March 2026 - How to Sell on Amazon
“Selling on Amazon isn’t complicated — but it does require following the right steps in the right order.”- Amy Lineberry
How to Sell on Amazon: The 9 Steps to Start Selling Your Handmade Products
You want to start selling your handmade products on Amazon?
Before you start clicking random buttons in Seller Central, you need a clear roadmap.
If you’re wondering how to sell on Amazon as a handmade seller, these are the 9 steps you need to take — in the correct order — to set up your account the right way and position your shop to be seen by millions of buyers.
Let’s keep it simple and walk through it step-by-step.
Step 1: Set Up Your Amazon Professional Seller Account
This is your foundation.
If you want to sell on Amazon, you must first create an Amazon Professional Seller Account. This gives you access to Seller Central — the backend dashboard where everything happens.
Without this, nothing else moves forward.
Tip: If you’re planning to apply for Amazon Handmade, you’ll still need this Professional account first.
Step 2: Apply for Amazon Handmade
Once your Professional Seller account is set up, you can apply to join Amazon Handmade.
This is a separate approval process that allows you to:
List in the Handmade marketplace
Avoid competing directly with mass-produced products
Access handmade-specific features
You cannot list as a handmade seller until you’re approved into the program.
Step 3: Wait for Approval (Usually Fast!)
Most sellers report approval within 24–48 hours.
While you wait, don’t just sit there refreshing your inbox — there are things you can do to prepare (we’ll cover those next).
Step 4: Complete Your Seller Central Account Settings
Inside Seller Central, click the gear icon in the upper right corner.
Here’s what you need to set up:
Tax information
Bank account details
Deposit methods
Return address
Business information
You can complete most of this while waiting for your Handmade approval.
The more complete your account is, the smoother your launch will be.
Step 5: Set Up Your Shipping Settings
Before you ever create a product listing, set up your shipping profiles.
This tells Amazon:
Your handling time
Your transit time
Your delivery estimates
Accurate shipping settings create a better customer experience and help prevent late shipment issues.
If you’re selling handmade items, this step matters more than people realize.
Step 6: Create Your Maker Profile
Once you’re approved into Amazon Handmade, you’ll gain access to the Handmade Hub.
From there, create your Maker Profile.
This is where customers can:
Learn about you
Read your story
Understand how your products are made
People love buying from real makers. Don’t skip this.
Step 7: Create Your First Product Listing
Now for the fun part.
To list your first product, you’ll need:
A strong product title
Relevant search keywords
A short description
Bullet points
Product photos (main image must be on white background)
Handling time
The “Handcrafted” classification selected
This is where your product officially enters the Amazon marketplace.
If you’ve been researching how to sell on Amazon, this is the moment it becomes real.
Want help setting all of this up step by step?
I created a short, actionable mini course specifically for handmade sellers that walks you through Amazon Seller Central, applying for Handmade, creating your Maker Profile, and getting your first listings live — without guessing your way through it.
Click Here for all the details on How to Set Up Your Amazon Handmade Account
Step 8: Wait for Your Listing to Go Live
After you submit your listing, Amazon needs time to process it.
This can take:
15 minutes
A few hours
Occasionally up to 24 hours
Once it’s live, your product is officially searchable and available for purchase.
Step 9: Choose FBM or FBA
This is a big decision.
You’ll choose between:
FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) You ship orders yourself.
FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) You send inventory to Amazon, and they:
Store it
Pack it
Ship it
Handle customer service
Each option has pros and cons.
Choosing the right one depends on:
Your production speed
Your margins
Your product type
Whether Prime eligibility matters for your growth strategy
There is no one-size-fits-all answer.
That’s It — The 9 Steps to Sell on Amazon
If you’ve been overwhelmed trying to figure out how to sell on Amazon, this roadmap gives you the correct order of operations.
You don’t need to master everything today.
You just need to:
Set up your account
Apply for Handmade
Prepare your backend
Launch your first listing
Everything else builds from there.
Ready to Start Selling on Amazon?
If you want a printable roadmap so you don’t miss anything, grab my free Getting Started Checklist. It walks you step-by-step through setting up your account, applying for Amazon Handmade, preparing your first listing, setting up your shipping correctly, and knowing exactly what to double-check before you hit publish — so you can launch with confidence instead of guessing your way through Seller Central.
