Kindle Direct Publishing for Australian Authors

How does self-publishing work on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing?

If you’ve written a book and dreamed of publishing it, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is an Amazon self publishing service available to all Australian authors. Through KDP, Australian authors can self publish ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcover books.

In the following guide, we’ll focus on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and cover everything you need to know about getting started on Amazon KDP. Want to learn more? We’ll cover:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. What Is Kindle Direct Publishing?
                     2. What Are the Benefits of KDP?
                     3. How Much Does It Cost to Publish on KDP?
                     4. How Do Royalties Work on KDP?
                     5. What Is Print On Demand?
                     6. Does Amazon KDP Print In Australia?
                     7. What Is KDP Select?
                     8. How to Create A KDP Account for Authors

What Is Kindle Direct Publishing?

Kindle Direct Publishing, otherwise known as KDP, is Amazon’s self-publishing platform. KDP allows authors, including Australian and New Zealand authors, to publish their books online to Amazon’s massive market without having to deal with a traditional publisher.

While the dream of being traditionally published likely sits with most authors, securing a traditional publishing deal is extremely difficult. According to WordsRated, the number of authors who land a traditional publishing contract is between 1-2%.

Given that nearly 11,000 books are published daily, competition for traditional publishing deals is fierce.

Amazon KDP allows authors to create ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcover books without any upfront costs or fees. In addition to no upfront costs, KDP enables self-published authors to retain the rights to their books, which a traditional publisher doesn’t offer.

If you’re an up-and-coming Australian author, KDP is a fantastic way to get your book out into the world and into the hands of potential readers. Do you want to know the best news? Except for manuscript setup costs such as editing, proofreading, formatting, and cover design, there will be no cost to you.

What Are the Benefits of KDP?

It’s easy to identify the two most significant benefits of Kindle Direct Publishing: zero setup fees and access to the book publishing market. But if you’re still considering the pros and cons of Amazon KDP, let’s go over a few more benefits of self publishing on KDP.

Amazon KDP lets you publish ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers

When you self publish on KDP, you’ll have the option of choosing what format you self publish in. You can choose between ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers, or a combination of any of these options. Amazon even prints and ships the book for you, but we’ll talk more about Print On Demand (POD) later in the article.

No Upfront Costs or Setup Fees

By allowing authors to self-publish on Amazon KDP for free, you get access to a huge market of potential readers, and Amazon takes its cut when you make a sale. We’ll discuss the different royalties and costs associated with KDP in more detail below.

You Can Self Publish As Much As You Want

There’s no limit! However, Amazon is flooded with low-tier books, so professional books will stand out. How many books you self-publish on KDP is up to you. However, if you’re using any AI content, Amazon has introduced an AI disclaimer and a limit of 3 books per day.

You Can Order Discounted Copies

Via your Author Dashboard. In the KDP dashboard, you can order proof copies or advanced reader copies (ARCs), as well as wholesale copies, and you can even send discounted books to reviewers, friends, and family. You’re just responsible for printing and shipping costs.

Access to Amazon Ranks

Just like every other traditionally published book on Amazon. Even when you self-publish on KDP, you get full access to sales ranks on Amazon Marketplace. You’ll have the same opportunity to succeed as every other author.

Access to Amazon’s Global Book Marketplace

Love it or hate it, Amazon has a huge footprint in the global book market. When you self-publish your book on KDP, you’re getting full access to that marketplace and all of Amazon’s Global Territories.

How Much Does It Cost to Publish on KDP?

So, is Kindle Direct Publishing free for Australian authors? Yes. Amazon KDP is 100% free. There are no setup fees, listing fees, or account fees when you self-publish your book.

Instead of charging self-published authors fees to publish their books, Amazon takes a percentage of the sale price, minus any printing or delivery costs.

You can learn more about Amazon KDP’s Printing Costs here.

After Amazon deducts its printing and shipping costs, you, as the author, receive a royalty. How much your royalty is will depend mainly on the price you set for your books. It’s important to remember that the price you set on your book will play a huge role in how it sells on the platform. If it’s priced too high, it won’t be competitive with other books. Too low, and you won’t make enough money.

There’s a very fine line to walk between underpricing and overpricing your book.

How Do Royalties Work on KDP?

Ebook Royalties on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

When you self-publish an ebook on KDP, you get paid royalties when someone buys or downloads your ebook through the platform. In addition to your cut, Amazon takes a cut for itself.

You have two royalty options: 35% or 70%.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Why wouldn’t everyone choose the 70% royalty? Some specific requirements or conditions accompany each royalty. Let’s review the 70% royalty option in more detail.

70% Royalty Option on Amazon KDP

Below are the criteria you must meet in order to qualify for the 70% royalty option:

• • • • • • • Pricing – The ebook needs to be priced between $2.99 and $9.99.
            • Delivery Fee – You’ll need to pay a $0.15 per-megabyte delivery fee for ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99.
            • Physical Copies – If you have a print copy of your ebook, the ebook must be priced at least 20% lower than the physical book price.
            • Copyright – You must own all rights to the ebook. Public domain books are ineligible for the 70% royalty. Learn more about public domain books here.
            • International Sales – Your ebook must be enrolled in KDP Select and available for sale in Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and India.

Below are the criteria you must meet in order to qualify for the 35% royalty option:

• • • • • • • Pricing – If the book is priced below $2.99 or above $9.99, it’s eligible for the 35% royalty option.
            • Delivery Fee – There is no delivery fee associated with the 35% royalty.
            • Ebook Size – The 35% royalty option makes sense for authors publishing large ebooks with large file sizes, such as cookbooks, photography books, textbooks, or picture books.

There is also a list of requirements for ebooks published in KDP.

Paperback Royalties on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

The royalty structure on Amazon KDP differs slightly for paperback and hardcover books.

Kindle Direct Publishing offers authors a fixed 60% royalty rate on all paperbacks and hardcover books sold on Amazon marketplaces. From that 60% royalty, Amazon deducts printing costs.

The interior page count determines your printing costs, the type of paper and ink, and the Amazon marketplace from which the book was purchased. To get a better understanding of your printing costs, Amazon KDP has a printing cost calculator you can use before you publish your book.

A quick formula for this is: (Royalty Rate × List Price)– Printing Costs = Royalty.

What Is Print On Demand?

We conducted an in-depth analysis of Print On Demand (POD) in a previous article, “What Is Print On Demand for Authors?“ So, we’ll just do a quick look here for this article.

Self-publishing platforms, such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, offer self-published authors access to print-on-demand services. When someone orders a paperback or hardcover copy of your book, the platform prints and ships it.

You don’t have to worry about printing or shipping. The platforms handle everything for you. Instead of working with a printer, ordering copies in bulk, and sending them out, they hold the entire process.

If you’re selling thousands of copies, you may want to consider offering your books to these platforms on consignment.

Does Amazon KDP Print In Australia?

In 2021, Amazon KDP announced that it was now operating printing facilities in Australia, which was great news for Australian self-published authors. Previously, books were printed overseas and shipped to Australia.

How does Kindle Direct Publishing printing in Australia benefit Australian self-published authors? First, it benefits not only Australian authors. It also benefits any author who’s selling books via Amazon in Australia. Let’s check out some of the benefits of Amazon KDP having printing facilities in Australia:

• • • • • • • Faster Delivery – Instead of the average 10-day wait, Amazon now offers 2-3-day delivery for printed books.
            • Better Quality – By printing in Australia instead of overseas, Australian authors should see a marked improvement in the print quality of their books.
            • Free Book Listing – Australian authors can now list their books on Amazon KDP for free, and order author copies via the platform, which will be printed and shipped from within Australia.
            • Focus – Rather than using multiple platforms, Australian authors can now focus exclusively on Amazon KDP if they prefer.

What Is KDP Select?

KDP Select is an optional program for Kindle Direct Publishing authors. It’s designed only for ebooks, and for Amazon customers, it’s called Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon has this to say about KDP Select: “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. All authors and publishers, regardless of where they live, are eligible to enroll their Kindle books in KDP Select.”

If you’re thinking that reaching more customers and earning more sounds great, there are conditions. Let’s look at the pros and cons of KDP Select for authors:

The Benefits of KDP Select for Authors:

• • • • • • • In Brazil, Japan, India, and Mexico, KDP Select opens the 70% royalty option instead of the 35% royalty option.
            • Enrolling in KDP Select gives you access to promotional and marketing tools, including the Kindle Countdown Deal, five free days every 90 days, and discount schedules.
            • Access to the Kindle Unlimited program allows subscribers to read your book for free in exchange for a per-page royalty. The per-page read royalty is calculated as a percentage of the total number of people enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. Personally, I don’t find it beneficial for children’s books, given the low page count. Still, for fiction and non-fiction books, it may be more valuable because if someone reads your entire book, it may be higher than your regular royalty.

The Negatives of KDP Select for Authors:

• • • • • • • You could end up getting less for your page read, depending on how much they read, the per-page read royalty, and how much you usually make from an ebook sale.
            • Your ebook can be listed exclusively on Amazon. You cannot sell your ebook on any other platforms if it is enrolled in Kindle Select.

How To Create A KDP Account for Authors

Signing up for Kindle Direct Publishing is easy and free of charge. If you’re a self-published author, you really can’t afford to self-publish on Amazon. Let’s check out how you sign up for a free KDP account:

First, visit the Amazon KDP website and click the sign-up button.

Once you have filled in your basic account information, it’s time to start uploading your books. Also, you will need to submit some basic financial and tax information before you can sell any books on KDP.

Remember: once you set up your Amazon KDP account, don’t forget to create your Amazon Author Central profile. If you need help with Amazon Author Central, check out the Complete Guide to Amazon Author Central for Authors. If you need a few tips on writing an author bio, How To Write An Author Bio is full of useful tips, tricks, and ideas.

Kindle Direct Publishing for Australian Authors | Conclusion

It’s important to remember that your book is an investment. When you spend any money on publishing your book, it’s an investment you want to get back unless your book is a passion project. Treat your book like the investment it is! It’s worth it.

There are numerous free programs available, provided you have the time to learn them and the necessary technical experience. However, many companies, including Author Services Australia, offer professional self-publishing services. We love helping author self-publish their books. Your dream of becoming an author is just a few clicks away.

If you have any questions about the self-publishing process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

At Author Services Australia, we support Australian and New Zealand self-published authors and writers with a full range of affordable self-publishing services, including ghostwriting, copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, ebook and paperback formatting, book cover design, children’s book illustrations, graphic design services, Amazon KDP Keyword and Category Research, animated book cover reveal videos, beta reading, and social media and marketing.

Be sure to check out our post, What Is the Self-Publishing Process, to learn more about self-publishing in Australia, or the Top 6 Benefits of Professional Editing and how they’ll take your book to the next level!