26/08/2026
A few years ago, if you told an aspiring Nigerian author:
“You can write your book, publish it on Amazon, and have people in America, the UK and other parts of the world buy it without a traditional publisher…”
The person might look at you somehow.
Today, you can actually do it.
And the interesting part?
You don't have to pay Amazon a publishing fee to upload your book.
This is what Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) was created for.
But there is a problem.
Many people hear “publish on Amazon for free” and think that means:
Write the book → upload it → wait for money.
It doesn't work that way.
There are several things you need to understand before you click that beautiful “Publish Your Kindle eBook” button.
Let me break it down.
1 — Yes, you can publish your book on Amazon for free
Amazon KDP allows authors to self-publish eBooks, paperbacks and hardcover books without paying an upfront publishing fee.
Amazon prints the physical copy when a customer orders it.
So you don't have to print 500 copies and start looking for where to store them in your house.
You don't need to have a warehouse.
You don't even need to have physical copies sitting beside your bed.
For print books, Amazon uses print-on-demand.
Someone orders your book.
Amazon prints it.
Amazon ships it.
You earn your royalty after the applicable printing costs are deducted.
But don't misunderstand “free.”
Publishing is free.
Creating a professional book is not necessarily free.
You may still spend money on editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design, research, advertising or other services.
And honestly, this is where some authors make a mistake.
They spend months writing a book and then try to save ₦10,000 on the cover.
Your book may be brilliant.
But if the presentation looks amateurish, many readers will never get far enough to discover how brilliant the book is.
2 — Keywords are not decoration
This one is important.
Imagine you write a book about overcoming anxiety through prayer.
You can't simply put random words into the keyword boxes because they “sound spiritual.”
Your keywords should reflect what potential readers are actually searching for and accurately describe your book.
Amazon itself says relevant keywords can help make your book easier to find in Amazon search.
So instead of thinking:
“What keywords do I like?”
Think:
“What words would my ideal reader type into Amazon if they were looking for a book like mine?”
That's a completely different way of thinking.
For example, a Christian book about anxiety might be targeting search phrases around:
Christian prayers for anxiety
prayers for peace
prayer for overthinking
Christian devotional for anxiety
prayers for worry and fear
The exact keywords you choose should depend on the actual content and audience of your book.
Don't stuff irrelevant keywords just because you think they are popular.
Amazon is not asking you to play a guessing game.
It wants accurate information that helps readers discover relevant books.
3 — How much should you price your eBook?
This is where many new authors become confused.
They see someone selling an eBook for $0.99 and think:
“Let me also price mine at $0.99.”
Not so fast.
Your price should consider the type of book, its length, the value it provides, your audience, your positioning and your overall publishing strategy.
Amazon currently offers two main eBook royalty options: 35% and 70%. The 70% option has specific eligibility and pricing requirements, and delivery costs can also be deducted from the 70% royalty calculation.
And there is another important update many old KDP tutorials won't tell you.
Amazon's current KDP help page says the 70% eBook royalty price band on Amazon.com has been expanded to $2.99–$12.99, with equivalent changes in other marketplaces.
So don't blindly follow an old YouTube video from five years ago.
KDP changes.
The rules change.
The royalty structure can change.
Always check the current KDP requirements before making your final decision.
4 — What about paperback royalties?
This one is slightly different.
You don't simply take your paperback price and multiply it by 60%.
KDP currently offers 50% or 60% royalty rates for standard paperback sales, depending on the list price and marketplace, and then printing costs are deducted.
For example, Amazon gives an illustration of a $9.99 paperback sold on Amazon.com where the royalty is 60%, but the printing cost is deducted from that amount.
So if your book is expensive to print, you need to factor that into your pricing.
This is why I tell authors:
Don't choose your book price simply because another author is selling at that price.
Their book may have 100 pages.
Yours may have 350.
Their book may be black and white.
Yours may be full colour.
Their market may be different.
Their strategy may be different.
Your numbers are your numbers.
5 — How long does it take to publish on Amazon?
This is another question I get a lot.
“Once I upload my book, will it appear immediately?”
Not necessarily.
Amazon currently says it generally takes up to 3 business days for a submitted book or update to become live on Amazon, although timelines vary by book type and marketplace. Low-content books can take longer.
So don't upload your book on Monday morning and start panicking on Monday afternoon because your friend can't find it.
Give the process time.
But here's something more important.
Don't wait until the day you want your book to launch before you start preparing your Amazon listing.
Your title.
Subtitle.
Book description.
Categories.
Keywords.
Author name.
Manuscript.
Cover.
Pricing.
Publishing rights.
Everything should be properly prepared before you submit.
6 — And then there is the part nobody talks about enough
Publishing your book is not the same thing as selling your book.
This is probably the biggest misunderstanding among new authors.
You can publish a beautiful book on Amazon today.
And tomorrow...
Zero sales.
Not because Amazon hates you.
Not necessarily because the book is bad.
But because publishing created availability.
It did not automatically create demand.
You still have to make people aware that the book exists.
You need a marketing strategy.
You need a good book cover.
You need a compelling description.
You need appropriate keywords.
You need a book that actually solves a problem or gives the reader something they want.
And depending on your strategy, you may need social media marketing, email marketing, Amazon Ads, content marketing, partnerships, reviews and other promotional methods.
Think about it this way.
Opening a shop doesn't automatically bring customers.
Putting your book on Amazon is opening the shop.
Marketing is telling people where the shop is and giving them a reason to enter.
And that distinction can save an author a lot of frustration.
7 — So, can you really publish a book on Amazon for free?
Yes.
But don't confuse free publishing with free book creation or guaranteed sales.
Amazon KDP gives you the platform.
You still have to bring the book.
You still have to make it good.
You still have to position it properly.
And you still have to market it.
If you already have a manuscript sitting somewhere on your laptop, this may be the most important thing I can tell you:
Stop saying “one day I will publish my book.”
Open the manuscript.
Look at the title.
Look at the cover.
Look at the formatting.
Look at the description.
Research the keywords.
Decide your pricing.
And start the publishing process.
Your first book doesn't have to be perfect.
But it does have to move from your laptop into the hands of readers.
And if you're wondering what happens after writing the manuscript — including Amazon keywords, book pricing, royalties, formatting, publishing time, categories, book description and what to do before clicking Publish — that's exactly the process every new self-publishing author should understand.
Have you published a book on Amazon before, or is your manuscript still sitting on your laptop?
Tell me in the comments.
https://creativitypublications.com/how-to-publish-a-book-on-amazon-for-free-2/
Learn how to publish a book on Amazon for free in 2026. Discover KDP keywords, book pricing, royalties, publishing time, and beginner tips.
