Amazon KDP
PickKindle Direct Publishing — free to use, controls ~67% of US ebook sales, with optional KDP Select for Kindle Unlimited.
Best for: All indie authors — essential for ebook and print sales; KU-focused fiction authors benefit most from KDP Select exclusivity
Details
- Service Type
- direct-retailer
- Format Support
- ebook, print, audiobook
- Distribution Channels
- Amazon Kindle Store, Amazon Print (POD), ACX Audiobooks
- Royalty Rate
- 35% or 70% (ebook); 50–60% minus print cost (print)
- Exclusivity Required
- false
Editor’s pick in the Self-Publish Your Book for $0 — Free to publish with up to 70% royalties on the world's largest bookstore
Also consider: Draft2Digital, Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo Writing Life
Editor’s pick in the Self-Publish for Under $300 — Free to publish with the highest royalty rates in the industry
Also consider: Draft2Digital
Strengths
- Market dominance: Amazon holds the largest share of both ebook and print POD sales for indie authors—no aggregator matches its direct reach.
- Kindle Unlimited access: KDP Select is the only way to enroll in Kindle Unlimited, a major revenue stream for high-volume romance and genre fiction authors.
- No fees: Zero upfront costs and no monthly fees make KDP a low-risk starting point.
Limitations
- KDP Select exclusivity: The 90-day exclusivity requirement means enrolled books cannot be sold elsewhere (Apple Books, Kobo, etc.) during that period—a meaningful tradeoff for authors building a wide distribution strategy.
- Print royalty cut (2025): KDP reduced print royalties for books priced under $9.99 from 60% to 50% of list price in June 2025, affecting authors who price paperbacks in the $6.99–$9.98 range.
- Amazon-only distribution: KDP does not distribute to other retailers. Authors going wide need a separate aggregator like Draft2Digital alongside their KDP account.
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is the dominant self-publishing platform, controlling roughly 67% of the US ebook market. Publishing is free, and authors choose between a 35% royalty at any price or a 70% royalty for ebooks priced $2.99–$9.99. For most indie authors, KDP is not optional—it's where the majority of sales happen.
What You Get
- Ebook publishing: Upload a manuscript and cover, and ebooks go live on Amazon within 24–72 hours. No upfront cost; Amazon takes its cut at sale.
- Print on demand: KDP Print handles paperbacks and hardcovers. Readers order, Amazon prints and ships. You receive royalties after printing costs are deducted.
- KDP Select: Optional 90-day exclusivity program. Enrolled books enter Kindle Unlimited, making them available to millions of KU subscribers on a per-page-read basis (~$0.0042–$0.0050/KENP page; varies monthly — $0.0042 in January 2026).
- Audiobooks: Via ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange), authors can hire narrators or produce audiobooks through Amazon's virtual voice AI tool, distributing to Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books at 40% royalty.
- Free ISBN: KDP assigns a free ASIN for ebooks and offers a free ISBN for print books. KDP ISBNs are restricted to KDP only—authors who want publishing flexibility should purchase their own ISBN.
Who It's For
- All indie authors: KDP is the baseline. Even authors distributing wide through aggregators like Draft2Digital typically publish directly on KDP for full control of their Amazon presence.
- KDP Select authors: Romance, fantasy, and thriller authors with high read-through often earn more through Kindle Unlimited page reads than direct sales, making exclusivity worthwhile.
- Authors starting out: No upfront cost and no minimum sales requirements make KDP accessible for debut authors.
Pricing: Free to publish. Ebook royalties: 70% for books priced $2.99–$9.99 (delivery fee of $0.15/MB deducted); 35% for all other prices. Print royalties: 60% minus printing costs for books priced ≥$9.99 USD; 50% minus printing costs for books under $9.99 (changed June 2025). Hardcover ISBN required for hardcover publishing.
Strengths
- Market dominance: Amazon holds the largest share of both ebook and print POD sales for indie authors—no aggregator matches its direct reach.
- Kindle Unlimited access: KDP Select is the only way to enroll in Kindle Unlimited, a major revenue stream for high-volume romance and genre fiction authors.
- No fees: Zero upfront costs and no monthly fees make KDP a low-risk starting point.
Limitations
- KDP Select exclusivity: The 90-day exclusivity requirement means enrolled books cannot be sold elsewhere (Apple Books, Kobo, etc.) during that period—a meaningful tradeoff for authors building a wide distribution strategy.
- Print royalty cut (2025): KDP reduced print royalties for books priced under $9.99 from 60% to 50% of list price in June 2025, affecting authors who price paperbacks in the $6.99–$9.98 range.
- Amazon-only distribution: KDP does not distribute to other retailers. Authors going wide need a separate aggregator like Draft2Digital alongside their KDP account.
Alternatives
For broad multi-retailer distribution, Draft2Digital or IngramSpark handle wide distribution while you maintain a direct KDP account. IngramSpark is preferred for bookstore distribution; KDP remains unmatched for Amazon-direct reach.
More Publishing & Distribution Tools
IngramSpark
Wide distribution via Ingram's trade network—the system most bookstores and libraries use to order inventory—reaching 45,000+ global retailers.
- Royalty Rate:
- 85% of net ebook revenue; print: list price minus print cost minus wholesale discount (35–55%) minus 1.875% global distribution fee
- Exclusivity Required:
- false
Direct self-publishing platform for BN.com and NOOK — 70% ebook royalty flat, free cover creator, POD print.
- Royalty Rate:
- 70% (ebook, all prices); 55% of list price minus printing costs (print)
- Exclusivity Required:
- false
Draft2Digital
Wide-distribution aggregator reaching 17+ retailers and 150+ channels — ebooks, print, and libraries — for a 10% commission.
- Royalty Rate:
- Retailer royalty minus 10% D2D commission
- Exclusivity Required:
- false
Complete Your Toolkit
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