KDP Book Launch Checklist

← All templates

Phase 1 — Manuscript & Formatting

Manuscript proofread by at least one person who is not the author

Formatted correctly for eBook (no hard page breaks except chapter ends, heading styles applied)

Formatted correctly for print (mirror margins, correct trim size, spine width calculated)

Table of contents generated and linked (eBook)

Front matter complete: title page, copyright page, dedication

Back matter includes: review request, author bio, other books by author / CTA

KDP Preview checked on both phone and tablet screen sizes

Print interior PDF checked page-by-page (no orphaned headers, correct page numbers)

Phase 2 — Cover & Product Page

eBook cover designed (minimum 2,560 × 1,600px, JPG or TIFF)

Cover thumbnail test: title legible at 80px width (Amazon search result size)

Print cover wrap designed (front + spine + back, correct bleed and spine width)

Cover genre-appropriate — signals correct category to browsers at a glance

Book description written with hook, body, and CTA

Book description formatted with supported HTML tags (<b>, <ul>, <li>)

First 600 characters of description are compelling (visible before "Read more" fold)

Phase 3 — Keywords & Categories

Amazon autocomplete research completed for primary topic

Competitor keyword analysis done (top 5 competitors' titles and subtitles reviewed)

All 7 backend keyword fields filled to character limit

Keywords don't repeat title/subtitle words

Primary keyword phrase in book title or subtitle

2 initial categories selected — one broad, one niche subcategory

Additional categories identified for KDP support request (up to 10 total)

Category BSR checked — #1 in target subcategory is achievable (>BSR #10,000)

Phase 4 — Pricing & Distribution

Competitor eBook prices researched in target category

eBook priced in 70% royalty tier ($2.99–$9.99) unless intentional

Paperback price set above minimum (royalty > $0)

KDP Select decision made (exclusive or going wide)

If going wide: book uploaded to other platforms (Kobo, Apple Books, Draft2Digital)

Tax information submitted in KDP account

Bank / payment details added to KDP account

Phase 5 — Pre-Launch (4 Weeks Before)

ARC reader list built (minimum 10 readers in your genre)

ARC copies sent to readers 2–3 weeks before launch date

Author Central page set up (author bio, photo, linked to books)

Social media launch posts drafted and scheduled

Email list notified of upcoming launch

Launch price strategy decided (full price or $0.99 discount window)

If KDP Select: Kindle Countdown Deal or Free Promo days planned

Phase 6 — Launch Day & Post-Launch

Book published and live on Amazon

Product page reviewed live — cover, description, Look Inside all correct

Email list notified — launch day email sent with direct Amazon link

Social media launch posts published

KDP support emailed to add additional categories

First reviews starting to come in from ARC readers (follow up if needed)

BSR monitored daily for first 2 weeks

Amazon Ads set up once 5+ reviews received

Paperback/hardcover versions confirmed live and linked to eBook

Post-launch email sent at 2 weeks — thank readers, share any early results, ask for reviews