How to Publish a Parent's Book (While They Can See It, or After They Have Gone)

If your mother or father has written a book and you want to help them publish it, the fastest safe route is usually to publish it with them, in their own KDP account. This is my advice, not a rule from Amazon. If they have died, the executor or heirs decide, and I can only point to the official pages on who owns a book. This post goes through the account, ownership, payments, pricing and doing it quickly.

What if my parent is still alive?

Publish it with them, in their own KDP account. Sit next to them, or on a video call, while they sign up and you do the typing. The other route is your account, with their written OK that says they agree to you publishing the book. Both are my advice. Whichever you choose, get it in writing before you upload.

For the basic steps of opening an account, see KDP sign in and account setup.

Who owns the book?

The US Copyright Office (Circular 1, September 2021 edition) says: “The copyright in a work initially belongs to the author(s) who created that work.” So the book belongs to your parent. The same circular says you can bequeath a copyright by will or pass it along as personal property under applicable state laws of intestate succession. The law itself, 17 USC 201(d), says the same: ownership “may be bequeathed by will or pass as personal property by the applicable laws of intestate succession.”

This is information from the sources, not legal advice.

What does KDP say about whose name goes on the account?

KDP’s sign-up help says: “The name provided in the Account Details should be the legal name of the author.” It adds that KDP will “issue your payments and tax forms under the same name”, and that the account holder’s name must match the bank account. If the names don’t match exactly, KDP warns it may not be able to deposit payments.

KDP’s tax information page says Amazon requires all publishers to provide valid taxpayer identification, through its online tax questionnaire.

Neither page says how to publish a book on behalf of someone else. I could not find an answer in the KDP pages I read, so if you want to publish in your account, ask KDP support before you upload.

How do I price it?

Use the same method as for any book. See how to price a self-published book on Amazon.

What if my parent has died?

The executor or the heirs decide who can publish the book. That depends on the will and on the law where your parent lived, so an estate lawyer has the final word. If you are the executor or an heir, write down the decision and keep the manuscript files safe. I can’t give legal advice beyond what the sources above say.

How do I do it fast for someone who is ill?

Order one printed copy first, so your parent can hold the book. My post on publishing a book just for yourself shows how to print one copy. Put the public listing after that. The book in their hands matters more than the listing, and the listing can wait a few weeks.

When you are ready to list the book, how to self-publish a memoir has all the steps in order.

What I do about it

If you are trying to get a parent’s book out and don’t know where to start, book a free 25-minute discovery session. I will help you work out the next step.

Free 25-minute self-publishing call with Chris Baird

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