Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Amazon KDP Lets Authors Publish Books Free and Earn Royalties
Amazon KDP is a service that lets people publish books through Amazon.
Authors do not pay an upfront publishing fee.
They can make an eBook, paperback, or hardcover.
First, they edit their writing and prepare the pages and cover.
Then they upload the files and add details to help readers find the book.
They choose a price and a royalty option.
The article says authors may earn up to 70% or 35% of sales, depending on the option.
Some eBooks can also be read through Kindle Unlimited, with earnings based on pages read.
After publishing, authors can check their sales reports.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing lets authors publish eBooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers without upfront publishing fees.
Authors prepare and upload a manuscript and cover, then check their files with KDP’s previewer.
Book listings include a title, description, categories, and up to seven keywords to help readers find them.
The article describes royalty options of up to 70% or 35%, with different pricing ranges and delivery charges.
Authors can enroll eBooks in KDP Select for Kindle Unlimited, where earnings depend on pages read, and track sales in Reports.
- Who
- Writers and independent authors using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
- What
- A guide to preparing, publishing, pricing, and tracking books through KDP.
- Where
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing’s website.
- Why
- To help writers publish books without upfront publishing fees and earn royalties from sales.
- Formats
- eBooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers
- Upfront publishing fee
- None, according to the article
- eBook file formats mentioned
- Word documents, EPUB, and PDF; the article says Amazon prefers Word and EPUB over PDF
- 70% royalty option
- The article gives a selectable book price range of $2.99 to $12.99 and says a delivery charge applies.
- 35% royalty option
- The article gives a selectable book price range of $0.99 to $200 and says there is no delivery charge.
- KDP Select
- Can make an eBook available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers; earnings depend on pages read.
- Sales tracking
- Authors can check daily sales reports in the Reports section.