How to Make Money on Amazon KDP

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is a great way to make money from your book publishing. Amazon sells it all, but did you know that the books that you find on the massive online store are not all from well-known and recognized authors? Selling books and resources can make you money on Amazon KDP, and we’re here to tell you how!

It is possible to earn money passively using digital content creation. Margaret, a physical therapist and owner of Your Therapy Source and myself (Colleen), an occupational therapist and owner of The OT Toolbox have done just that. We’ve moved from working in the clinic to earning money online through several streams of passive income…and making money on Amazon KDP is just one of those sources of passive income!

Here, we’re coving some tips on getting started as an Amazon KDP seller and how to actually earn passive income by selling books and resources on KDP.

First, let’s dissect why this is such a great stream of income to add to your diversification.

Benefits to making money on Amazon KDP

This is a HUGE online retailer, and one that everyone is aware of. But selling on Amazon KDP has its benefits…

Amazon helps you as a new seller; There are resources on how to make money on Amazon KDP, so they walk you through the whole process. It’s easy to teach your self the tricks to formatting and uploading your files, selecting your keywords, and writing your product description. Amazon WANTS you to succeed!
There is very little investment required for getting started selling on Amazon KDP. You can use the free courses to train yourself and you can create the products using little to no down payment. A low-cost start up is a huge benefit to making money online!
You can earn money passively, at all times of day. Amazon is a 24 hour business that is open 7 days a week, and the Amazon audience is shopping at all times of day and night. This is a great side job for teachers looking to make extra money, and a creative Summer job for teachers.
There is a HUGE audience already in place. Buyers on Amazon tend to come back, and that is great for the digital creator looking to diversify their audience.
Plus, the traffic on Amazon KDP is ready to buy. They are on the site because they are looking for a solution to their problems.
If you have the right product for the audience, your products will sell.
You can make money on Amazon KDP as a side income.
You can utilize search engine optimizaiton (SEO) on Amazon to get your book or ebook found.
You don’t have to worry about customer service, product delivery, etc.
The other great benefit is that you can self-publish in order to be an authority in a specific niche related to your experience, knowledge, and personal passions. This is especially a great idea for students and grad students wanting to add a book to their resume. Start here with tips for students to make money online for more ideas in this area.

Use the free resources on Amazon KDP to learn how to set up your account, and how to get started with actually selling your first product on KDP!

Can you make money on Amazon KDP selling digital files?

The short answer is no. It used to be that until recently, it was possible to sell worksheets and handouts on Amazon KDP as resource for digital files. However, this has recently changed and you can no longer sell digital files on Amazon KDP. This is a new change and one that reminds us that selling on Amazon is a fluid and constantly changing endeavor.

However, if you have digital files, and sell on TPT or other online shop, there is a way to use those materials to make money on Amazon KDP using the digital content that you have.

One way to do this is to use your digital content to create an e-book. How would you do this?

You can actually reformat your digital files into an e-book which can then be sold as a print-on-demand service. This is a low-cost investment, and if you do the work yourself to create the e-book or print book to meet the formatting requirements of Amazon KDP, you can use that material that you’ve already created as another form of content which is ready to be consumed by your future audience over on Amazon. We show you how to create an e-book using templates in the Digital Product Creation for Professionals program.

The other thing about making money on Amazon KDP is that there is so much opportunity. You can learn the process of formatting documents, putting it into the correct size, adding graphics and images, and uploading all of the materials to KDP. There are options out there for those that don’t want to learn the technology. You can take the process off your plate by hiring out from Upwork or Fiverr.

Tips to make money on Amazon KDP

Create a series of resources in a specific theme or topic.

Drip those books out over time so the audience is waiting for your next piece of content.

Don’t try to trick Amazon! Don’t write product reviews for your own reviews.

Make sure the product that you have will do well to make money on Amazon KDP

Hire out when possible. You can find help for a low cost to help with formating your book, writing product descriptions, and even uploading the digital files to KDP.

Use keywords on Amazon to help the system’s algorhythm to get your product found. Use Amazon’s educational pieces including courses and trainings to learn how to do this correctly so you can find success with getting your products found on Amazon KDP. The time to learn these skills can be the investment that has many years of return.

One last tip is to use what you know as the product creator. We also have tips for selling on TPT which can carryover to the online shop space at Amazon.

Getting Started Making Money on Amazon KDP

To start, you’ll need to set up an Amazon KDP account and upload your book. Once your book is published, you’ll be able to promote it and start earning royalties. Here are some tips to help you maximize your income from Amazon KDP:

Optimize Your Book. Make sure your book looks great and is optimized for Kindle readers. Check for typos, formatting issues, and cover design. We have resources for this part in the Digital Product Creation program.
Promote Your Book. Get the word out about your book. Use social media, email marketing, and other online strategies to reach potential readers.
Track Sales. Monitor your sales and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.
Utilize Amazon Marketing Services. Amazon offers a variety of services to help you promote your book, such as Amazon Ads and Kindle Countdown Deals.
Maximize Your Royalties. Check the KDP pricing page to make sure you’re getting the most out of your royalties.

Once you’ve got your Amazon KDP books up and running, the last step would be ongoing marketing your creations. That’s where content creation in digital marketing comes into play. This process will continue with more content being created to market your products.

Make money selling your Amazon KDP books at in-person events

You can extend the income from a self-published book by selling your books in person. Order author copies to store on hand and then sell those items at conferences or other in-person events.

This is just a few ways to get started selling and earning money on Amazon KDP!