Amazon has recently introduced its new KDP Select program, which allows authors to sell their books directly through Amazon without having them published elsewhere.
This means that they don’t get royalties from other publishers or bookstores, and instead receive 70% of the revenue generated by sales.
The KDP Select program was launched in 2017, and since then, over 50,000 titles have joined.
Authors who join the program agree to give Amazon exclusive rights to distribute their e-books for 12 months. After that period, they can choose whether to continue participating in the program or opt-out.
Publishing Through Amazon KDP: How Do You Prove Your Own Copyright?
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KPD) and Audiobook Creation Exchange (Audiobooks.com) are both great platforms for authors looking to publish e-books and audiobooks.
But what happens when you’re accused of violating the copyright law? You might think that you’d be able to simply provide proof of ownership, but sometimes that isn’t enough.
In fact, many people find themselves facing serious penalties because they didn’t do everything possible to protect their intellectual property.
For example, some people have been banned from selling their work on Amazon even though they had properly registered trademarks and copyrights.
Others have lost access to their entire catalog of works, even those that weren’t published under their name. And still, others have found themselves unable to sell their work anywhere else online.
So how does someone prove that they own the rights to a piece of writing? How does someone prove that they’re the author of a song or a movie? If you don’t have a contract stating otherwise, proving ownership can be difficult.
But there are ways to make sure that you’re protected. In this article, we’ll explain how to handle situations where you’re accused of violating Amazon’s terms of use, and we’ll show you how to respond quickly and effectively.
We’ll also tell you how to avoid getting caught up in a situation like this in the future.
You Can Prove Your Own Publishing Rights And Own The Copyright
Authors often wonder why Amazon insists on seeing a signed contract before it will accept a submission of a book manuscript. In fact, Amazon doesn’t require you to submit a contract. But it does want to see one.
The reason is simple: Amazon wants to make sure that you are the owner of the copyright. If you aren’t, then there could be problems down the road.
For example, if you sell your book to another publisher, what happens to the publishing rights? Do you retain ownership? Or do you lose them?
Amazon requires that you provide a copy of your published work, along with a statement indicating that you are the sole and exclusive owner of the copyright. This is called a “proof of publication.”
It must include a copy of your published book and a statement signed by yourself stating that you are the sole owner of the copyright.
To help you prove your publishing rights, here are three things you need to know about how to send a proof of publication:
- You can use either a scanned image of your published book or a PDF file containing text.
- You can use either an email attachment or a link to a website where you can upload the document.
- You can use either the ISBN or the barcode number found on the cover of your book.
Requested Proof
If you are asked to provide proof of copyright ownership, it is important to understand what is being requested. There are three types of requests:
- An “Author’s Proof,” which requires you to provide original copies of the work. This includes books, magazines, newspapers, journals, etc.
- A “Publisher’s Proof,” where the publisher asks you to provide evidence that you are authorized to publish the work.
- A “Proof of Ownership,” where the publisher wants to verify that you actually own the rights to the book.
In each case, the request must be accompanied by a statement explaining why the proof is required. If you fail to comply with the request within 10 days, the publisher may terminate the contract without notice.
Can You Still Make Digital Copies Through Amazon Self Publishing?
Amazon’s KDP platform allows authors to upload e-books directly to the site, bypassing traditional publishers.
But there are some limitations. For example, you cannot use the Kindle app on Android devices because it requires a special version of the operating system.
And while you can sell your books on Amazon, you don’t have access to the same inventory as a publisher. You won’t see your book on Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, or Walmart.com.
You can also choose to distribute your book via an independent distributor. These companies take care of everything from formatting to marketing. They handle sales and customer support too.
Will Amazon Aid In Publishing Your Book?
Amazon offers a few tricks and techniques you can use to generate sales leads for your book. Here are some ideas:
Amazon Advertising
If you want to advertise your book on Amazon, it’s pretty simple. You just go to Amazon Ads, select the type of ad you want to run, choose how much you want to spend, and enter keywords related to your book.
For example, if you sell a book about marketing, you might target ads based on those terms.
Free Promotions
You can make your book available for free for a short period of time. This gives people a chance to download it without having to pay anything. If you do this correctly, you could see a spike in downloads during the promotion window.
Kindle Countdown Deals
This technique works well for e-books. When someone buys one of your books, you give them a special deal. For instance, you might offer a $1 off coupon code, giving them a 50% discount. Or you might offer a free sample chapter.
Sample Chapters
People love getting samples. So why not offer a sample chapter of your book for free? People can check out what they’re buying and decide whether they like it.
What Else Do You Need To Know?
In addition to setting your prices, you must determine your royalty percentage. There are three types of royalty percentages: flat, tiered, and variable.
Flat royalties are fixed rates based on the number of copies sold. Tiered royalties are calculated based on the number of units sold over a certain period of time. Variable royalties are based on the amount of money earned per unit.
Once you’ve determined your royalty percentage, you’ll need to figure out how much you’re willing to pay for each copy of your book.
Your royalty percentage will dictate how many books you can make off of every sale. So, if you’re looking to make $10 per copy, you’ll need to set your price accordingly.
Final Thoughts
There’s no denying that self-publishing is an effective way to get your book into the hands of readers. It’s also a great way to build relationships with potential customers. However, it takes work.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a professional writer to publish a book. All you need is a computer, a printer, and a little know-how.
