Can You Offer a Kindle Book for Free?
The Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform is hosted by Amazon.com and the website allows writers to publish their work in an electronic format. Books published on the KDP are offered for sale in the Kindle store, where buyers can download the books to Kindle devices and Kindle apps using the Whispernet wireless network. Some authors may want to offer their books for the lowest price possible or even free of charge as a way to engage new readers and build a following.
Other People Are Reading
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KDP Requirements
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To publish a book on the KDP, an author or publisher must own publishing rights to the book or the book must be a public domain work, meaning it is no longer protected by copyright. Because anyone using the KDP is dealing with intellectual property rights and finances (at the time of publication, KDP publishers earn 70 percent of the list price of their work), Amazon.com requires that each publisher sign a contract affirming that the work is theirs to offer.
KDP List Price Minimum
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The KDP minimum list price is 99 cents as od April 2011. Books on the KDP platform cannot be listed for less than 99 cents.
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KDP Price Range
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The price range for books offered on the KDP is between 99 cents and $200. Any amount in this range may be specified.
List Price Future
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Amazon.com previously allowed KDP publishers to list books free of charge, and the website suggests this policy might be reinstated in the future: "The minimum list price you can enter is $0.99. Publishers cannot offer free Kindle books at this time, but we are reviewing the possibility in the near future."
Exceptions
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A limited number of free books are listed in the Kindle store. Some of these books were listed for sale before the 99-cent minimum went into effect. Other free books are part of an Amazon.com price-matching plan. For example, if a writer has published the same work on another website where it is offered free, Amazon.com may match that price and allow the book to be listed free in the Kindle store.
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