Low & No-Content Books
Journals, planners, logbooks, notebooks and sketchbooks. They need little or no writing, are quick to produce and can be niched for almost any hobby, profession or occasion – a favourite starting point for beginners.
How to Make Money with Amazon KDP in 2026
Publish your own eBooks and paperbacks on the world's biggest bookstore – with no inventory, no upfront printing costs and no experience needed. Join our free KDP Launchpad course and build a book income step by step.
- 100% free course
- Beginner friendly
- No stock to buy
2007KDP launched alongside the Kindle
£0to open a KDP author account
Hoursto publish an eBook once ready
GlobalAmazon marketplaces to sell in
01 · The basics
Understanding Amazon KDP
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon's self-publishing platform. Launched in 2007 alongside the first Kindle, it lets independent authors publish and sell eBooks and print books directly to Amazon's customers – without a traditional publisher, an agent or a printing budget.
There is no initial investment required to create an author account, upload a book and start selling. Once an eBook is formatted and edited to a professional standard, it can go live in a matter of hours.
How the money works
Traditional publishing often pays authors a small slice of each sale – commonly cited as around 5–15% on print books. KDP is very different:
Within Amazon's qualifying price band (commonly $2.99–$9.99) and eligible markets; typically 35% outside it.
Printing costs are deducted, so net per sale is lower than the headline rate.
Royalty-share deals with a narrator are commonly split evenly.
*Illustrative only. Rates change – always check Amazon's current KDP terms before pricing a book.
Kindle eBooks
Sell digital books to Kindle readers and anyone using the Kindle app.
KDP Print
Paperbacks and hardcovers printed only when ordered. No inventory.
Audiobooks
Work with narrators through ACX to turn your book into audio.
Why Amazon matters
Amazon is the dominant force in book retail in the UK and US, so a book that isn't there is missing the biggest audience. Better still, rankings are driven by an algorithm – meaning a well-presented independent book, with a strong cover, a clear description and good early reviews, has a genuine chance of competing in its category with big publishers.
Print on demand, zero stock
Whether you sell books, journals or planners, you only pay when you actually make a sale – the same low-risk model that powers the wider print-on-demand industry and lets creators test niches without holding stock.
Download the Free eBook
02 · Your roadmap
Start for Free
Getting Started with Amazon KDP
You don't need a big budget or a publishing background. Here is the simple five-step path most successful self-publishers follow.
Smart tips from successful self-publishers
- Invest in a professional cover – don't leave it to chance.
- Optimise your book page to encourage purchases, pre-orders and reviews.
- Consider other stores too, such as Kobo and Apple Books, to diversify.
- Treat it as a catalogue: more quality books mean more income over time.
1
Find a profitable topic
Research what already sells. Look for books with a healthy Best Sellers Rank and several titles earning steady monthly sales, then find an angle you can do better. Tools such as Publisher Rocket, KDSpy and browser extensions can speed this up.
2
Create your book
Outline your content, study competitors' chapters and reviews (without copying), then write it yourself or hire help. Short non-fiction books of 10,000–20,000 words are a popular beginner format; low-content books need even less.
3
Format & design
Set the right trim size, bleed and margins, and give the book a professional cover. A great cover is one of the biggest factors in whether a browser becomes a buyer.
4
Upload & publish
Create your KDP account, write a compelling description, choose categories and keywords, set your price and upload your eBook and paperback files. Review, then hit publish.
5
Launch & repeat
Gather early reviews, use your email list or social following, and promote within the first 30 days when new releases get extra visibility. Then publish the next book – income builds with every title.
03 · Income ideas
Learn All 10 in the Free eBook
Top 10 Ways to Make Money with Amazon KDP in 2026
KDP isn't just one way to earn. These ten routes – all covered by the skills in our free course – let you choose the path that suits your interests and time.
Text-Only Non-Fiction Guides
Short, practical how-to books that solve one clear problem. Pick a topic readers already search for, structure it into chapters, and publish it as an eBook and paperback.
Photo-Focused & Colour Books
Photography collections, travel books, recipe books and illustrated gift books. Learn how colour interiors, trim sizes and print costs affect your pricing and margins.
eBooks on the Kindle Store
Publish an eBook within hours of finishing the file. With the right price band you can qualify for the higher royalty tier, and your book is visible to Kindle readers worldwide.
Paperbacks via Print on Demand
KDP prints each paperback only when it is ordered, so there is no stock to buy, store or ship. Your royalty is the list price minus Amazon's print costs.
Cover Design Services
Every book needs a cover that sells. Master the KDP Cover Creator and Canva, then offer cover design to other authors as a service alongside your own books.
Interior Formatting Services
Trim size, bleed and margins trip up many new authors. Once you understand them, formatting manuscripts for other publishers becomes a repeatable service.
Book Series & Niche Catalogues
Readers who like one book often buy the next. Building a series or a themed catalogue multiplies the value of every book you publish and every reader you attract.
Audiobooks Through ACX
Turn your best-performing titles into audiobooks and reach listeners. Authors can hire narrators or share royalties with them, depending on the deal.
Launch & Promotion Skills
Reviews, optimised book pages and a focused launch window help a new book get noticed. Strong marketing lifts every title in your catalogue.
04 · The course
What You'll Learn
A complete beginner-to-published journey. By the end of the KDP Launchpad course you will know how to take a concept all the way to a live book on Amazon.
Enrol for Free
Create your Amazon KDP accountSet up and verify your author account correctly from the start.
Publish a physical bookPrepare and upload a paperback ready for print on demand.
Publish an eBookFormat, upload and price an eBook for the Kindle Store.
Choose the right type of bookText, photo, black & white, colour, low and no-content – and which suits you.
Set up your manuscriptUnderstand trim size, bleed and margins so your book prints properly.
Design a professional coverUse the KDP Cover Creator and Canva to make covers that convert.
The three parts of every bookKnow what goes in the front, body and back so nothing is missed.
Get published with confidenceWalk through the upload process step by step until you hit "Publish".
05 · Before you begin
Requirements
This course is designed for complete beginners. If you can tick these off, you're ready to start.
I'm ReadyA computer with internet access
Any modern laptop or desktop will do. You will use a browser and free online tools.
A free Amazon KDP account
We show you how to create one during the course – it costs nothing to sign up.
No prior publishing experience
The course starts from zero and is built for complete beginners.
A few hours a week
Work through the lessons at your own pace and apply them as you go.
An idea or a willingness to find one
Not sure what to publish? We cover how to choose a book type and topic.
Basic computer skills
If you can use email and a web browser, you have what you need.
Free download
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- 5-step KDP roadmap
- 10 income ideas explained
- Cover & launch checklists
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