How to use the KDP Book Studio: a first look for beginners

Step by step

1. 1Open the Book Studio. Start Here pops up on your first visit.
2. 2Follow its 12 short steps, or type your title — say what the book is and who it's for — and a subtitle.
3. 3Click Close and work on my own whenever you like; everything you typed stays in the workspace.
4. 4Your book is on the left, your printed pages in the centre, and My books, the free KDP calculators and AI credits on the right.
5. 5Use the toolbar for Start here, Start from a template and What's new. Switch Interior | Cover to see the full-wrap cover.
6. 6Click Build outline to see your book's real pages. Free users preview the first 6 puzzles.
7. 7Download the first 10 pages plus the cover free. The whole interior, the cover print files and AI come with the Publisher plan.
8. 8The Studio autosaves; Download gives you a .ppbook file, and Start here reopens any time.

Transcript

Episode one: your first look at the Book Studio. The first time you visit, Start here opens. It's twelve short steps, in the order Amazon asks for them. First, your title. Say what the book is, and who it's for. Then a subtitle, the second line shoppers search. You can close it any time. Nothing's lost. On the left is your book. Your Start here answers are already in, with the puzzle sections below. The middle shows your real printed pages. The right side keeps your saved books, with free K-D-P calculators. Up top, Start here reopens the walkthrough, and Templates holds thirty-seven proven niches. This switch flips between the inside of your book and its cover. It's a full wrap: back, spine and front. That's episode nine. Click Build outline. A few seconds later, you're looking at your book's real pages. Flip through them. The first six puzzles preview free. Here's what's free: the first ten pages and the cover, with no branding. The whole interior needs the Publisher plan, and so does the AI, which is in beta. Your book saves itself in this browser as you work. You can also download it as a file, or sign in and save it to your account. And Start here is always one click away. There they are: your book's real pages, free to build and preview. Next up, episode two: starting from a proven niche.

Chapter by chapter

0:04 Start Here walks you through

Start Here opens on your first visit with 12 steps in Amazon's order; type a title and subtitle, then close it any time without losing anything.

0:23 The three panels

Your book on the left (title, size, sections), your real printed pages in the centre, and My books, free KDP calculators and AI credits on the right.

0:37 The toolbar and the cover switch

Start here, Start from a template and What's new sit in the toolbar, and the Interior | Cover switch opens the full-wrap cover designer.

0:50 Build your first outline

Build outline turns your settings into your book's real pages in a few seconds; free users preview the first 6 puzzles.

1:00 What's free, what needs Publisher

The first 10 pages plus the cover download free with no branding; the full interior, cover print files and AI need a Publisher plan.

1:10 Autosave, My books and Start here again

The Studio autosaves in your browser, Download gives you a .ppbook file, Save to account needs sign-in, and Start here reopens any time.

Parts marked Publisher (the full interior PDF, the cover print files and the AI tools, in beta) need a KDP Publisher plan; building, previewing and the first 10 pages plus cover are free. Everything else shown is free. See the plans.