Publishing & distribution
The publishing decisions that matter most are the ones that are awkward to reverse: which ISBN you used, which platform holds your print edition, whether you went exclusive.
These guides cover how each route actually pays, what each platform charges, and the checks worth running before the upload rather than after.
13 articles
Understanding KDP Royalty Reports
Only two of the four reports are final, and the dashboard is not one of them.
How to Track Book Royalties Across Platforms
Every platform has its own schedule, currency and definition of a month.
The Indie Author's Pre-Publication Checklist
Everything worth double-checking before you hit publish, glossary included.
Amazon KDP Publishing Guide for First-Time Authors
Publish an ebook or paperback with Amazon KDP using current 2026 file, metadata, category, pricing, proofing and
Book Metadata That Helps Stores and Readers Understand Your Book
What book metadata is, which fields matter, how to keep it consistent across retailers, and the series
Draft2Digital and Amazon KDP Compared
Draft2Digital and KDP compared for ebooks.
How to Self-Publish a Book Step by Step
A practical self-publishing workflow from final manuscript and ISBN decisions to files, distribution, proof
ISBNs for Self-Published Authors
Do you need an ISBN, how many, free KDP ISBNs versus buying your own, imprint rules, UK and US agencies, and the
Amazon KDP and IngramSpark Compared
KDP and IngramSpark compared for print. Distribution reach, bookshop and library access, wholesale discount
How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book
What self-publishing actually costs. Editing, cover, formatting, ISBNs, proofs and marketing, with minimum
How to Choose Amazon Book Categories
Choose Amazon book categories properly. How placement works now, finding categories that fit, why niche is not
How to Choose KDP Keywords for a Book
Choose KDP keywords that work. What the seven fields are for, how to research phrases readers actually type, what
How to Price a Self-Published Ebook and Paperback
Price a self-published book properly. Royalty bands, print cost and margin, series pricing, free first-in-series
Publishing & distribution, on your own manuscript.
One pass, and the documents your editor, narrator and readers each need. See the handoff pack →