If you’ve found your way here, there’s a good chance this idea didn’t arrive with fireworks. It probably slipped in quietly. You noticed a journal while browsing Amazon. Or a puzzle book that made you think, That’s it? People buy this? Maybe you’ve always liked the idea of writing, but not the part where you edit the same sentence seventeen times and still don’t love it.
At some point, the thought crossed your mind: I could do this.
And then reality followed close behind.
You started thinking about how much time it would take. About competition. About whether this would turn into another project that sounded good in theory and fizzled out in practice. The excitement cooled, not because the idea was bad, but because you’re sensible. You don’t want to leap into something that demands more energy than you have to give.
That pause makes sense.
What’s interesting is that even after all those reasonable objections, the idea didn’t disappear. It showed up again later. Maybe when you noticed how many simple books are still selling. Maybe when you realized Amazon is where people go on purpose to look for books. Maybe when you caught yourself thinking, again, there’s something here.
So instead of talking yourself out of it, let’s slow down and look at what self-publishing actually looks like when you strip away the noise.
The part most people don’t realize: KDP is free, and that changes everything
A lot of people assume self-publishing comes with a price tag. That you have to pay to get your book listed, or buy some kind of publishing package, or commit money before you even know if you like the process.
That’s not how Amazon KDP works.
You don’t pay Amazon to publish your book. There’s no setup fee, no upload fee, no “pay to play.” You create an account, upload your book files, and Amazon lists your book for sale. When someone buys a copy, Amazon prints it, ships it, and pays you a royalty.
That’s it.
If your book sells, you earn money. If it doesn’t sell, you haven’t lost anything. No inventory. No sunk costs. No awkward boxes in your garage.
And once you really let that sink in, the pressure changes.
Because when publishing is free to start, your first book doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to represent your life’s work. It doesn’t have to prove anything. It can simply be a test. An experiment. A way to learn how publishing works by actually doing it.
And KDP is forgiving.
If you notice a typo later, you can fix it. If you decide the cover isn’t quite right, you can change it. If your description feels clunky once you see it live, you can rewrite it. Nothing is permanent. Everything can be improved.
That flexibility is exactly what makes KDP such a good place to begin.
What you actually need to publish a book (it’s less than you think)
When you boil it down, KDP only asks for two things:
The inside of the book, called the manuscript.
And the cover.
That’s it.
This is why so many people find satisfaction in no-content books, low-content books, and activity books. You’re still publishing. You’re still creating something real. You’re just choosing formats that don’t require you to write, edit, and polish hundreds of pages of text.
I’ve always liked the idea of writing. But I’ve learned about myself that I don’t love the editing process. What I do love is building useful things. Organizing information. Creating systems. Designing experiences. That’s why low-content books and courses feel so satisfying to me. They’re still publishing. They just fit how my brain works.
A real example: publishing a puzzle book without writing a manuscript
Let’s make this practical.
Say you decide to create a maze book using a puzzle generator.
You choose the style of maze.
You choose the difficulty.
You decide how many pages you want.
You click generate and download the PDF.
If that PDF is 110 pages long, that’s your book interior. That file is your manuscript.
The only thing you might want to add is a small section at the front called front matter.
Front matter, explained like a normal person
Front matter is just the handful of pages that come before the main content starts. It sounds fancy, but it’s simple.
For a puzzle or activity book, front matter usually includes:
A title page
A copyright page
An optional short note explaining how to use the book
That’s enough. You’re not writing a novel or a memoir. You’re giving the book a professional beginning.
If you want to make this even easier, Amazon’s free Kindle Create tool can generate basic front matter pages for you with just a few clicks.
Publishing on KDP really is a three-page process
Once your files are ready, KDP walks you through publishing in three steps. It looks more intimidating than it actually is.
Page one: Book details
This is where you enter the identity of your book.
You add the title, author name (yes, you can use a pen name), description, keywords, and categories. Don’t overthink this part. Your first goal isn’t perfect marketing. It’s learning how the system works.
You can revise this later.
Page two: Content
This is where you upload your files.
You upload your interior PDF.
Then you add a cover.
If you don’t want to design a full cover yet, KDP’s Cover Creator exists for exactly this reason. It lets you choose a layout, add your title, and generate a print-ready cover without needing any design software.
If you do want to design your own cover, KDP provides templates and a cover calculator so the dimensions are correct for your page count.
Either option works.
Page three: Rights and pricing
This is where you set your price and choose where your book can be sold. When you’re ready, you click publish.
Your book goes into review, and once it’s approved, it’s live on Amazon.
That’s it. You’re published.
Why KDP is such a good place to get your feet wet
Amazon isn’t just a store. It’s the world’s largest book search engine. People go there looking for journals, planners, puzzle books, and activity books on purpose. When you publish on KDP, you’re placing your book where readers already are.
And KDP doesn’t lock you into anything.
If you later decide to publish elsewhere, you can.
If you build an audience and want to sell directly, you can.
If you decide publishing isn’t for you, you can walk away with experience instead of regret.
That’s a rare combination.
You don’t have to go all in to begin
Self-publishing doesn’t require a big plan. It doesn’t require confidence upfront. It doesn’t require you to decide who you’re going to be five years from now.
It just requires one small project you’re willing to try.
One journal.
One planner.
One puzzle book.
Let the first version teach you. Let the second version improve. Confidence comes from doing, not waiting.
And that’s why this is such an easy way to explore self-publishing.
Not because it’s effortless, but because it gives you room to learn without pressure.
Click here to get started: AMAZON KDP PUBLISHING