How to Publish a Journal on Amazon KDP

The Simple Version

Journals are the easiest KDP product to make: design lined pages in a standard size (6" × 9" is the classic), export as one PDF, make a cover, upload to KDP, price it. Total production time can be an afternoon once you have a template.

Step 1 — Choose Trim Size & Page Count

• 6" × 9" is the most common journal size; 5" × 8", 7" × 10" and 8.5" × 11" also sell well.
• 110–150 pages feels substantial; more pages means a thicker spine and slightly higher print cost.
• Minimum is 24 pages for KDP paperback — but a real journal starts around 100.
• Check the current maximum — page-count and file-size caps change; verify at upload.

Step 2 — Design the Interior

• Lined pages — the format matters (lined, dotted, blank, or a mix for guided journals).
• Set the text frame — keep writing space inside the margins, not at the trim.
• Undated or dated — undated journals are evergreen; dated ones sell at the start of the year.
• Export one PDF — all pages in a single file, 300 DPI for clean print.

Step 3 — Make the Cover

• 2:3 ratio — height is 1.5 × width, so a 6" × 9" book gets an 8" × 12" cover plus spine.
• Use KDP’s cover template — it places the spine and back correctly.
• High-res — 300 DPI; KDP will warn you if the cover is too low-res.
• Title carries the niche — “Gratitude Journal for Women” beats “Journal”.

Step 4 — Title & Keywords

Journals live on search. Your title should state the type and audience (“Reading Journal for Book Lovers”), and the 7 keyword slots should hold phrases like “daily prompts”, “undated”, “for women”. Generate all of it in 30 seconds with our journal title generator and keyword generator.

Step 5 — Pricing

Journal prices typically land between $5.99 and $9.99. KDP’s paperback royalty is 60% minus print cost — a $7.99 journal earns roughly $2–4. Check the exact print cost at your trim size and page count.