Selling Public Domain Books on Kindle | Publishing on KDP

About this video

Dale L. Roberts explains selling public domain books on Kindle Direct Publishing. Public domain means content belonging to or available to the public with no specific owner and essentially no copyright. Copyright, he says, begins when work is created and lasts about 70 years after the author’s death; new works enter the public domain every January 1, with works from about 1924 rolling out at the time of the video. Amazon itself used thousands of public domain books to fill its Kindle store after launching in 2008. He warns this is not a get-rich-quick scheme: most public domain work is old, scanned copies can be illegible or tattered, and the publisher must format the manuscript, create the cover, and set metadata and pricing. Amazon requires differentiation via at least one of three methods: a new translation (not machine-generated), annotation such as study guides, literary criticism, detailed bios or historical context, or at least 10 unique relevant illustrations. A clickable table of contents, improved formatting, or a different price do not count. Public domain works are only eligible for the 35% royalty option unless substantial original content or an original translation makes the book not primarily public domain, in which case 70% may apply. He also warns public domain status varies by region, so publishers should check worldwide status, and points viewers to dalelinks.com/publicdomain for a resource list prepared with his assistant Eva Fails.

Key takeaways

• Public domain books have no specific copyright owner, with copyright typically lasting about 70 years after the author’s death and new works entering each January 1
• Amazon requires differentiation for public domain titles: a genuine new translation, annotation, or at least 10 unique relevant illustrations — machine translations are rejected
• A clickable table of contents, better formatting, or a different price do not qualify as differentiation
• Primarily public domain works earn only the 35% KDP royalty; adding substantial original content or an original translation can make a title eligible for 70%
• Publishers must still format often poor-quality scans, create covers and metadata themselves, and verify a work is public domain in all regions where they sell it

Episode details: published March 30, 2020 · 7:44 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.

← Previous: How Do I Unpublish A Book On Amazon KDP? Is It Safe? · Next: How To Outline A Book: Writing a Book on a Busy Schedule →

All Dale L. Roberts videos · Dale L. Roberts profile · Dale L. Roberts on YouTube