Kobo is one of the world’s most popular ebook retailers, particularly dominant in the Canadian market and highly respected globally for its dedicated e-readers. For any self-published author looking to maximize their reach, distributing through the Kobo platform is essential.
Fortunately, Kobo has made the self-publishing process incredibly straightforward through its dedicated author portal, Kobo Writing Life (KWL). This guide will walk you through every critical step, from file preparation to setting your royalties, ensuring your book looks professional and is properly positioned for sale worldwide.
Phase 1: Preparation – Making Your Manuscript Retail-Ready
Before you even log into Kobo Writing Life, you need three things: a flawless manuscript, a professional cover, and a perfectly formatted file. Rushing this stage is the number one reason self-published books fail to gain traction.
Step 1: Finalizing the Manuscript with Professional Editing
The manuscript you upload to the Kobo platform must be the absolute final version. Even the most skilled author needs outside help to catch mistakes.
Professional proofreading and editing are non-negotiable investments. Readers expect a clean, error-free reading experience, and Kobo users are particularly discerning.
If your book is riddled with typos, you will receive poor reviews, and the Kobo algorithm will stop recommending your title. This is the foundation of your entire publishing endeavor.
Step 2: Mastering the EPUB Format
Kobo books are read on e-ink devices (Kobo e-readers) and their mobile apps, all of which use the EPUB format. This format is specifically designed for “reflowable text.”
Reflowable text means the words adjust dynamically to the size of the screen, font choice, and line spacing the reader selects. A raw Microsoft Word document (DOCX) is inadequate for this purpose.
While the Kobo platform offers an automated conversion tool for DOCX files, these tools often produce sloppy results, breaking chapters and misplacing images. A clean, standardized EPUB file is necessary for a professional look.
You can create a perfect EPUB file using dedicated formatting software like Vellum (Mac) or Atticus (PC/Mac). Alternatively, you can hire a professional book formatter, which is highly recommended for complex or heavily stylized non-fiction titles.
The key takeaway here is: do not skimp on the final EPUB conversion. A clean EPUB ensures your book is accessible and readable on every device the Kobo platform supports.
Step 3: Designing a High-Impact Cover
Your cover is the primary piece of marketing material Kobo uses to sell your book. It needs to be professional, genre-appropriate, and high-resolution.
Kobo’s specific requirements for a successful cover upload are usually: a minimum of 1600 pixels on the shortest side and saved as a high-quality JPEG or PNG file.
A low-resolution or badly designed cover will not only look terrible on Kobo’s high-definition e-readers but will also prevent readers from trusting your work. Always hire a professional designer who specializes in your specific genre.
Step 4: Preparing Your Metadata
Metadata is the data about your data, and it is how Kobo categorizes and sells your book. This information is entered directly into the Kobo Writing Life portal and is perhaps more important than your manuscript file itself.
Key metadata components include your book description (the back-cover blurb), relevant search keywords, and subject categories (often referred to as BISAC codes). Accurate, keyword-rich metadata is essential for search engine optimization (SEO) within the Kobo store.
Phase 2: The Kobo Writing Life Upload Process
With your EPUB file, high-resolution cover, and prepared metadata in hand, you are now ready to engage with the Kobo Writing Life portal.
Step 5: Setting Up Your KWL Author Account
First, navigate to the Kobo Writing Life website and create your account. This requires basic identity information, email verification, and critically, your payment details and tax information.
Kobo needs this information to pay your royalties and to ensure proper tax withholding, depending on your country of residence. You must complete these payment steps before you can publish.
The entire interface is straightforward and free to use; there are no hidden fees to access the Kobo platform.
Step 6: Starting Your New Project
Once logged in, look for the “Create a New Ebook” or similar option. This begins the publishing sequence where you will fill in the various sections sequentially.
The first step is often to select the primary language and whether the book is a new publication or an update to an existing title.
Step 7: Uploading Your Core Files
This is the point where you upload the two main assets you prepared:
- The EPUB File: Upload the perfectly formatted EPUB file you created in Step 2. KWL will run a validation check to ensure the file is clean and meets their technical specifications.
- The Cover Image: Upload your high-resolution JPEG or PNG cover file. Kobo will display this immediately, so you can confirm it looks correct.
You should always use the Kobo previewer tool after the upload is complete. This tool allows you to see exactly how your book will appear on different devices, giving you a chance to catch any lingering formatting issues before publication.
Step 8: Configuring Book Details (The Metadata Deep Dive)
This is the lengthiest part of the process and requires precision. Every field you fill out helps the Kobo platform sell your book to the right reader.
Title and Contributor Information
Ensure the title, subtitle, and author name exactly match what is on your cover and in your EPUB file. Consistency is key for establishing your author brand. If it is part of a series, clearly define the series name and volume number, which Kobo uses for grouping.
The Sales Description
Paste your professional book description here. This should be a compelling, SEO-optimized sales pitch that uses keywords readers in your genre would search for. A good description will grab the reader’s attention immediately.
Categories and Keywords
Select up to three BISAC codes (subject categories). These codes are universal identifiers used by retailers to shelve your book. Choosing the most specific, less competitive categories will help new readers find you. For example, instead of just “Fiction,” choose “Fiction / Thrillers / Medical.”
Add a robust list of search keywords (e.g., historical romance, Scottish highlanders, time travel). These are the terms readers type into the search bar. Use all available keyword slots to maximize your visibility on the Kobo platform.
The ISBN Decision
Kobo gives you a choice regarding the ISBN, the book’s universal identifier:
- Kobo-Assigned ISBN: This option is free. Kobo gives your book an internal identifier that works perfectly well for sales on their site.
- Purchased ISBN: If you bought your own ISBN block, you can enter it here. This is necessary if you want the exact same edition of your book to have the same identification number across multiple distribution channels (e.g., Kobo, Amazon, Apple, Google).
For a first-time author focused solely on the Kobo platform, using the free Kobo-assigned ISBN is a perfectly valid and zero-cost option.
Phase 3: Pricing, Distribution, and Final Publication
The final steps involve making the critical financial decisions that determine how much you earn and where your book can be sold.
Step 9: Setting Your Distribution Rights
You must inform Kobo where you hold the rights to sell your book. Your options are generally:
- Worldwide: The preferred choice for most self-published authors, allowing sales in every country.
- Specific Territories: If your rights are restricted (e.g., you sold the print rights to a publisher in Canada), you can choose to only distribute in the U.S. and other available regions.
Choosing Worldwide distribution ensures you capture sales in every market where the Kobo platform operates.
Step 10: Establishing the Price Point and Royalties
This is the step where you define your pricing strategy and choose your royalties. Kobo offers two competitive royalty tiers:
- 70% Royalty Tier: This is Kobo’s preferred tier and applies when you price your book between $1.99 USD and $12.99 USD. This tier offers the largest percentage to the author.
- 45% Royalty Tier: This lower royalty rate applies if your book is priced below $1.99 (deep discounts) or above $12.99 (premium pricing).
Most authors aim for the 70% tier, setting a price between $3.99 and $5.99. The system will automatically perform currency conversion based on your chosen price and the current exchange rates for various global markets, such as Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Always review the converted prices to ensure they look reasonable to the customer in that market. Kobo provides tools to override these automatic conversions if necessary.
Step 11: Deciding on a Pre-Order
The Kobo platform fully supports pre-orders, a powerful marketing tool. A pre-order allows readers to purchase your book before its official publishing date.
This is crucial because all pre-order sales are credited to your launch day sales rank, which can dramatically boost your visibility and discoverability in the Kobo store. If your book is not completely finished, setting a pre-order is an excellent way to generate buzz.
If you choose a pre-order, you must upload the final EPUB file at least 10 days before the official publication date. If you’re publishing immediately, simply select the current date as your launch date.
Step 12: Final Review and Publication
The final screen on Kobo Writing Life presents a summary of all your settings, including the price, royalties, and rights. This is your last chance to confirm every detail is correct.
Double-check:
- The correct EPUB file is attached.
- Your book description is compelling.
- The price point is in the 70% royalty range.
- The publishing date is set correctly.
Once you are satisfied, click the final “Publish” button. Within 24 to 72 hours, your book will be reviewed by the Kobo team for technical issues and will appear for sale on the Kobo platform globally. You have now officially self-published your book!
What Happens After You Publish?
After the publishing date, your journey is far from over.
You must regularly monitor your sales dashboard within Kobo Writing Life. This gives you real-time data on how many books you have sold, where they were sold (geographic region), and the exact amount of royalties you have earned.
Use the promotional tools Kobo offers, such as discounting your book or running a sale, to increase your exposure. The Kobo platform is a dynamic ecosystem, and successful authors are those who actively manage their titles, adjust their pricing strategy, and ensure their metadata is always optimized for reader search habits.
Ready to Focus on Writing?
Publishing on Kobo requires meticulous attention to EPUB formatting, metadata optimization, and distribution channels. Don’t let the technical demands of Kobo Writing Life (KWL) take time away from your writing.
Our ghostwriting solution offers complete, end-to-end publishing assistance. We ensure your manuscript is professionally formatted for Kobo, your metadata is maximized for visibility, and your royalties are set correctly across all territories.
We handle the complexity—from file preparation to full KWL management—so you can focus on your next book. If you want any kind of assist, connect with us today.
