When I first heard about popular ways to make money from home online, Amazon KDP popped up once or twice. However, not everyone was talking about it, and very few actually provided helpful details to actually figure out what it is.
Now, I have become even more intrigued with the concept of making money with Amazon KDP from the comfort of my home office. And as a bonus, it sounds like primarily passive income. Even better than other types of online business shops!
Curious about what is Amazon KDP and how you can start making money from home, too?
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What is Amazon KDP?
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (or “KDP”) is a self-publishing platform for authors. Any individual can create a high-quality, professional looking book to get into the hands of the public. No agent or publishing house necessary!
Even though Amazon KDP has been around since 2007, it has recently gained more popularity as the rise of making money online through passive income streams has been given the spotlight.
Ultimately, Amazon KDP provides a way for all authors, especially new to market, to self-publish and begin to profit on Amazon.
Benefits of Amazon KDP
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing provides a plethora of benefits to entrepreneurs.
As a global marketplace, Amazon provides instant exposure of all new products to an expansive international readership. In this case, they do the same for books. Therefore, there is a large audience and potential customer base, no matter how niche the topic of your self-published book.
Further, Amazon KDP handles all logistics of getting your book to market. This can be one of the most complex parts for new authors, especially without an agency. You do not have to find a printer or figure out how to distribute your book to retail store fronts; Amazon KDP will handle all printing and distribution.
Finally, all of the marketing tools are built in through the Amazon platform. Programs like Kindle Countdown Deals provide additional exposure and incentive for potential buyers to make the purchase.
The best thing about all of this? As an Amazon KDP seller, entrepreneurs do not have to front any money to take advantage of these benefits.
While I do love selling on Etsy for passive income, nothing can beat a zero-cost startup. That's why I decided to take the leap and spend some time testing out the KDP platform. I actually document the whole journey on my new YouTube channel – failures and all. Subscribe if you are interested in a real-life peek behind the curtain!
How to Create an Amazon KDP Account
Like most things on Amazon, creating a new Amazon KDP account is simple, very user-friendly, and free. Click through the standard “new user” information basics and you are up and running within minutes.
Creating your book is the hard part. Publishing on Amazon KDP is the easy part!
Once your account has been created, it is almost just as simple to publish your first book. (Assuming, of course, you have already written it!)
Upload your book cover and all of the great chapters inside. Then, like all online stores, make sure you detail your title, description and keywords to attract your target audience.
Amazon KDP for Passive Income
Writing a book can take months, years or even a lifetime. So how do online business gurus tout Amazon KDP as a method of passive income? It sounds far from passive with that much work going into writing a book!
The secret to passive income is to self-publish low-content or no-content books through Amazon KDP.
By creating in-demand workbooks, journals and planners, you limit the effort on your part as the author, but capitalize on the opportunity to publish on Amazon KDP to start making money quickly.
What Books Can I sell on Amazon KDP?
Amazon KDP helps authors to sell more than just novels. Not a creative writer? Not a problem.
Many KDP sellers love the platform for no-content and low-content books as well. Consider one of the items below to add to your self-published Amazon KDP account:
- Journals
- Planners
- Coloring books
- Devotionals
- Cookbooks
- Coffee Table Books
- Photography Book
- Textbook
- Poetry
- Comics
Setting Amazon KDP Prices
Amazon KDP allows you as the author to select your own book prices. Make sure to do market research and competitive analysis to decide where to price your book based on similar products.
The Amazon KDP program will pay out royalties in certain preset amounts based on customer location. Luckily, when you get to the last step in publishing your book, Amazon will automatically show calculations of your royalties in each of the countries before you lock in your selling price. This allows you to make sure you are making the royalty margins you want without having to look up each of the percentage return rates.
Note that Amazon KDP can raise printing costs or their royalty percentage at any point, which will decrease your personal income. Amazon announced a cost increase being implemented as recently as June 2023. Always keep an eye out for updates to costs so you can update your prices accordingly.
Selling on Amazon KDP – Frequently Asked Questions
When do I get paid as an Amazon KDP seller?
Per their website, Amazon KDP says, “Royalties are paid every month, approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale was reported (90 days for Expanded Distribution) as long as you meet the minimum threshold for payment.”
The minimum threshold only pertains to authors who have set up their accounts to be paid by wire or check. So, for the majority of sellers who are paid by direct deposit, there is no minimum. You will be guaranteed to see the money in your account, even if it's just $2 at a time.
What happens when Amazon KDP terminated my account?
If Amazon KDP suspends or terminates your account, you may be able to respond to their email with an appeal to potentially be reinstated. This is more likely to occur if you had a suspension for a minor oversight on a published book. However, many sellers have various experiences with Amazon KDP terminated accounts. It's actually what inspired me to start sharing my KDP journey on YouTube. Here is my personal experience of being Terminated on Amazon KDP and what I did to resolve it.
What tools do you use for your KDP Cover Creator?
Personally, I use Canva Pro for pretty much everything relating to graphic design or marketing in all of my business ventures. You can easily set your page size and margins to align with the requirements for your KDP book and export your design as a high print-quality PDF. Try Canva Free with my Canva referral link here. Use it free forever or upgrade to Pro if you find yourself wanting the extra tools!
Related:
Is Canva Pro Worth It? An Honest Review
Timeline of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Make sure to follow the guidelines of the Amazon KDP program and account for the appropriate print margins for your pages.
Once you have upload your finished book, it takes an average of 3 business days to be published on Amazon KDP. However, it can take another week or so for the book to show up live and with all of the available page features.
Though you will be able to make changes to your book after it is published, it will take longer for those to go into effect.
Because of the lag time and the author's reputation in general, it is often worthwhile to find an editor to help review your book before publishing.
Best Practices for Amazon KDP Success
If you are ready to take advantage of Amazon KDP to make money from home, there are plenty of resources to learn how some of the most successful entrepreneurs are finding success.
There are some common best practices across the board that are key to thrive through Amazon KDP, in addition to most online sales platforms.
For one, make sure the cover is unique, professional looking, and high print-quality. Also be sure to write a compelling description and use common SEO best practices in your list descriptions.
Next, enroll your book in KDP Select, which includes it in the Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners' Lending Library programs. While the payout rate may be lower for a book “rental” as opposed to your commission payout, the exposure and audience base should be greatly expanded. (Plus, if a borrower loved your book, they may want to buy their own copy to enjoy again in the future!)
Lastly, take advantage of all opportunities to complete your profile and share your marketing links. The Amazon Author Central page allows you to provide your author background information and connect with readers. Update the posts section on the author page, and be sure to share your book on all of the social media platforms to maximize exposure.
Amazon KDP YouTube Tutorials
Kindle Direct Publishing Income Reports
KDP Changes and News Updates
Mom Has The Last Word
Amazon KDP makes the world of self-publishing highly accessible to all up-and-coming authors. While I am very new to the market, it is certainly one of the top home-based money-making ideas on my focus list.
The way I see it, there are two key opportunities here, even for women who never had the desire to be an author.
First, you can publish a book in your area of expertise. This will provide exposure for you and your personal brand throughout your industry. Even a single self-published book can be used as a point of credibility towards each new venture you strive for.
Second, you can publish low- or no- content books for passive income opportunities. It may be harder to stand out in this crowded field, but any passive income can help diversify income streams and add to the bottom line for your family.
So, have you tried Amazon KDP? If so, I'd love to hear about what you published – and what your experience was! Share in the comments below so we can support you as an author!
