What Is Amazon KDP? A Guide For Nigerians

Thousands of authors have used Amazon KDP to support themselves and their families. Unlike traditional publishing organizations, where you must have an upfront budget to get your book published, publishing with Amazon KDP is entirely free! Working with Amazon can be quite profitable for both aspiring and established authors, especially since KDP gives up to 70% royalties to self-published writers. Here’s all you need to know about Amazon KDP and how it works.

What is Amazon KDP?

Amazon KDP is an online publishing platform that allows authors to self-publish and sell their books globally via the Internet. It controls more than half of the market share for both print and e-books, making it an easy choice for indie authors eager to get their work out there without having to deal with the hurdles of traditional publishing.

Amazon sells books of all genres. You can sell digital books, paperbacks, or even hardcovers; Amazon KDP has it all, from novels to textbooks and cookbooks.

The secret to generating regular earnings from Amazon KDP is to establish yourself as an expert in your industry, publish many books, and build a loyal client base through effective marketing strategies.

How The Amazon KDP Works

Amazon Kindle was established in 2007 and quickly became the main platform for book lovers–both those who enjoyed reading books and those who enjoyed authoring them.

KDP has evolved into a full-fledged ecosystem with various functional levels that are all synced together to make it work effortlessly for users.

On the buyer’s end, you have a search engine where customers may search for their preferred titles, topics, or authors, just like they would when shopping on dot com. Amazon then matches their search with the keywords and descriptions on the book listings created by publishers when their book is first published. Amazon also provides readers with a list of recommendations based on their previous purchases and activity on the platform.

If your customers are looking for an ebook, they can download it to their Kindle e-readers. They can then bookmark specific pages, highlight lines, magnify the text, and even take notes as they read.

Of course, you can also get the audio and print versions of your book. You must, however, make these available ahead of time.

Whatever format your clients select, they must have an Amazon/Kindle account to purchase and read your books.

How do Amazon Buyers Pay for the Books They Buy?

On the checkout page, Amazon displays a list of payment alternatives for your consumers. They can use credit/debit cards, UPI, and/or Internet banking to pay. Paperback and hardcover books are sent to their corresponding physical locations, whereas ebooks are auto-deployed on Kindle Cloud Reader, a web app that allows your audience to read the book on any compatible device.

On the seller’s end, there’s the KDP Bookshelf, which is the focus for all things self-publishing on Amazon. To access it, you must first create a Kindle Direct Publishing account.

Amazon will ask for your tax identification number, mailing address, and Social Security number. It’s critical to input proper information since Amazon will completely verify everything before granting you permission to sell your book.

Why Should You Sell Your Book Through Amazon KDP?

There are numerous advantages to self-publishing on KDP, the most important of which is that it is free. The thought of being able to reach out to your target audience for free sounds quite attractive.

Other advantages include:

#1. Exceptional reach

You may take advantage of Amazon’s popularity and large client base by publishing on KDP. To put things into perspective, the e-commerce behemoth has 197 million users globally. Who wouldn’t want such widespread recognition?

#2. Access to a diverse set of tools

Aside from its broad reach, Amazon KDP streamlines the publishing process by offering tools for creating book covers, formatting and marketing ebooks, tracking sales, and much more. You can take control of the self-publishing process and create interesting books that appeal to your target audience with a super-easy interface.

#3. Option to publish in many formats

Some readers prefer physical books over digital ones, which is also great. With Amazon’s KDP, you may publish your book as an ebook as well as in print, and you can cater to all types of requirements. If a consumer orders a physical book, Amazon will print it and distribute it to the customer without requiring you to keep any inventory.

#4. The setup is simple.

You only need one KDP account to publish as many books as you want on Amazon. It makes no difference if your books are in the same category or even published under the same pen name; you can publish as many books as you like with a single KDP account.

#5. Get additional features to increase your sales.

Competition in any business may make it tough for new entrants, and the ebook industry is no exception. However, Amazon KDP guarantees that newcomers are properly supported in their journey by providing a variety of options that aid in their sales. For example, you can increase your visibility by joining the Kindle Select program.

Amazon also assigns a sales rank to your book, just as it does to things on its main shopping website. The more you sell, the higher your rating will be. You won’t have to worry about getting lost in the crowd this way.

You can publish any type of content on Amazon KDP. It must, however, be of good quality and useful to the intended audience.

Here are some examples of publications that you can sell through Amazon KDP:

A series of books
Novels
Comics
Quick readings
Children’s Literature
Poetry
Journals
Textbooks

Is Amazon KDP Secure?

Amazon KDP, which has millions of users, is completely secure to use. It offers comprehensive contracts, a transparent and secure payment method, and a responsive customer service team.

Amazon KDP Royalties

When you publish ebooks through KDP, you will be paid in royalties – a part of the revenue is split between you and Amazon.

There are two royalty rates available: 35% and 70%.

70% Royalty Option

To qualify for the 70% royalty rate on Amazon KDP, you must complete the following requirements:

Pricing. Your ebook must be priced between $2.99 and $9.99.
Fee for distribution. For each purchase, you will be charged a distribution fee, often known as a “delivery fee,” which will vary depending on the size of your ebook’s digital file. For each book priced between $2.99 and $9.99, Amazon charges $0.15 per megabyte. Because Amazon compresses ebook files, your fee may be less than you anticipate. After you list your book, you can use their fee calculation on the pricing website.
Books in physical form. If you sell physical copies, the ebook price must be at least 20% less than the list price of the paperback.
Copyright. You must own the ebook’s copyright. You cannot get a 70% royalty if the book is in the public domain.
Sales on a global scale. To be eligible for 70% royalties on sales to clients in Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and India, your works must be enrolled in KDP Select.

The following are the prerequisites for the 35% royalty rate option:

You will receive a 35% royalty if your book is priced less than $2.99 or more than $9.99.
When you select this option, you will not be charged a delivery cost.
35% royalties make sense for huge books with significant file sizes, such as textbooks, cookbooks, or picture books.

Amazon also requires a list price for ebooks published through KDP.

Royalties for Paperbacks

Paperback books have a distinct royalties structure.

On paperbacks sold on Amazon, KDP offers a fixed 60% royalty rate. Amazon will then deduct the printing expenses from your income, which vary depending on the page count, ink type, and Amazon marketplace from whence your book was ordered.

You can use Amazon’s printing cost calculator or this handy math to figure out how much you’ll get paid for your paperback book:

Royalty = (Royalty rate x List Price) – Printing Costs

For instance, suppose your list price is $15. Your book is a 333-page paperback with black ink published in the United States:

(0.60 x $15) – $4.85 = $4.15

You will be compensated $4.15 for that sale.

Fortunately, you don’t have to simply list your book and hope it sells. Amazon provides useful marketing tools to help you get your books in front of potential purchasers. Amazon Advertising is one of them.

If you sell physical goods on Amazon.com, you should be familiar with Sponsored Product ads, which are a sort of Amazon pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

How it works

You create an ad campaign that targets certain keywords related to your book – phrases that your target audience is likely to use in the Amazon search box.

When a customer searches for those keywords on Amazon, your ad may display in the search results, with a link to your book’s product information page. PPC allows you to bid on clicks for certain keywords – the more your bid, the more likely your ad will appear.

Assume you used KDP to publish a comic book about a new superhero. You should target keywords like “comic books,” “superhero comic book,” and “superhero stories.” Your ad could display among search results — or even on product detail pages for similar superhero comic books — if you bid high enough.

This is an excellent approach to getting your new book title in front of readers who are already interested in the types of books you publish.

KDP Select

Another approach for ebook retailers to get recognized on Amazon is through KDP Select. This initiative is entirely optional and only applies to ebooks, not paperbacks.

“KDP Select is a free Kindle book program that gives you the opportunity to reach more readers and earn more money at no additional cost,” according to Amazon. All authors and publishers, regardless of location, can enroll their Kindle books in KDP Select.”

While the part about “reaching more readers and earning more money at no additional cost” seems appealing, there is a catch.

Advantages Of KDP Select

In some nations, royalties are higher. Allow your Kindle book to earn 70% royalty on sales to customers in Brazil, Japan, India, and Mexico. If you are not registered in KDP Select, your royalties for these countries will be 35%.
Additional promotional tools are available. Kindle Countdown Deals: Only KDP Select authors can offer limited-time discounts on their ebooks to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk customers. Customers will see both the usual and promotional prices, as well as a discount countdown clock.
Promotion of Free Books. Authors may make their book available for free for up to five days throughout each 90-day KDP Select enrollment period. While a Free Book offer will not earn you royalties, it will help you get a lot of downloads and reviews as well as establish social proof around your book to entice paying buyers when the offer expires.
Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service. Your book will be added to Kindle Unlimited, which allows consumers to read an unlimited number of books for a monthly price of $9.99. Through Kindle Unlimited, you will not be paid the standard royalty rate; instead, you will be paid per page that the customer reads from your book. This may appear counterintuitive, yet it can be beneficial. While Kindle Unlimited subscribers may not be prepared to pay for an indie author’s work outright, they can read a few chapters, become engrossed, and leave a social proof-boosting review.

Disadvantages Of Amazon KDP Select

Earnings from book sales could be lower. Because Kindle Unlimited royalties are paid per page viewed, you could not make as much money as if someone purchased your book outright.
Your ebook must be available only on Amazon. During the required 90-day membership term, your book can only be sold on the Amazon Kindle store—not on your own website, another marketplace, or even for free.

How to Create an Amazon KDP Account

You may list an ebook for free AND produce your own print-on-demand paperback version with KDP. All of this sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? It only makes sense if you’re an author of any kind to offer your books on Amazon through KDP.

Signing up for an account is straightforward, and you’ll be able to publish your own ebook in no time.
To begin, visit the Kindle Direct Publishing page and select “Sign up.”
After entering some basic information, you can start uploading your books!
To begin, navigate to “Create a New Title” and select Kindle eBook or Paperback.
Following that, you will enter information about your book such as the title, edition, author, description, publishing rights, and keywords.
You will upload your Manuscript, eBook Cover, eBook Preview, and an optional Kindle eBook ISBN in the next step.
Before uploading your ebook, please read the KDP Content Guidelines.
The next step is to set a price for your book. In this area, you will pick whether or not to join in KDP pick, the territories where you want your book to be listed, and your royalty rate and pricing.
You can select the 35% or 70% plan under “Royalty and Pricing.” Amazon will calculate your royalties based on your list price.
Remember that if your pricing is higher than $9.99, you will only be eligible for a 35% royalty.
After you’ve entered all of this information, your book is ready for publication! Suddenly, your own published ebook or paperback will be available for purchase on Amazon.

What Does Amazon KDP Pay?

On paperbacks sold on Amazon marketplaces where KDP allows paperback distribution, KDP offers a set 60% royalty rate. The royalty is 60% of the list price. We then deduct printing costs, which vary depending on trim size, page count, ink type, and the Amazon marketplace from which your paperback was purchased.

Can I Earn Money with Amazon KDP?

Yes, it is possible to earn a big passive income by selling eBooks on Amazon KDP; it is simply a matter of recognizing what techniques work and implementing them.

Is Amazon KDP Allowed in Nigeria?

This platform is available globally, including in Nigeria, and provides writers with a handy and simple option to reach a large audience and make money from their work. In this tutorial, we’ll go over how to create an Amazon KDP account and link it to a payment method.

How Much Does It Cost To Start KDP?

Publishing through Amazon KDP is completely free. There is no price to upload the file, and there are no shipping or hidden expenses. Authors receive royalties ranging from 35% to 70% of the sale price (for pricing between $2.99 and $9.99, Amazon gives you 70% and takes 30%, while other prices receive 35%).

What Kinds Of Books Sell Best On KDP?

Romance, mystery/thriller, and self-help are some genres that sell well on KDP. Furthermore, well-written novels with a good hook are more likely to sell successfully on KDP. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allows independent authors to sell e-books and print-on-demand books.

In Conclusion,

Hopefully, this helped you understand how KDP works and how any author, big or small, may publish their own writings. KDP may help you reach the masses whether you produce mystery novels, lullaby stories, or scientific textbooks.

References

Zonguru.com
Junglescout.com