You can use another program, such as InDesign, to design your book.Amazon has free templates you can download here. Some authors use Microsoft Word to format the file for the interior of the book.A manuscript formatted to Amazon specifications.

The minimum requirements for publishing a print book using KDP print are these: AuthorImprints is a member of both organizations and we highly recommend membership in one or both. Tip: You can avoid the IngramSpark setup fees by using a special discount code available as part of your membership in the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) or the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). (We have multiple articles about IngramSpark in the AuthorImprints Learning Center.) Still, it plays a major role in making self-published books available for purchase in online stores. It’s also more complex to use and requires files to be uploaded in PDF only. IngramSpark is a competing POD option, but setup is not free. This is often referred to as distribution-a separate topic altogether ( click here for our articles on distribution).

Most importantly, KDP is the fastest and easiest way to make a print book available on Amazon, not to mention other online stores such as and. In 2021, Amazon added hardcover printing and a second, more-affordable color printing option to their offerings. The short answer is zero, $0! Amazon has a print-on-demand (POD) feature within their Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform, and they offer one of the most competitively priced POD services in the industry.Īmazon has been steadily assembling a suite of POD capabilities since they merged their former POD service, CreateSpace, into KDP in 2018.

Printing kindle book notes