What is Kindle Direct Publishing?
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program allows independent authors to self-publish and distribute their books worldwide on the Amazon platform, making them available to purchase or download instantly in over 200 countries around the world. But what exactly is Kindle Direct Publishing, how does it work, and why should you choose it to publish your next book? Let’s take a look at all of the benefits of KDP and see if it might be right for you!
Kindle Direct Publishing
KDP, which stands for Kindle Direct Publishing, is a self-publishing platform from Amazon that lets you publish your book directly onto their website and get it out to readers who enjoy using their devices. The best part about publishing with KDP versus traditional self-publishing companies like CreateSpace and Lulu, as well as other online publishers like Draft2Digital or Smashwords, is that with KDP you retain more of your profits.
That’s because KDP only charges you a fee if your book makes money. Specifically, KDP authors pay a 35% royalty on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, which drops to 70% on books priced over $10, but that covers all of Amazon’s sales (including Kindle devices and apps), not just those via their store. Because they charge a higher commission elsewhere, KDP offers self-publishers who don’t want to become marketing experts a low-effort way to get their book out there. At present, it’s estimated that around 85% of all titles published in India are print-on-demand self-published works.
The Benefits of POD Books
While print on demand books aren’t for everyone, they do have their advantages. There are many reasons why an author might decide to use print on demand, including not having enough time to fulfill orders and not being able to afford a large print run. You’ll also likely enjoy additional benefits of print on demand such as less inventory, easier shipping logistics and potentially higher royalties. For instance, if you work with KDP Print rather than Amazon’s Marketplace, you won’t pay anything up front for printing costs.
Print on demand books are an option if you want to release a book without stocking it in stores or online. When you publish a print on demand book, it’s printed only when someone orders it from Amazon. You do have to pay for printing and shipping costs up front, which can be costly. But if your main goal is to establish yourself as an author and get your work out there for people to read, POD publishing may be worth exploring.
Why should I publish my book with Amazon KDP?
As a part of KDP, you’ll get access to easy-to-use online publishing tools like Kindle Create, which makes it easy to edit and format your book. You can publish with ease and upload new content whenever you want – directly from your computer or smart phone. Plus, as long as your book meets their criteria, they will make it available in multiple eBook formats for all Amazon customers, both on Kindle devices and reading apps and on free Kindle reading apps on Android phones and tablets or iPhones. In fact, over 80% of titles purchased on Kindle are bought from outside of Amazon – including physical stores like Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores like Powell’s Books or top retailers like Target.
How do I get started with publishing on Amazon KDP?
Getting started with Kindle Direct Publishing, or KDP, is simple and free. You can sign up for a KDP account and get started in minutes. When you publish on Amazon, your books are available to readers on Kindle devices as well as many other popular devices such as iOS and Android phones and tablets. Unlike going through a traditional publisher, Amazon’s print-on-demand service means that there are no setup costs—no printing plates to order or inventory to store! Simply upload your book file(s) to be printed on demand as they’re purchased. You choose which countries/regions your book will be made available in when you list it for sale on Amazon (it’s different than where you live).
Not interested in doing the formatting and uploading of your book? Consider hiring a KDP Assistant instead.