Kindle direct publishing 2025: can you make money publishing your books?

Could Kindle direct publishing help me become the next Harlan Coben?

Recently, I have been thinking about publishing some of my old out-of-print books and other scribblings on Kindle. 

I also have some humorous columns I once published in a local newspaper – after all, Jeremy Clarkson spends most of his time republishing his columns as books, when he isn’t crying over his accident-prone flock of sheep.  

My mother has also published her book of short stories on Amazon, with help from my Uncle. 

But is it possible to make money from them? 

My debut crime thriller has been on Kindle for years, and yet I have had minimal sales from it besides when I first published it in 2009, and some kind friends downloaded it.  I am thinking of writing some more. 

I also printed up a small batch of 100 copies with Lightning Source, an on-demand printer and sold them to friends and family.

It cost me £3 a copy at the time and I sold them for £6 each, but mostly broke even due to the cost of promoting it and paying for a decent cover design. 

However, I haven’t done much to market it for years as I’ve been too busy working and being a Mum. 

Should you consider conventional publishing?

Going to a small publisher may be a possibility, but it’s difficult to get published and, these days, you’re unlikely to get much in the way of an advance – if anything at all. 

When I published my first non-fiction book, I got £3,000, which helped me with the deposit on my first flat.

The payments were in stages – the first when I signed with the publisher, when the manuscript was delivered, and then when the book came out. 

However, by the time I published my second non-fiction book, I eventually received just £500 -  not a lot for 60,000 words of work. 

Watch out, too, for the vanity publishers who will charge you money to publish your book through them, despite the easy access to self-publishing platforms.

Getting started on Kindle

Starting out, Kindle is a great way to get your work in front of an audience with minimal publishing costs. 

It costs nothing but your time to write, lay out your work and publish it on the Kindle system, and you just need to open an account. 

“Amazon's KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is the obvious choice for many writers looking to self-publish their books,” explained best-selling thriller writer Vikki Patis, who also writes historical novels under the name Victoria Hawthorne. 

“You retain full control, the royalties are generally above industry standard, and Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading are great ways of getting your books into the hands of readers. 

“With KU, the author is paid per page read, which can quickly add up.

"But it can take a while to make money on your books, which is partly why we see both indie authors and digital first publishers releasing books in quick succession (i.e. two or more books a year), so they can build up a backlist and capitalise on any previous success. 

“A good example is Angela Marsons, published by Bookouture, who has a huge backlist and whose books always go straight to number one in the Kindle chart when the cover is revealed. 

“Similarly, Valerie Keogh has seen immense success with Boldwood Books, releasing two or three books a year which often ride high in the charts for months.

"LJ Ross is a multi-million-copy bestseller who publishes several books a year through her own publishing company, Dark Skies Publishing.” 

Consider other platforms too

“Amazon usually locks indie authors in with KU, meaning the ebook cannot be made available on other platforms, so you could use another service that allows you to go wide with distribution instead (Draft 2 Digital, for example),” said Patis. 

“Kindle alternatives such as Kobo are becoming increasingly popular, in part due to people wanting to decentre Amazon, and the paperbacks would also be available for bookshops and libraries to order in.”

Don’t rush to get your book on the platform.

Get someone to check it through for errors – it’s impossible to find them yourself – and make sure that you present it like a conventional book with clear chapter headings. 

You might want to pay a designer to create an eye-catching book cover for you, although you can also use the KDP design tool to make one for you. 

These days, of course, you could also use AI to make one for you, although you might want to be careful about artwork and photo copyright issues. 

The KDP royalty system is better than anything you’re likely to get via a publisher – 70% royalties. 

However,  a 70% royalty on nothing is still zero… So, how can you generate sales? 

Publish more books!

Authors with more books are more likely to be successful. Non-fiction tends to sell better than fiction, but those with a fiction series that readers can get their teeth into tend to do well. 

One police inspector turned crime fiction novelist I interviewed told me that he earned enough from his Kindle books to pay his way in retirement, but that was because he had a series of books. 

Indeed, he recommended that you have at least five books on Kindle to generate substantial earnings. 

Market your Kindle book

It’s also important to market your book. You can’t just publish, sit back and expect the money to pour in.  

“Publishing in general can be tricky for new authors to navigate, and it isn't a quick money-making scheme,” warns Patis.

“To self-publish, you ideally need some marketing knowledge (or be willing to learn!) and a budget for things like editing, covers, and formatting. 

“Of course, if you'd just like your book to be out in the world, using KDP can be an easy way to achieve that.

"Many authors are doing well by self-publishing alongside releasing books with traditional publishers ('hybrid'), and self-publishing can provide an opportunity to re-release your backlist after rights have been reverted to the author.”

Make use of any website or social media platform you might have to promote it.  

You never know – a well-known writer in your genre might help boost it.

"Fantasy novel Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree started out as a self-published novel, but found a mainstream publisher after it was championed by another writer on social media. 

Get your local newspaper to interview you and run a competition to win a copy. 

Make use of Kindle promotions

Kindle itself also has various promotions you can use to boost your book, such as cut-price promotions. 

Write blog posts for websites or publications related to your subject – even if they’re for free – as this will help promote your book. Ask to add a link to its Kindle listing at the end of your piece. 

Give talks on your book’s subject matter

Hold a book launch party somewhere cheap, such as a church hall, or give a talk on it to a local group and sell signed copies afterwards. 

Many local groups are looking for speakers, such as the Women’s Institute and U3A (University of the Third Age), and they will often pay for your time and petrol money. 

It might not be the kind of cash Al Gore reportedly gets for a speaking event, but an extra £60 or so can come in handy, and you might make more if you sell a few copies of your book.  

Pricing is also important. If it’s too expensive for what it is, people won’t buy it. Keep the price modest, and people will take a chance on it.  

Encourage people who have enjoyed reading it to leave a (hopefully favourable) review. 

If you have paperback copies of your book with an ISBN number (International Standard Book Number), visit your local bookstore and ask them to stock a few copies. 

Make sure you sign them as, besides being desirable, signed copies are effectively soiled and can’t be returned to the publisher!

Don’t give up!    

Most authors – including JK Rowling and Stephen King – struggled to get their work published for years. 

Stephen King reportedly even kept the rude responses from publishers and agents on a spike in his bedroom and threw the manuscript for Carrie in a bin after it was rejected 30 times.  His wife fished it out and made him keep trying. 

Keep writing and don’t let others put you off, but don’t expect to become a millionaire overnight.