5 MORE Reasons You Should NOT Be Self Publishing On Amazon KDP

About this video

Dale Roberts gives five more reasons not to self-publish on Amazon KDP, while stressing he likes the platform and is not bashing it. First, the ebook royalty structure: 70% only applies between $2.99 and $9.99, while pricing at $0.99, $2.98 or $14.99 earns 35%, which he says pressures authors to price to compete with traditional publishers. Second, and he repeatedly calls this speculation he has heard from industry insiders rather than fact, self-publishing a book that performs poorly could reduce the chance of a traditional publishing deal because there is no proof of concept. Third, limited reach: Amazon does not cover everywhere, and viable alternatives include Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo, Google Play Books and aggregators such as IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Smashwords and PublishDrive — noting KDP Select exclusivity applies to the ebook, not print or audio. Fourth, authors who are anti-Amazon can skip it, but will miss its large audience and must market harder. Fifth, account termination without representation: Amazon can close accounts citing a rule violation with little recourse, and trying to return under another business risks being discovered and terminated again.

Key takeaways

• KDP pays 70% ebook royalties only in the $2.99-$9.99 price band; outside it the rate is 35%, per the creator
• The claim that poor self-published sales hurt traditional deal prospects is presented explicitly as speculation, not fact
• Publishing wide is possible via Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo, Google Play Books, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Smashwords and PublishDrive
• KDP Select exclusivity covers the ebook only, not the print book or audiobook
• Amazon can terminate accounts with little explanation or recourse, and reopening under another business risks repeat termination

Episode details: published January 25, 2021 · 7:47 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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