI + Behance.
- A/B test cover designs before launch – PickFu (£30-£80) and Facebook Ads tests. Validate cover with 50-200 real readers before spending £600+ on the wrong design.
- KDP cover formatting (interactive) – Cover template calculator – exact dimensions for your trim + page count.
- Create a KDP cover template – Build the template manually – spine calculations + the exact dimensions.
- Design a book cover in Canva – Right dimensions, fonts, export settings – and the common mistakes.
- Best free cover-design tools – Canva, Adobe Express, KDP Cover Creator – what each one does well.
Listing copy + pricing
- Write a book description that sells – Structure, keywords, copywriting techniques that turn browsers into buyers.
- Write an author bio that sells – Three versions (50/200/400 words) for Amazon, back-of-book, website. Templates + voice + what NOT to include.
- Get editorial reviews + author blurbs – Outreach templates for peer-author blurbs. When to pay for Kirkus/BookLife.
- Look Inside optimisation – The first 10-15% of your book sells the rest. Cut bloated front matter. Get readers into chapter 1 fast.
- Copyright-page template (UK) – Complete template – copy, paste, swap in your details. Plus what each line means.
- Price your book – Data-driven guide – royalty calculations, competitive pricing, the sweet spot.
- Price across US, UK, EU + beyond – Set prices independently per Amazon marketplace. Royalty band thresholds, genre-specific pricing, common mistakes that lose 10-30% revenue.
- Royalty calculator – Calculate your exact KDP royalty per sale – list price x marketplace x ink type.
Upload + A+ Content + launch
- Upload to KDP – full walkthrough – Create title, details, upload files, territories, pricing – every screen.
- Pre-order strategy – When pre-order helps (established author) and when it hurts (debut). The 72-hour file deadline that gets a 12-month ban if missed.
- 60-day pre-launch checklist – Week-by-week sequence from -60 days to launch day.
- Set up Amazon A+ Content – Step-by-step A+ Content – modules, images, and what actually moves the needle.
- Launch strategy for Amazon – Pre-launch, launch week, review generation, and how to sustain momentum.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a professional book cover cost in the UK? £400-£650 typical for a debut indie commercial novel from a mid-tier UK designer. Premium designers £700-£1,500. Premade covers £30-£150 if budget is tight (you lose exclusivity).
How many keywords does KDP let me use? Seven backend keyword phrases. Each can be 1-50 characters. Phrases beat single words – ‘british cosy mystery 1920s’ outperforms ‘mystery’. Update every 90 days based on Amazon Ads search-term data.
Should I run a KDP pre-order? Yes for established authors with a list (drives BSR spike on launch day). Skip for debuts without audience (pre-orders sit at zero). Critical: replace your placeholder file with final manuscript at least 72 hours before release – missing the deadline triggers a 12-month pre-order ban.
Do I need to register a trademark for my book? Most first-time authors don’t. Worth considering at book 4-6 of a successful series with £2k+/month revenue – unlocks KDP Brand Registry (Sponsored Brands ads, A+ Premium Content). UK trademark £220-£270 for two classes.
How should I price my book across different Amazon marketplaces? Don’t accept auto-conversion from your USD price. Set independently per marketplace. Hit Amazon’s 70% royalty band: $2.99-$12.99 (US), £1.77-£12.99 (UK). Genre fiction typically £3.99-£4.99 ebook, £8.99-£12.99 paperback.
