Amazon KDP Publishing Checklist: Current 2026 Workflow
A practical pre-publish checklist built around current KDP metadata, formatting, pricing, review, and publishing rules.
Older KDP checklists often carry obsolete pricing bands, two-category instructions, fixed review timelines, or discontinued review programs. This version removes those assumptions and uses current 2026 rules.
Pro Tip: A systematic approach to publishing is what separates hobbyists from professionals. Published.: The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold by Chandler Bolt covers this in detail.
Files & rights
Confirm you hold the publishing rights
KDP requires you to have the necessary rights to the manuscript, cover, images, and other uploaded content. Resolve licensing or public-domain questions before submission.
Finish and proof the manuscript
Check chapter order, front/back matter, hyperlinks, tables, images, spelling, and accessibility. For Kindle, preview the converted book; for print, review the Print Previewer and consider a physical proof.
Prepare the correct cover asset
For Kindle marketing covers, KDP recommends 2,560 × 1,600 px, RGB, with high-quality source imagery. Print covers must match trim size, page count, ink/paper choice, bleed, and spine requirements.
Review current cover requirements →Metadata
Make the title and subtitle match the cover
KDP requires the title metadata to reflect the actual book title shown on the cover. Title + subtitle together must be 200 characters or less.
Write a durable book description
KDP descriptions can use supported basic HTML and are limited to 4,000 characters. Remove URLs/contact details, review requests/testimonials, prices, alternative ordering information, and temporary promotions.
Choose up to seven relevant keyword entries
Use accurate reader-language terms. Do not use sales-rank claims, promotions, misleading terms, unauthorized brands, other authors/books, or Amazon program names.
Generate keyword ideas →Choose three accurate categories
KDP currently lets you choose three categories. Availability can differ by marketplace and format, so select the closest truthful categories rather than targeting an unrelated “easy” rank.
Review category workflow →Run a field-specific metadata review
Use BookBloom to catch clear title, subtitle, description, keyword, and character-limit issues. Treat context-dependent findings as warnings to verify—not as a guarantee of KDP approval.
Review metadata →Format, pricing & distribution
Select the correct book format and print options
For print, confirm trim size, bleed, ink/paper choice, page count, and margins. KDP minimum inside margin increases with page count and reaches 0.875 in for 701–828 page paperbacks.
Model print cost before setting a print price
Standard KDP print royalties now use a 50% or 60% royalty rate depending on list price and marketplace, minus printing cost. Eligible paperback Expanded Distribution uses 40%.
Calculate print economics →Use the current eBook royalty band
For Amazon.com, the 70% eBook royalty price band is $2.99–$12.99 as of July 7, 2026. Equivalent bands vary by marketplace, and other eligibility conditions still apply.
Decide whether KDP Select fits the eBook
KDP Select is a 90-day program that includes the Kindle eBook in Kindle Unlimited and requires digital exclusivity during the enrollment term. Compare this with the value of wide digital distribution.
Submission & launch
Use KDP Previewers before publishing
Check Kindle rendering and print layout before submission. For print books, proof copies are specifically intended to let you inspect the physical result before publication.
Submit only when details are final
Once a title is In Review, KDP does not let you edit it until the review completes. KDP says most books can take up to three business days to become Live; low-content books can take up to ten business days.
Verify the live detail page
After publication, confirm title/author, formats, cover, description, categories, price, Look Inside/Read Sample when available, and linking between editions. Search visibility and metadata updates can take additional time.
Request reviews without incentives or pressure
Amazon permits free or discounted copies for readers as long as a review is not required and you do not attempt to influence it. The old Amazon Early Reviewer Program is no longer offered.
BookBloom Tools That Fit This Workflow
Field-specific title, subtitle, description, keyword, and limit checks.
Keyword IdeasAI semantic ideas to validate against Amazon and your own data.
Print Cost & RoyaltyCurrent marketplace print-cost and 40%/50%/60% royalty logic.
BSR Scenario EstimatorDirectional sales ranges—not Amazon-reported sales data.
Optional Publishing Resources
Additional reading for authors building a repeatable publishing workflow.
by Chandler Bolt
Master the complete publishing process with proven systems and checklists.
Get This Bookby David Gaughran
From manuscript to launch - everything you need to publish professionally on KDP.
Get This BookAs an Amazon Associate, BookBloom earns from qualifying purchases.
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