How To Publish a Book On Amazon For Free: 7 Ways to Try

Do you have a book you’ve always loved to write? Or maybe you’ve already written it, but just aren’t sure what to do with it now. What’s holding you back?

If you’re like many writers, you might think it costs an arm and a leg to self-publish something. All those proofreaders, editors, and graphic designers doing the layout. And once that part’s done, how are you supposed to pay to market it so people can actually find it? 

We feel you. But thankfully, publishing on Amazon is not as expensive as you might think. Actually, there’s a no-cost way to do it. So if you’re a writer who is holding themselves back because of the mysterious costs of self-publishing, this article is for you. Keep that wallet closed–unless it’s for your daily latte, in which case, go for it! No judgment here.

We're going Mythbusters on the idea that you need to spend big bucks publishing on Amazon. From creating content to zero-cost marketing magic, we'll break down the secrets for how to publish a book on Amazon for free. We’ll show you how you can publish your masterpiece on Amazon in just a few simple steps. 

Note: If you want to get started with publishing books on Amazon to earn side (or even full-time!) income, sign up for our webinar today. We'll walk you through step-by-step all the things you need to run a thriving kindle publishing business.

A Look at Amazon Publishing

Amazon has revolutionized the self-publishing world with its Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform. Authors can now cash in and share their work with millions of readers around the world. 

From eBooks to audiobooks, and everything in between, Amazon has rolled out the red carpet for indie authors. It offers a treasure trove of ways you can make money online through Amazon publishing.

Here are just a few: 

• Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): KDP gives authors the ability to easily self-publish their work in eBook and even hardcopy formats. It’s one of the most popular platforms for publishing your book and they give you control over the content and pricing. Be sure to check out Kindle Select, where you can make even more money with Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.
• Kindle Vella—With Kindle Vella, you release your book one episode (chapter) at a time. If readers like what they’re seeing, they can keep reading by buying tokens to unlock more chapters. And authors get 50% of the money from the tokens. 

• Amazon Advantage: This is for publishers and media suppliers who want to focus more on selling physical books, CDs, and DVDs on Amazon. Advantage works on a consignment model and can give you better ways to manage your inventory and cut down on costs.

• ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange): Audiobooks, anyone? This is a great way for authors to produce and distribute their books in audio format. It connects authors, narrators, and rights holders to create high-quality audiobooks.

Some look at all of Amazon’s self-publishing tools and wonder, “Is it free to publish on Amazon?” It definitely can be and we’ll show you how! Let’s dive a little deeper.

Getting Your Book Ready

If you already have a book written, you can skim some of this next part. If you don’t, do some research into what is popular in the market. What books are people buying? Especially in the self-publishing realm. If cheesecake recipe books are really hot right now (and if they’re not, they should be)–and everyone always raves about how good your cheesecakes are–it might be time to start writing about that. Whatever it is, write what you know. 

Another tip: experts in publishing often say it’s better to find a niche subject than to be too broad. Think of it this way. If you write a Keto recipe book, you’ll be competing with the one million other Keto books out there. But what about “Your Guide to Keto Cheesecakes”? We’d definitely buy that.

So, you’ve written your book. You feel really excited about it but need someone to look at it. When it comes to proofreading and editing it, see if a friend who is good at that kind of thing can help. Or maybe you can trade some of your skills in return for their work. You can also learn to spot and fix common grammar and style errors and do some of this work yourself. Or use free online tools like Grammarly or Hemingway.

You’ll also need to format your book properly for Amazon, whether it’s as an ebook or a physical book. Even though it might cost a few bucks, you can hire a freelancer on Upwork or Fiverr to format it for you. There are also some free do-it-yourself software tools and templates you can use online. Or if you want to go the totally free route, you can get a free trial of software like Adobe InDesign and teach yourself how to do it. 

7 Free Ways to Publish and Market Your Book

1. Publishing–First, actually publishing your book on Amazon’s KDP is totally free. So once your book is done, Amazon doesn’t charge you anything to put it up on their platform. Very cool!

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2. Marketing–There are ways you can market your Amazon book for free. Actually a lot of ways. For instance, you can collaborate with fellow authors for cross-promotions on each other's blogs or newsletters. You can take part in online forums and communities to engage with potential readers who share your knowledge on the topics you write about. 
3. Review– Collecting Amazon book reviews are a big part of breathing life into your campaign. And they don’t cost anything. Ask people who have read it to leave a review of it so you can help others find it. 
4. Podcasts–You can also leverage podcasts to get the word out. This can be an amazing–and free!–way to increase your visibility and credibility as an author. Even if it’s just a friend’s podcast, and they only have 15 subscribers, do it! You gotta start somewhere.
5. AI tools–There are a ton of free AI tools out there now that can help give you ideas on how to market and sell your book. AI can help you write posts and descriptions about your book to get the word out. Get creative!
6. Social media–It doesn’t cost a dime to post about your book on social media. 

Read our guide on how to market your self-published book for more tips to get the word out there.

With self-publishing, it’s crucial to establish a buzz on social media about your book. Establishing a solid social media presence across various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn is key. This is not the time to be a wallflower and wait for people to come to you. Hype, hype, hype! And don’t forget to engage with readers and potential fans to grow your community.

7. Email newsletter–Another great way to build your audience is to start an email newsletter. This doesn’t have to cost anything, except getting your hands dirty, but can be a fun and relatively easy way to connect with people who might be into your work. You can send behind-the-scenes updates on your writing, tell them about new projects you’re working on, and other types of exclusive content. 

Once your book is released, and being marketed, keep a close eye on its performance and make tweaks to your strategy or content as needed. Don’t be afraid to try new things! 

What Are You Waiting For?

Now that you’ve learned all the ways you can publish on Amazon for free, don’t leave that manuscript sitting for one more day collecting dust on your computer. Get it out there! The world needs your story, experience, and skills. You can crush your goals and live the life you’ve always wanted. But it is going to take work. Once you get started, though, you might find it’s easier and more fun than you thought. 

Self-publishing can be a roller coaster, for sure. But never stop learning, growing, and adapting. Find what works for you and stick with it.

So … what are you waiting for? Take the plunge into self-publishing. Check out our free training to find out how you can turn your literary dreams into reality and unleash the incredible potential that Amazon Publishing offers.