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How to Publish an Ebook: Amazon and Every Other Store, Step by Step
By AuthorWings editorial team
11 min read
Short answer
To publish an ebook, edit your manuscript, turn it into an ebook file (usually EPUB), and get a cover. Then upload both, with your book details and price, to Amazon KDP and, if you like, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play Books, directly or through one distributor. Uploading to the stores is free (a distributor may charge a small fee); each store keeps a share of every sale.
Uploading an ebook directly to the stores costs nothing and takes days, not months. The work is in getting the file, the cover, and the details right, and in deciding where to sell. This guide walks through each step for Amazon and the other main ebook stores, with the rules as they stand in October 2026. Still writing? See how to hire a ghostwriter for an ebook.
Your ebook file
What you need before you upload
Have these ready before you open any store account. Each store asks for the same few things.
An edited manuscript
Readers can leave reviews within days of release, so edit first.
An ebook file
Usually an EPUB. Some stores convert a Word file for you.
A cover
A front cover image (an ebook has no spine or back cover). Amazon asks for a JPEG or TIFF, ideally 2,560 pixels tall by 1,600 pixels wide. See ebook cover size by store.
Book details
Title, author name, description, categories, and keywords.
A price
Decide it before you publish, because it decides your royalty on Amazon.
An ISBN, maybe
Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play Books don’t require one for ebooks. An ISBN is your book’s ID number; some smaller stores and library services want one.
Step 1: Turn your manuscript into an ebook file
An ebook file isn’t a PDF of your print book. Many ebooks are reflowable: the text resizes to fit any screen, and the reader can change the font. As of October 2026, here’s what the main stores accept:
- Amazon KDPEPUBDOC or DOCXKPFMOBIEPUB, Word, or KPF from Amazon’s free Kindle Create tool work best. KDP also takes HTML, RTF, TXT, and, for some languages, PDF. MOBI hasn’t been accepted since 2021 (2025 for fixed-layout books).
- Apple BooksEPUBThe EPUB must pass EPUBCheck, a free validation tool. Apple’s Pages app can export a book as an EPUB and send it to Apple Books.
- Kobo Writing LifeEPUBDOC or DOCXODTMOBIKobo converts each file to its own EPUB.
- Google Play BooksEPUBPDFGoogle recommends sending both.
- Draft2DigitalDOC or DOCXEPUBWord and other text files, or EPUB for ebooks.
Struck-through: no longer accepted. Sources: KDP, Apple Books for Authors, Kobo Writing Life, Google Play Books Partner Center, and Draft2Digital help pages, checked October 2026.
One well-made EPUB works almost everywhere. Check it before you upload: Amazon’s free Kindle Previewer shows how it will look on Kindle devices. Picture books and comics need a fixed-layout ebook instead, where each page keeps its design; see how to format a children’s book. Want the file made for you? See our ebook formatting.
Step 2: Publish your ebook on Amazon (KDP)
For many authors, Amazon is the biggest ebook store, and you publish there through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s free publishing platform). This is also how you sell your ebook on Amazon: you don’t need a publisher or a seller account.
- AccountCreate your KDP account at kdp.amazon.com and complete your tax and payment details.
- DetailsEnter your Kindle eBook details: language, title, author name, description, categories, and keywords. Choose the author name carefully; it can’t be changed after publishing.
- ContentUpload your manuscript file and cover, then check the book in the online previewer.
- Rights and pricingChoose where to sell, your royalty option, and your price, and decide on KDP Select (Step 3).
- PublishPublish, or set a pre-order. Amazon says a new book takes up to 3 business days to go live.
See how long KDP review takes for every status. Since 2 September 2026, you can put a Kindle ebook on pre-order up to 18 months ahead, as long as you upload the final file at least 72 hours before release day. For the full KDP walkthrough, including tax setup and print, see how to self-publish on Amazon.
Step 3: Choose exclusive or wide
Before you publish anywhere else, decide whether your ebook will be exclusive to Amazon.
Exclusive: KDP Select
- ✓Your ebook is in Kindle+ (formerly Kindle Unlimited), and you earn from Kindle+ reads
- ✓You can run Amazon promotions
- ✗Sells only on Amazon, in any digital form, for each 90-day termPublic libraries are the exception.
Wide
- ✓Sells on Amazon and in other stores and library apps
- ✓Reaches readers who don’t use Kindle
- ✗No Kindle+ reads
Neither is right for every book. Our KDP Select guide explains the rules and how to switch. Not sure which route fits? Answer three questions:
Where should my ebook go?
Three questions. Nothing is saved or sent.
- Kindle+ matters most: KDP with KDP Select.
- Wide, with the fewest accounts: KDP plus one distributor such as Draft2Digital.
- Wide, with the most control: KDP plus direct accounts at Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble Press, and Google Play Books, and a distributor for library apps if you want them.
Step 4: Publish to other stores, directly or through a distributor
If you go wide, you can open an account at each store or upload once to a distributor that sends your ebook to many stores. As of October 2026:
- Apple BooksPublish through Apple’s web-based Publishing Portal with a free iTunes Connect account, or from Apple’s Pages app. Upload an EPUB that passes EPUBCheck, a cover (JPEG or PNG, shortest side at least 1,400 pixels), and your details. No ISBN needed.
- Kobo Writing LifeFree to join. Upload EPUB or Word and Kobo converts it. No ISBN needed.
- Barnes & Noble PressFree to use, for authors in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium. No ISBN needed for ebooks.
- Google Play BooksAdd your book in the Partner Center and upload an EPUB or PDF. No ISBN needed.
- Draft2Digital (distributor)One upload reaches stores such as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, and library services including OverDrive, cloudLibrary, Hoopla, and BorrowBox. It keeps about 10% of the retail price, charges new accounts a one-time $20 activation fee, and, since 14 May 2026, charges $12 a year to accounts that earn under $100 a year from book sales. Its free ISBN works only through its services. Amazon distribution through it is invite-only, so publish to Amazon through KDP.
Going direct can mean more control and a little more per sale; a distributor means one dashboard. Many authors mix both. To compare royalties and payments store by store, see self-publishing platforms compared.
Step 5: Price your ebook
On Amazon.com, your price decides your royalty. As of October 2026:
- The 70% royalty is minus a delivery fee of $0.15 per MB of file size.
- Amazon raised the top of the 70% band from $9.99 to $12.99 on 7 July 2026.
- For 70%, your ebook must be priced at least 20% below any print edition on Amazon.
- 70% applies only to sales to readers in the countries on KDP’s pricing page (in Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and India, only if the ebook is in KDP Select); other sales earn 35%.
Source: KDP help pages on list price requirements and the pricing page, checked October 2026.
Work out what you’d earn with our KDP royalty calculator. Other stores set their own royalty rates; the platforms comparison lists them.
After you publish
Your book page is live, but readers still have to find it.
- Check your book pageCover, description, price, and that your ebook and print editions are linked, in each store.
- Set up your author pageUse Amazon Author Central for your Amazon author page.
- Plan your promotionA book launch plan and ebook promotion sites.
Then track sales in each store’s reports, and in KDP’s reports for Amazon.
Selling your ebook outside the stores
You can also sell your ebook from your own website, through a website shop or a direct-sales service that delivers the file to buyers. You keep more of each sale, but you handle the payments, the delivery, and the customer questions. If your ebook is in KDP Select, you can’t sell it from your own site at the same time; see selling on your own website with KDP Select. Building a site? See how to create an author website.
Mistakes to avoid
Uploading a MOBI or a print PDF to KDP
Instead: KDP no longer accepts MOBI files (since 2021, or March 2025 for fixed-layout books), and a print PDF makes a poor ebook. Upload EPUB, Word, or KPF.
Skipping the preview
Instead: Check the file in Kindle Previewer and each store’s preview before you publish.
An author name you’ll want to change
Instead: On KDP, the author name can’t be changed after publishing.
Pricing outside the 70% band by accident
Instead: $13.00 earns 35% on Amazon.com; $12.99 can earn 70%.
Enrolling in KDP Select while your ebook is on sale elsewhere
Instead: Take it down from the other stores first.
When to get help
You can publish an ebook yourself for free. If you’d rather have it done, our ebook publishing services put your Kindle ebook on Amazon with the Amazon tier ($249) and add Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play Books with Online Stores ($549), all in your name. Ebook formatting starts at $89, and our self-publishing packages cover editing, cover, formatting, and publishing in one plan.
Ebook publishing
Want your ebook published for you?
We set up your ebook in every store you choose, with every account in your name and 100% of your royalties kept.
- Kindle ebook on Amazon $249
- Amazon plus 4 ebook stores $549
- Ebook formatting $89
How to publish an ebook: FAQ
Can I publish an ebook for free?
Yes. Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play Books charge nothing to upload, and none of them requires an ISBN for an ebook. Each store keeps a share of every sale instead. You pay only for any help you hire. As of October 2026, a distributor such as Draft2Digital charges new accounts a one-time $20 fee, plus $12 a year if the account earns under $100 a year.
Can I sell my ebook on Amazon without a publisher?
Yes. You publish it yourself through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Amazon’s free publishing platform, and you keep the rights. You don’t need a publisher, an agent, or an Amazon seller account. Create a KDP account, upload your file and cover, set your price, and Amazon says a new book takes up to 3 business days to go live.
Do I need an ISBN for an ebook?
Not for the main stores. As of October 2026, Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play Books say an ISBN is optional for ebooks; they use their own ID numbers instead. Some library services and smaller stores want one, and distributors such as Draft2Digital give a free ISBN that works only through their services.
How long does it take to publish an ebook?
Once your file and cover are ready, a few days. Amazon says a new book takes up to 3 business days to go live, and other stores take a few days too. The longer part is what comes first: editing, formatting, and the cover. With a pre-order, you can list the ebook on Amazon up to 18 months before release day (since 2 September 2026).
Can I publish my ebook on Amazon and other stores at the same time?
Yes, unless you enroll it in KDP Select, which makes your ebook exclusive to Amazon for each 90-day term. Without KDP Select, you can sell on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books, and library apps at the same time, either through separate accounts or through one distributor.
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AuthorWings editorial team
The AuthorWings editorial team writes and updates our guides for first-time authors. Every post is read and edited by a person on our team before it is published.
