The A-Z Publishing Handbook: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Formatting, ISBNs, Keywords, & Pre-Orders on KDP

Everything you need to publish your book on Amazon KDP—explained in plain, human language.

You’ve finished your manuscript. Now you’re staring at a maze of formatting rules, ISBN choices, keyword boxes, and pre-order deadlines—and you’re not sure where to start. You don’t need another course full of jargon. You need a clear, step-by-step companion that walks you through every critical detail, from turning your Word doc into a professional eBook to climbing Amazon’s bestseller lists.

The A–Z Publishing Handbook is that companion. Written like a trusted friend sitting beside you, this guide translates KDP’s technical demands into straightforward, doable actions—even if you’ve never published anything before.

Inside this handbook, you’ll discover exactly how to:

• Format your Kindle eBook and paperback using free tools like Kindle Create—no design experience required. Includes a pre-formatting cleanup checklist, theme selection advice, image guidelines, and a preview-and-export walkthrough.

• Decide between a free KDP ISBN and your own ISBN. Understand the long-term consequences of each choice, and follow a step-by-step tutorial for purchasing your own ISBN through Bowker (or your national agency) to build a publisher identity you control.

• Master Amazon’s search engine with a proven metadata and keyword strategy. Learn to research the exact phrases real readers type into the Amazon search bar, fill the seven backend keyword fields without wasting a single character, and climb the category ladder from small, winnable niches to high-traffic bestseller lists.

• Set up and leverage Kindle pre-orders to make launch day a sales event. Get a timeline-based checklist that covers everything from picking your release date to uploading the final file before the hard 72-hour deadline (and how to avoid a year-long ban).

Why this guide is different:
No vague theory. No fluff. Every chapter comes with a printable checklist you can tick off as you go, turning overwhelming tasks into manageable wins. Whether you’re self-publishing your very first book or building a catalogue of titles under your own imprint, this handbook gives you the repeatable system you need.

Key topics covered:

• Kindle Create formatting for eBook and paperback interiors

• Image DPI, bleed settings, trim sizes, and cover templates

• Amazon KDP’s free ISBN vs. owning your ISBN (USA, UK, Canada, and international options)

• Long-tail keyword research using Amazon autocomplete

• Phrase stacking for maximum SEO in seven 50-character fields

• The 90-day category ladder strategy for hitting #1

• KDP pre-order setup, the IngramSpark paperback pre-order workaround, and launch-day tactics

• Metadata optimization for both traditional search and AI-driven recommendations (GEO)

Perfect for:
First-time authors, self-publishing beginners, indie publishers ready to professionalize, and anyone who wants to navigate Kindle Direct Publishing without frustration.

Stop guessing. Start publishing.
Grab your copy of The A–Z Publishing Handbook today and turn your manuscript into a book that readers can find, buy, and love.