How to Easily Create an Amazon KDP Account: A Step-by-Step Guide
Have you ever imagined seeing your name on a book cover, but you do not know how to make it happen? We’ll walk you through the steps to take to create an Amazon KDP account, and make your publishing dreams a reality!
If you’ve ever daydreamed about seeing your name proudly displayed on the cover of a book but felt uncertain about how to make it a reality, you’re in the right place.
Whether you’re an aspiring author or someone with a passion for creating low-content books like journals or planners, Amazon KDP offers you the opportunity to share your creativity with the world.
We’ll break down the process of creating an Amazon KDP account into simple, easy-to-follow steps, so you can start publishing your own books. Ready to make your publishing dreams real? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
what is amazon kdp all about?
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) makes it possible for aspiring authors like you to become a self-published author. Understanding how Amazon KDP works will help ensure your success on the platform.
Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits of self-publishing on Amazon KDP.
9 Benefits of Amazon KDP
Self-publishing your book through Amazon KDP provides authors with numerous advantages that can significantly improve their publishing experience. Here are some of the key benefits of Amazon KDP:
1. Global Reach
Publishing your book on Amazon KDP provides you with an opportunity to reach readers all around the world. It’s a great way to share your stories or creative ideas with people from different places and cultures.
2. Beginner Friendly Interface
Amazon KDP offers a user-friendly platform that is easy to navigate, making it simple for beginners to get started with self-publishing their books.
You can easily upload your book cover and manuscript, set prices, and monitor sales, even without prior publishing experience.
3. No Upfront Investment
You can create an Amazon KDP account and publish your books on the marketplace without needing to invest any money upfront. When your books sell, Amazon will take a portion of your earnings, and send you the royalties that you earned from the sale.
It is a great way for you to dip your toes into self-publishing without any financial risks.
4. No Shipping Expenses
There is no need to worry about covering shipping costs for your customers because Amazon takes care of the entire shipping process from start to finish.
This means you can focus on writing / creating and publishing their books without the hassle of managing shipping logistics.
5. No Inventory
With Amazon KDP, you won’t need to keep piles of books stored in your garage or worry about upfront production costs. Instead, books are printed on-demand whenever a customer places an order.
This means that there are no storage space headaches or financial burdens—just the freedom to focus on writing / creating and publishing your books hassle-free.
6. Complete Creative Control
One key benefit of publishing on Amazon KDP is that you’re in charge of your book every step of the way. You call the shots on everything: the content, design, and the pricing point.
You have the freedom to create whatever type of book you want with Amazon KDP. Whether it’s a simple journal, a comprehensive guide, or a novel, the choice is entirely yours.
7. Earn Royalties on Your Book Sales
For every copy that’s purchased, you will get a percentage of the sales. Whether it’s one book or a hundred, each sale adds up to more money in your pocket.
So, as your book gains traction and finds its audience, you can watch your earnings grow with every sale. It’s a rewarding way to see your hard work pay off.
8. Real-time Sales Data
Amazon KDP provides you with access to real-time sales data and performance metrics. This means you can keep track of how well your books are doing and use that information to make smart decisions about your publishing strategies.
9. Marketing Opportunities
Self-published authors have access to a range of marketing tools and promotional opportunities, including A+ content and Amazon ads, to increase visibility and attract more readers to their books.
Amazon KDP makes self-publishing easy and rewarding by removing upfront costs, shipping fees, and inventory worries. With a wide global reach and user-friendly tools, it’s the perfect platform for sharing your books with readers everywhere.
How to Create an Amazon KDP Account
Before you can share your books with the world and begin making money, you must create an Amazon KDP account. This process is very simple and straightforward, requiring just a few steps.
Navigate4 to Amazon KDP
Go to the Amazon KDP website to sign up for an account. Once you are on the Amazon KDP homepage, you will click on one of the “Join KDP” buttons.
If you already have an Amazon account, you can use that account to sign up for your KDP account, or you can create a brand new account to use for KDP.
Amazon allows you to have two accounts, a personal account and an account for selling. Ultimately, it is entirely up to you rather you use the account you already have, or you create a brand new account to sell your books under.
Some people prefer to start fresh by setting up a separate Amazon KDP account for selling their books. This helps to protect their personal Amazon account in case their Amazon KDP account gets terminated.
You will need to read and accept the Amazon KDP terms of service that will appear on the screen.
Update Account Information
On the next screen, you’ll see a notification alerting you that your account information is incomplete. In order to publish a book, you will need to update this information right away.
Make sure to update this information promptly to ensure that you will receive royalties for your book sales.
Enter Company / Publisher Information
Under company / publisher information, you will need to add in your personal information. You will enter your full legal name unless you are publishing under a company.
Next, you will need to add the following tax information:
- Tax reporting name: For this field, you will enter your full legal name.
- Business type
- SSN, TIN, or EIN
Your Royalty Payments
In order to receive your royalties for each book sale, you will need to add your banking information. You can edit this information at any time.
By following these simple steps, you can efficiently create your Amazon KDP account, begin publishing your books on Amazon’s marketplaces, and start earning royalties for your book sales.
Final Thoughts
Congratulations! Since you took the time to follow each step to create an Amazon KDP account, you can now publish your books on KDP.
If you are interested in creating low content books, you may want to check out our post on How to Create a Journal to Sell on Amazon.
Is there a cost to create an Amazon KDP account?
No, there is no fee to create an Amazon KDP account. Publishing books on Amazon KDP is free, though there are costs deducted from your royalties for book production and distribution.
What information is required for the tax interview on KDP?
The KDP tax interview requires your tax identification number (TIN), which could be your Social Security Number (SSN) if you’re in the U.S. or other appropriate identifiers if you’re outside the U.S. You’ll also need to answer questions about your residency and income.
Can I use an existing Amazon account for KDP?
Yes, you can use an existing Amazon account to sign in to KDP or you can create a new account to sell your books under. Some self-publishers prefer to keep their business account separate from their personal Amazon account.
How do I create an Amazon KDP account??
To create an Amazon KDP account, go to the KDP website and click on the “Sign up” button. If you already have an Amazon account, you can use those credentials to sign in. Otherwise, you’ll need to create a new Amazon account first.