Table of Contents
Publishing on Amazon KDP really doesn’t need to be some intimidating, all-day project. In my experience, once you’ve got the workflow down, it’s mostly just uploading, double-checking formatting, and hitting publish. And yes—I've timed parts of this process. With the right setup, you can go from draft to live faster than you’d expect.
In the first video, I walk through creating an ebook (including the exact flow I use with Automateed to generate the book faster). In the second video, I show you how I take the finished file, upload it to KDP, and get it submitted for approval—typically within 72 hours.
Part 1 – How to Create an eBook in Just 6 Minutes Using AI
Creating a book now is way less complicated than it used to be. With AI, I can usually generate a complete ebook draft in minutes—then I just shape it so it actually sounds like something a human would want to read. What matters most is the inputs you give it and the quick cleanup you do before you export.
Step 1: Start with a Clear Book Idea
First things first: enter a working title. Something like “How to Write a Book Using AI” is a solid start. Then specify your target audience. Are you writing for young entrepreneurs, marketers, or tech enthusiasts? The more specific you are, the less “generic” the output feels.
Finally, choose the tone. If you want it friendly and conversational, say so. If you want it more direct and instructional, tell it that. I’ve found that tone is one of the biggest factors in whether readers stick around or bounce.
Tips for Setting Up the Book Tone
If you want your ebook to feel personal, set it up to use a first-person voice. “Here’s what I did…” and “In my experience…” style sentences make the whole thing feel more relatable. Readers can tell when a book is written like a robot. First-person helps you avoid that.
One more thing: don’t try to sound “too perfect.” People like imperfect, real examples. Even a quick line like “I ran into this formatting issue and fixed it by…” makes the content feel credible.
Step 2: Generate the Outline
Once you’ve got the title, audience, and tone set, generate the outline. In my workflow, the app creates an outline with 15 chapters and three subchapters per chapter. That’s a nice structure because it gives you depth without turning the book into a massive project.
You can also adjust the outline to match your target length. Want something around 40–60 pages? You can trim. Want closer to 80–120 pages? You can expand. It’s flexible.
Pro Tip: Keep the chapter headings as headings and let the subtopics stay in list/bullet format. That structure makes the final export cleaner and reduces formatting headaches later.
Step 3: Building Out the Content
After the outline is generated, the app builds out the content for each chapter and subchapter. In most cases, it takes about five minutes. Then you’ve got a full draft you can review instead of starting from a blank page.
While it’s generating, I usually jump ahead and check the sections that matter most for my niche—like the “how-to” chapters. If anything feels off, I tweak the prompt/tone and regenerate those pieces rather than rewriting the whole thing later.
Additional Tools for Content Enhancement
AI Image Generator
Images can make a book feel more polished, especially for guide-style ebooks. The image generator lets you create different orientations—portrait, landscape, or square—so you can match the layout you’re going for. I usually pick a style that matches the vibe of the cover. Realistic photos feel more “business,” while illustrations can make the book feel friendlier.
Task Generator for Creative Ideas
When I’m stuck, I use the task generator by typing a category like “marketing” or “investing.” It suggests topics, sub-niches, and even title ideas. It’s a good way to break out of the same few ideas you keep circling.
For example, if your main topic is “real estate investing,” you might branch into “first-time investor strategies,” “rental property cash flow,” or “market trend checklists.” That kind of specificity is usually what helps you stand out on KDP.
Step 4: Finalize and Download
When everything looks good, download the book. You can grab it as a Word document or save it as a PDF. I prefer DOCX for KDP because it’s easier to keep formatting consistent when you upload.
Also, don’t skip the quick editor pass. Add your author name, adjust the cover text if needed, and make sure the title looks sharp. Small tweaks make a big difference when someone sees your book thumbnail for the first time.
Additional Feature: Audiobooks are coming soon, so if you’re thinking about expanding your product line, you’ll want to keep an eye on that.
Part 2: How to Publish AI-Generated Books on Amazon KDP – A Step-by-Step Guide
Alright—your ebook is ready. Now it’s time to publish it on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). This is the part where small mistakes can slow things down, so I’ll focus on the steps that matter most: prepping files, uploading the right format, and setting categories/keywords that actually match what readers search for.
Step 1: Download and Prepare Your Book for Upload
Download your manuscript in DOCX format. KDP accepts a few formats, but DOCX is usually the easiest to work with when you need to clean up formatting. Also, if your book has a table of contents, make sure it’s set up properly.
Here’s what I do in Word: I use Word’s built-in References feature to generate a clickable Table of Contents. It’s not just for looks—KDP handles it more cleanly when the TOC is built using Word’s tools.
And yes, download your cover image separately. KDP requires the cover as its own file. Don’t assume it’s “included” with the manuscript upload.
Step 2: Set Up Your KDP Account
If you don’t already have a KDP account, create one. You’ll need to verify your details—name, email, and other basic info. Once your account is verified, you’ll be able to access the KDP dashboard and start creating a new title.
Quick tip: keep your author name consistent across KDP and your cover. It looks more professional and avoids confusion later.
Step 3: Upload Your Book and Add Essential Details
From the dashboard, click Create and select Kindle eBook. Then enter your title and subtitle. This is where keywords can help, but don’t force it. If your subtitle reads like a robot stuffed with search terms, people can feel it.
If you’re stuck, use a title generator or just brainstorm 10 variations. My rule: keep the core keyword close to the front. For example, “Real Estate Investing: Strategies…” will usually outperform “Strategies for Investing in Real Estate…” in terms of clarity.
Subtitle Tips for Improved Visibility
Subtitles can boost discoverability when they match what your target audience is actually searching for. If your book is about real estate, try adding words like strategies, market trends, cash flow, or beginner guide. Those are the kinds of phrases readers tend to type.
Step 4: Add Author Name and Description
For author details, using your real name can help build trust. But if you want privacy (or you’re testing multiple niches), a pen name is totally fine.
Next comes the description. I usually start with AI-generated ideas from my outline, then I rewrite the first 2–3 sentences myself. Why? Because the opening is what convinces a reader to click “Look inside.” Make it specific: who it’s for, what they’ll learn, and what problem it solves.
Keep it tight. You don’t need a 900-word novel unless your audience expects it.
Step 5: Choose Categories and Keywords
Categories matter more than people think. Pick up to three categories that genuinely fit your book. For a real estate book, something like Business, Education, and Investing can be good starting points—then you adjust based on what similar top books are using.
For keywords, use the KDP keyword tool and focus on terms that match your book’s exact topic. Don’t just pick “high traffic” words that don’t match your content. Amazon readers can tell, and mismatched keywords usually hurt conversions.
Step 6: Upload Your Manuscript and Cover
Now upload your DOCX manuscript and your cover image. Before you hit submit, make sure the formatting looks right in the preview. I can’t stress this enough—preview checks save you from embarrassing issues like broken headings or weird spacing.
KDP includes a basic cover editor, but if you want better control, I recommend making a custom cover using tools like Canva or Adobe Photoshop. When the cover thumbnail looks clear at small sizes, you’ll usually get more clicks.
Step 7: Set Pricing and Publish
KDP gives you two royalty options: 35% or 70%. The 70% option sounds great (it is), but in practice I’ve seen the 35% option make more sense for some books—especially when file size is a factor and your math gets complicated.
Pricing is all about competitive research. For many non-fiction ebooks, $7 is a pretty common “reasonable” price point. It’s not magic, but it’s often easy for readers to justify buying.
Once everything’s set, click Publish to submit for review. In my experience, approval is usually within up to 72 hours—assuming your files and metadata are in good shape.
Pro Tip: You can also publish in paperback or hardcover using similar steps on KDP—just be ready for different formatting and cover requirements.
