The KDP dashboard: three pages you need to know
KDP's upload flow is split into three pages. The Book Details page covers title, subtitle, series information, author name, description, keywords, and categories. The Content page is where you upload your manuscript and cover files, set DRM preferences, and preview the ebook. The Pricing page controls royalty rate, list price per territory, and KDP Select enrollment. Complete all three pages in order. You cannot skip ahead, and saving your progress on one page does not publish the book.
Choosing your BISAC categories
KDP gives you two categories at upload. Choose one broad category for long-term visibility and one narrow subcategory where you can realistically hit the top 100. Ranking in a subcategory earns a bestseller orange banner on your listing, which lifts click-through rates. After publishing, email KDP support to request up to 10 total categories. Research the top 100 in your target subcategory to gauge the sales rank required to place there. A subcategory with fewer competitors gives you a faster path to a visible badge.
Writing your book description in HTML
Amazon renders basic HTML in book descriptions. Use bold tags for your hook sentence and key selling points, paragraph tags for spacing, and italic for titles or emphasis. The description displays as approximately 600 characters on the mobile app before the See More cutoff, so put your strongest line first. Keep your full description under 4,000 characters. Avoid exclamation points, superlatives, and lines like Perfect for fans of, which Amazon's algorithm now penalises in some categories.
The 7 keyword fields: how to use them for discovery
Each keyword field accepts up to 50 characters. Use the full space. Enter phrases, not single words: long-tail phrases like 'enemies to lovers fantasy romance' outperform generic terms like 'fantasy'. Think about how readers search: they search by trope, setting, mood, and comparison titles. Avoid terms already in your title, subtitle, or categories since Amazon indexes those separately. Rotate keywords based on performance data from your KDP reports. The 7 fields give you roughly 350 characters of additional search indexing.
Pricing strategy for new authors
The $2.99 to $4.99 range maximises unit sales for debut authors while qualifying for the 70% royalty rate. Below $2.99 you drop to 35% royalty. Above $9.99 you also drop to 35%. Price the first book in a series at $0.99 or free to drive series read-through. Mid-list authors with an established readership price at $4.99 to $7.99. Genre expectations matter: thriller and romance readers tolerate lower prices; self-help and business readers accept higher ones. Check your genre's top 20 for price benchmarks.
KDP Select enrollment and the 72-hour review window
KDP Select enrollment is optional and requires 90-day ebook exclusivity. It unlocks Kindle Unlimited, Countdown Deals, and Free Book Promotions. For debut authors without an existing retailer presence, the Kindle Unlimited income stream is worth the exclusivity trade-off. The review window after upload is typically 24 to 48 hours but can extend to 72. Do not plan your launch date less than 96 hours after submission. Check your KDP dashboard for status updates rather than waiting for an email that may not come.
