Is KDP Worth It? A Realistic Guide for Self-Publishing Authors

If you're an indie author, you might be wondering what self-publishing platform is best for your bottom line. With the potential to reach millions of readers at minimal cost, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) seems like an appealing option. But is it still worth it for authors in 2025?

The short answer is yes for most authors, and in this article we’ll take a closer look at why that is. From upfront costs to royalty structure and earning potential, this article will provide an overview to help you determine whether KDP is the right move for you.

Let’s start by looking at your upfront costs.

Upfront costs of self-publishing

Good news: publishing your book via KDP doesn’t actually cost anything. In fact, the biggest costs of self-publishing have nothing to do with KDP itself. But in order to successfully self-publish on any platform, you'll need to invest in certain services. It’s important to keep these overall costs in mind as you assess whether KDP (or other platforms) is worth it for you. 

The specific costs of preparing your book for self-publishing will vary based on your book's length, complexity, and the professionals you hire. On average, self-publishing authors spend between $2,900 and $5,600 on services such as editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing. These are the core services that will give your book a professional look and eventually place it in front of the right readers. 

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Marketing and ads

Paying for marketing and ads is not a requirement to publish on KDP, but the reality is that self-publishing is a competitive market. Without proper marketing, your book is likely to get lost in the sea of other titles in your genre. 

So you’ll probably want to budget for some form of marketing. Many authors spend money on ongoing ads (e.g., Amazon or Facebook) and other promotional services. Some also hire professional book marketers to work out a strategy that gives their book the best chance to stand out. 

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You can expect to spend anything from $10 to $1,000+ per month on ads, depending on how aggressively you want to promote your book. Start out slow until you’ve got a grasp of how Amazon ads work and what your target audience responds to, then adjust spend until you reach a sweet spot. 

Again, while these costs are not really a direct consequence of picking KDP as your publishing platform, they will inform how you evaluate the effort to potential reward ratio. Another big part of that equation is KDP’s royalty structure. 

You can read a more in-depth breakdown of the cost of self-publishing here.

KDP royalties and rates

Amazon controls a significant portion of the book sales market in the US, UK, and beyond, making it hands down the best way for most self-publishing authors to reach the widest possible audience. 

KDP also offers highly competitive royalties and rates — let’s break it down. 

For eBooks, KDP offers two royalty structures:

• 70% royalty rate: This rate applies to eBooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99 in eligible countries (such as the US, UK, Canada, and others). However, there is an eBook delivery fee that is deducted from your royalty, depending on the size of your eBook file, and you also agree to publish the ebook exclusively on Amazon (more on this below).
• 35% royalty rate: This applies to eBooks outside the $2.99–$9.99 price range, as well as eBooks sold in ineligible territories. In this case, there is no delivery fee deducted from your royalty payment, which can make this a more appealing option for certain pricing strategies.

For print books, KDP offers rates up to 60% of the list price, minus printing costs. The royalty rate depends on whether you want to print paperback or hardback, and whether you want to distribute exclusively via Amazon or not (more on this later). Printing cost depends on the book's page count, ink type (color or black & white), and trim size. 

For example, according to Amazon’s pricing calculator, a 300-page black-and-white paperback exclusively published on Amazon costs around $4.45 to print, so your royalty would be calculated as 60% of the list price minus $4.45.

Below is a table comparing KDP royalties to some competitors on the market:

You can read more about KDP royalties in this article.

From this table, it’s clear that KDP offers some of the best royalty plans on the market. How about reach and ease of use?

KDP distribution options

When you publish through KDP, you have a lot of flexibility in how your book reaches readers. You can choose:

Amazon KDP (regular distribution) 

When you publish via KDP, your book is available on all Amazon marketplaces worldwide by default. This ensures access to millions of potential readers in countries like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, all handled through one platform.

You can choose whether you want to publish exclusively via Amazon and get the 70% royalty rate, or make your ebook available via other distributors too and get the 35% royalty rate. If your readership is concentrated on other platforms, the royalty rates on, say, Apple Books or Kobo might make up for the lower royalty rate on KDP. If, on the other hand, you expect to make most of your sales on Amazon, you might want to consider exclusive distribution, which also gives you access to KDP Select.  

KDP Select

KDP Select is a program for authors that makes their ebook available on Kindle Unlimited, Amazon’s subscription-based reader service. Enrolling in KDP Select means your eBook is exclusive to Amazon for 90-day periods at a time (you can opt out whenever you wish) and you also get access to promotional tools and deals.

You can read more about KDP Select here.

Print distribution

For print books, you can opt in or out of expanded distribution, which makes your book available to third-party retailers, bookstores, and libraries. At 40%, royalties are again lower than if you choose exclusive distribution (50–60%), but it allows your print book to reach a wider audience beyond Amazon.

All in all, these distribution options allow authors the flexibility to balance reach, royalties, and promotional opportunities depending on their goals and circumstances. Most first-time authors start with Amazon-only and KDP Select to maximize visibility and simplify the process. 

Realistic earnings on KDP

The last step of determining whether KDP is worth it for you is to get a sense of what you can realistically expect to earn from sales. This varies widely depending on factors like genre, book quality, pricing, marketing strategy, and how many books you have in your catalog.

Let’s look at a few scenarios. 

Modest earners

Many first-time authors with a small readership earn modest amounts on KDP. This is typically the case if you publish your book without paying any particular attention to marketing. Some report earning $12/month, or just enough to cover small ongoing costs. 

Mid-tier earners

With some consistent marketing efforts (e.g. building a fanbase on social media), a small back catalog, and a moderate ad spend (~$50/month), it’s not uncommon to see authors earn between $300 and $1,000 on a monthly basis.

Career self-publishing authors

There are also authors who manage to turn their self-publishing side-hustle into their day job. To do so, you probably need:

1. At least 4 or 5 titles in your back catalog, 
2. To write in a popular or particularly lucrative genre, 
3. A dedicated fanbase and a strong marketing plan, 
4. A solid pricing strategy and a significant advertising budget.

In return, earning $2,000 to $5,000/month is not outside the realm of possibility.  

Occasionally, successful series or books that go viral can generate much higher incomes. Just think of self-publishing success stories like sci-fi author Hugh Howey, crime author Mark Dawson, or romance author Colleen Hoover. 

Effort to reward ratio

Do note that earning a meaningful income through KDP requires you to set realistic expectations and put consistent effort into marketing. Ideally, you’ll have multiple books or a series under your belt. 

However: every author has to start somewhere, and Amazon is by far the most straightforward and user-friendly option on the market for newcomers. As long as you don’t quit your day job as soon as you finish your first manuscript and you’re prepared to play the long game, self-publishing via KDP can be highly rewarding. 

Verdict: Is KDP worth it?

So, is KDP worth it? The answer depends on your goals, budget, and willingness to invest time into marketing. For many authors, simply knowing that your book exists in the world can be enough to “make it worth it,” but if you also want to earn money from your writing, KDP offers all the conditions for first-time and veteran authors alike to succeed: competitive royalties, flexible and wide distribution, and minimal costs. It’s up to you to put the effort in.