Amazon KDP on the BookBird Author Score
Author Score · publishing platforms · #1 of 12
Best for: Authors selling mainly on Amazon, including Kindle Unlimited readers
99.1 of 100 points = 9.9 out of 10. How this score is calculated
Author jobs, from Amazon KDP’s own pages
- Yes: Ebooks
- Yes: Paperbacks
- Yes: Hardcovers
- Yes: Free to publish
- Yes: Royalty rate stated
- Yes: Non-exclusive
- Yes: Distribution to other stores
- Yes: Library distribution
- Yes: Free ISBN
Amazon KDP pricing
The platform takes a share of sales. There is a free plan. The plans as Amazon KDP’s own site listed them on October 7, 2026, in US dollars:
- Publishing account: Free
Free to publish. Ebooks: 35% or 70% royalty (70% for list prices $2.99-$12.99 since 7 July 2026, minus delivery costs, in qualifying stores); paperbacks: 60% (50% under $9.99 on Amazon.com) of list price minus printing; Expanded Distribution: 40% minus printing.
What Amazon KDP offers
From Amazon KDP’s own pages, checked on October 7, 2026:
- Publishes Kindle ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers from one account
- Two ebook royalty options, 35% or 70%; 70% band widened to $12.99 in July 2026
- Print royalty of 60% of list price minus printing above the $9.99 threshold on Amazon.com
- Optional KDP Select: 90-day ebook exclusivity in exchange for Kindle Unlimited page-read pay and promotions
- Expanded Distribution sends paperbacks to US/UK distributors for bookstores and libraries, free to enrol, at 40% royalty
- Free KDP ISBN for paperbacks and hardcovers; ebooks need no ISBN
- Books appear on Amazon stores in more than ten countries within about 72 hours
- Hardcover not supported on the Japanese KDP site; hardcovers excluded from Expanded Distribution
Runs on: web. Needs an internet connection. Launched: 2007.
Who Amazon KDP suits, and what its pages do not say
Best for: Authors selling mainly on Amazon, including Kindle Unlimited readers.
Amazon KDP’s pages confirm every author job we check in its category.
About 246,000 people a month search Google in the US for “amazon kdp”, up 32% over the past year (Google Ads data via DataForSEO).
Amazon KDP alternatives
| Software | Score | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| IngramSpark | 9.6 | No upfront fee | Authors wanting print books in bookstores and libraries beyond Amazon |
| Lulu | 9.2 | No upfront fee | Authors selling print books direct to readers as well as on Amazon |
| Draft2Digital | 7.9 | $12 a year | Authors going wide with ebooks who accept a small activation fee |
| Blurb | 7.8 | No upfront fee | Illustrated and photo-heavy books sold in print |
| Barnes & Noble Press | 7.7 | No upfront fee | Authors adding a direct Barnes & Noble listing alongside other stores |
Compare: All publishing platforms · All software for authors
Amazon KDP questions
How much does Amazon KDP cost?
No upfront fee.
What does Amazon KDP run on?
web, according to its own site.
How the score is computed: the formula, step by step. Prices and features were read from Amazon KDP’s own site on October 7, 2026; nobody pays to be listed.