How to Decide If Self-Publishing With KDP Is Right for You, by Desiree Villena

If you’ve written a book, chances are someone will ask if it’s on Amazon. And in all likelihood, your answer will be "yes" — particularly if you're an independent author, as Amazon's self-publishing branch Kindle Direct Publishing is a no-brainer these days for indie sales and exposure.

But just because KDP is a natural choice for self-publishing your ebooks, that doesn't mean it’s the only choice. There's definitely something to be said for "going wide" and including retailers other than Amazon in your distribution strategy.

In this post, I’ll give a quick primer on why KDP can be a great option for indie authors, as well as a few reasons why you might consider expanding your sales horizons.

The Benefits of Kindle Direct Publishing

1. The publishing platform is easy to use
With KDP, uploading a book cover, inserting a book description, and formatting your product page is simple. And some sleight of hand with categorization and keywords helps users find your book title in the search bar – which means that you have Amazon’s powerful algorithm at your disposal. Though you'll certainly benefit from outside research, KDP guides you through the entire process and makes it easy to optimize your book for Amazon.

2. You get your book on the biggest retailer in the English-speaking world
Even as early as 2014, Amazon dominated 65% of print and digital sales – which means that there’s no real “competition” against Amazon, despite what other consumer platforms may claim. Some independent authors are especially aghast at this kind of monopolization and will opt for a less saturated market. That’s understandable – but you have to balance your values over sales goals, especially in a competitive field like book publishing. 

3. With KDP print, you can take care of your print books in the same place
Formerly known as CreateSpace, KDP Print is a print-on-demand service with book cover and interior design tools. It’s a cost-saving measure because you don’t spend thousands of dollars printing books that don’t get sold. And KDP Print is especially helpful for ebook authors who want to link their sales pages together with one click — indeed, there’s even an option for print book customers to download the ebook version of a book for free, which may be an enticing bonus for your readers.

4. You can enroll in KDP Select for extra benefits
If you publish with KDP, you can also choose to enroll in KDP Select: a program that offers additional promotional support in exchange for the exclusive digital selling rights of your book for 90 days. In return, you’ll have access to the Kindle Unlimited program (Amazon’s “Netflix for books”), be involved in site-wide deals, and join the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, where users share books with others. Kindle Unlimited and the Lending Program run on a per-page-read royalty system, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a true page-turner before opting into them.

Going with KDP Select makes the book publishing process a true one-stop-shop. “Going wide” involves a lot more work. While aggregators like Draft2Digital simplify the process by publishing and collecting royalties for you from a variety of sellers, there’s still a lot of personal effort involved.

But, if you’re trying to make a business out of self-publishing, going wide is not a bad idea to contemplate… 

Why You Might Want to Also Consider “Going Wide” 

1. Amazon isn't as huge in other territories
While Amazon owns around 80% of the market shares in the U.S. and U.K., it’s not the only option out there. Kobo, for example, runs 25% of the ebook market in Canada and Apple Books represents 30% in Australia. These brands use creativity and partnerships to get noticed, too, which is an advantage for you. Kobo’s Walmart partnership, for instance, is a way to reach a wide constituency. You’ll miss out on these users by only distributing through KDP.

2. You may have a better chance of being promoted by real people
Companies like Barnes & Noble often promote staff recommendations, so if you’re a top pick, you’ll reap the benefits of their email campaigns. Amazon’s algorithm will give you access to an audience greater than the size of these email lists, yes, but conversions can be lower amongst so much competition. And bestseller lists won’t be in your arsenal either, since listmakers like The New York Times require you to sell with at least two retailers before making the cut. For these reasons, if you’ve written the kind of book that you think will really shine under a more personally cultivated spotlight, you might want to avoid publishing through KDP alone.

3. There are certain royalty benefits 
While KDP allows 70% of royalties for books up to $9.99, some other platforms actually have better deals. Apple, for example, offers 70% of royalties on most print and ebooks regardless of price. Authors selling print books on Kobo can also benefit from 70% of the royalties at no price lock, which is great for box sets sold at a $19.99 price point or above.

Granted, there are no rules when it comes to self-publishing and the platforms you choose. That’s what makes the process interesting – the manner in which you execute it can be as unique as your text. But it's important to manage your expectations before going in. By identifying the benefits and drawbacks from the get-go, you’ll set your book up for success from day one.

Desiree Villena is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors and publishers with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Desiree enjoys reading contemporary fiction and writing short stories. She's very passionate about independent publishing and hopes to help as many aspiring authors as possible reach their dreams! If you have any comments or questions for her, please leave them below, or you can reach her via email.​