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.
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. Curated from our library of 181 guides.
How to research categories before you upload — so the book is positioned correctly.
Read the guide →How to pick the 7 keyword phrases that drive discoverability — mining Amazon auto-suggest, using Publisher Rocket, iterating every 90 days.
Read the guide →When you need one, when you don't, and how the free Amazon ISBN affects distribution.
Read the guide →Two things every UK author confuses — what each one actually does.
Read the guide →What to send, where, when — and what happens if you don't.
Read the guide →When to register a UK/US trademark (£220-£800), what Brand Registry unlocks (Sponsored Brands, A+ Premium, Brand Store), when ROI is positive.
Read the guide →UK rates (2026) — £400-£650 typical. Where to find them (Reedsy, Damonza, 99designs), how to brief, what to avoid.
Read the guide →£3,000-£6,000 picture-book budget. Flat fee vs royalty share. Reedsy + SCBWI + Behance. Briefing + production timeline.
Read the guide →PickFu (£30-£80) and Facebook Ads tests. Validate cover with 50-200 real readers before spending £600+ on the wrong design.
Read the guide →Cover template calculator — exact dimensions for your trim + page count.
Read the guide →Build the template manually — spine calculations + the exact dimensions.
Read the guide →Right dimensions, fonts, export settings — and the common mistakes.
Read the guide →Canva, Adobe Express, KDP Cover Creator — what each one does well.
Read the guide →Structure, keywords, copywriting techniques that turn browsers into buyers.
Read the guide →Three versions (50/200/400 words) for Amazon, back-of-book, website. Templates + voice + what NOT to include.
Read the guide →Outreach templates for peer-author blurbs. When to pay for Kirkus/BookLife. The reciprocity economy that powers indie endorsements.
Read the guide →The first 10-15% of your book sells the rest. Cut bloated front matter. Get readers into chapter 1 fast. Genre-specific opening expectations.
Read the guide →Complete template — copy, paste, swap in your details. Plus what each line means.
Read the guide →Data-driven guide — royalty calculations, competitive pricing, the sweet spot.
Read the guide →Set prices independently per Amazon marketplace. Royalty band thresholds, genre-specific pricing, common mistakes that lose 10-30% revenue.
Read the guide →Calculate your exact KDP royalty per sale — list price × marketplace × ink type.
Read the guide →Create title → details → upload files → territories → pricing — every screen.
Read the guide →When pre-order helps (established author) and when it hurts (debut). The 72-hour file deadline that gets a 12-month ban if missed.
Read the guide →Week-by-week sequence from -60 days to launch day. ARC + cover + ads + promo sites + newsletter. The structured launch indie pros run.
Read the guide →Step-by-step A+ Content — modules, images, and what actually moves the needle.
Read the guide →Pre-launch, launch week, review generation, and how to sustain momentum.
Read the guide →Kirkus, Foreword, BlueInk, IndieReader and LoveReading compared on cost, turnaround and fit.
Read the guide →What a Kirkus Indie review costs, the turnaround, and whether the name earns its fee.
Read the guide →The UK's most trusted reader-review service at £120 — the best-value first choice for British authors.
Read the guide →A US trade review with strong reach among librarians and the library market.
Read the guide →A veteran-founded US review with strong critics and a two-review bundle option.
Read the guide →A US star-rated review bundled with the IndieReader Discovery Awards.
Read the guide →Reach professional reviewers, librarians and booksellers before launch day.
Read the guide →Our launch service handles cover, listing, A+ Content, and launch — one bundle, one price, one timeline.
£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).
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.
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.
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.
Don't accept auto-conversion from your USD price. Set independently per marketplace. Hit Amazon's 70% royalty band: $2.99-$9.99 (US), £1.99-£7.99 (UK). Genre fiction typically £3.99-£4.99 ebook, £8.99-£12.99 paperback.