Start here if you are publishing your first book
You have a finished book, or you are close. This page puts the steps in order, from choosing a topic to selling your book, and points you to the post I'd read for each one.
I'm Chris Baird. I have published 230 books and made over 50,000 book sales. The steps follow the free checklist I use for my own books.
The 12 steps, in order
Explore your book topic
Look at which books already sell in your category and what the top sellers have in common. Then pick the keywords readers search for.
Read: 3 niches that sell | How to use keywords on Amazon KDP
Write the book or hire a ghostwriter
Write it yourself with an outline and a daily word count, or hire help. Aim for the length the top books in your category have.
Read: How long a self-published book should be | What I learned using ghostwriters on Fiverr
Get your cover
Hire a designer or make the cover yourself, and compare it with the top sellers at thumbnail size. If you hire, check how they use AI.
Read: How to hire a book cover designer | KDP AI disclosure rules
Format the manuscript
Check spelling and grammar, format the whole book, add the title page details and write the book description.
Export the ebook and paperback files
Export an EPUB for the ebook and a print-ready PDF for the paperback, then page through both on a phone, a tablet and on paper.
Format the cover
Build the full wrap cover for print from the cover template for your trim size and page count, and a front-only file for the ebook.
Upload the books
Upload the ebook, then the paperback, and order a printed proof before you go further. You will also need an ISBN for print.
Read: How to self-publish a paperback on Amazon | Where to get an ISBN | What changed at KDP in 2026
Add an audiobook
Find a narrator, have the audio files recorded and delivered, and upload the finished audiobook to ACX.
Adjust your pricing
Set a starting price for each format by looking at similar books, then review it every few weeks based on your sales.
Gather reviews
Start an email list so you have advance readers, and ask them for honest reviews that follow Amazon’s rules.
Read: How to get Amazon Kindle book reviews without breaking the rules
Marketing
Start Amazon ads on automatic targeting with a small daily budget and check the results every day. Add content that brings in new readers.
Don’t do it alone
Ask a question when you are stuck instead of waiting. Other self-publishers in a group can save you months.
Get the checklist, free
All 12 steps on two pages, to print and tick off as you go. You get it straight away.
Want to talk it through?
Book a free 25-minute call. Tell me where your book is, and we'll work out your next step.