The reference directory for Amazon KDP publishers
151 tools, official sources and communities, each with its price, what it does for KDP, and the date we last checked it. Open data, no pay-to-rank.
Last checked 2026-11-09. Not affiliated with Amazon.
Start with what you are doing
Research
20 listedPick a niche, keywords and categories before you make anything.
Create
63 listedWrite, design and format the interior and the cover.
Publish
37 listedKDP itself, print and distribution, ISBNs, copyright and trademarks.
Market
21 listedAds, promotions, reviews and email.
Track
6 listedSales, rank and royalty tracking after launch.
Learn
25 listedCourses, blogs, channels and communities worth your time.
Many tools help at more than one stage, so they appear in each; the counts overlap.
KDP facts
All 26 factsRoyalties, print specs and program rules, sourced to Amazon’s help pages.
- KDP ebook royalties: the 35% and 70% options
- KDP hardcover royalties: 60% or 50% minus printing cost
- KDP paperback royalties: 60% or 50% minus printing cost
- When and how KDP pays royalties: schedule, thresholds, methods
- Can you put a KDP paperback or hardcover on pre-order?
- How KDP calculates paperback and hardcover printing costs
- KDP bleed size and minimum margins by page count
- KDP Expanded Distribution: eligibility, royalty and restrictions
- KDP minimum and maximum page counts by format, paper and ink
- KDP paperback cover size and spine width by page count
- KDP proof copies and author copies: cost, limits and how to order
- KDP trim sizes for paperback and hardcover books
Free KDP calculators
All free toolsRoyalties, cover size, pricing and listing checks, built on the same rules as the facts above. No sign-up.
Shortlists and comparisons
All guidesCriteria first, then picks and the reason for each. No vendor paid to be listed.
- Best free and one-time KDP tools: no subscriptions
- Best KDP keyword and category research tools
- Best KDP tools for beginners: what a first book needs
- Best KDP tools for romance and fiction authors
- Best tools for KDP coloring, puzzle and low-content books
- Book Bolt vs BookBeam
- Publisher Rocket vs KDSPY
- Vellum vs Atticus
Official sources first
When another site disagrees with Amazon's own pages, Amazon's pages win.
| Tool | What it is | Price | KDP | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACX Official | ACX is Audible's audiobook marketplace for authors and rights holders that connects them with narrators and distributes finished audiobooks to Audible, Amazon and Apple Books. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Amazon Ads Official | Amazon Ads is Amazon's on-platform advertising console, used by KDP publishers to promote books with sponsored ads. | Price: Paid | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Amazon Author Central Official | Amazon Author Central lets authors manage their author page, biography and book listings across Amazon stores. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Amazon Best Sellers Official | Amazon Best Sellers is Amazon's free set of category rank lists for book researchers that shows the top-selling and hot new titles in Books and the Kindle Store. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Amazon KDP Official | Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is Amazon's free self-publishing platform for Kindle ebooks and print paperbacks and hardcovers. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Goodreads Official | Goodreads is Amazon's reader community and review site where authors can claim a profile and run paid Kindle or print book giveaways. | Price: Free tier, paid from $119 one-time | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| International ISBN Agency Official | The International ISBN Agency is the global registration authority for ISBNs, with a free directory that tells publishers which national agency to buy from. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| KDP Community Official | The KDP Community is Amazon's official forum where publishers ask questions and get answers from peers and KDP staff. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| KDP Cover Calculator Official | The KDP Cover Calculator is Amazon's free web tool for paperback and hardcover publishers that gives exact full-cover dimensions and a downloadable template. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| KDP Help Center Official | The KDP Help Center is Amazon's official documentation for KDP publishers that sets out the rules on formatting, pricing, royalties, content and account setup. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| KDP Select Official | KDP Select is Amazon's free 90-day opt-in program for Kindle eBooks and audiobooks that puts them in Kindle+, formerly Kindle Unlimited, in exchange for eBook exclusivity. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Kindle Create Official | Kindle Create is Amazon's free desktop app for KDP publishers that turns a finished Word or PDF manuscript into a Kindle eBook or print interior file. | Price: Free | KDP-ready files | Checked 2026-11-09 |
| Kindle Previewer Official | Kindle Previewer is Amazon's free desktop app for KDP publishers that shows how an eBook will look on Kindle tablets, phones and E-readers before publishing. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Library of Congress PCN Program Official | The Library of Congress PCN Program is a free U.S. service for authors and self-publishers that assigns a Library of Congress Control Number before a print book is published. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Nielsen ISBN Store (UK & Ireland) Official | The Nielsen ISBN Store is the official ISBN agency for publishers based in the UK, Ireland and British Overseas Territories, selling single ISBNs and blocks. | Price: From GBP 93 | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| TMview Official | TMview is the EUIPO-led free trademark search tool for checking whether a series, imprint or brand name is already registered across the EU and partner offices. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| WIPO Global Brand Database Official | The WIPO Global Brand Database is a free international trademark search for checking a book series or brand name against Madrid System and national registers. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 |
Browse by category
- Book & Niche Research (17)
- Keywords & Categories (13)
- Low-content & Puzzle Books (15)
- Cover Design & Mockups (25)
- Writing & Formatting (19)
- AI Tools (16)
- Editing & Proofreading (7)
- Official KDP & Amazon (11)
- Print & Distribution (11)
- Direct Sales & Storefronts (4)
- Audiobooks (7)
- ISBN, Copyright & Trademark (8)
- Ads & Promotion (12)
- Reviews & ARC (9)
- Email & Reader Magnets (6)
- Sales & Rank Tracking (6)
- Courses, Blogs & Channels (19)
- Communities & Forums (9)
KDP market data
All reportsOpen data on book prices, reviews and niche competition, with CSV downloads.
Recently added
The newest listings, each checked on the vendor's own site.
| Tool | What it is | Price | KDP | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99designs Cover Design & Mockups | 99designs is a design marketplace owned by Vista where authors run a book cover contest or hire one designer directly. | Price: From $299 | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Absolute Write Water Cooler Communities & Forums | Absolute Write Water Cooler is a free, moderated writers' forum known for its Bewares board, where members report on publishers, agents and services. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Adobe Express Cover Design & Mockups | Adobe Express is Adobe's template-based online design app for quick graphics that KDP publishers use for ebook covers, ads and social images. | Price: Free tier, paid from $9.99/mo | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Adobe Firefly AI ToolsCover Design & Mockups | Adobe Firefly is Adobe's generative AI app for creators that makes images, vectors, video and audio from text prompts and edits existing images. | Price: Free tier, paid from $9.99/mo | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Adobe InDesign Writing & Formatting | Adobe InDesign is a professional page layout app for Windows and Mac that exports print PDF with bleed and EPUB, sold only by subscription. | Price: From $22.99/mo | KDP-ready files | Checked 2026-11-09 |
| Affinity Cover Design & MockupsLow-content & Puzzle Books | Affinity is Canva's free all-in-one photo, vector and page layout app for designers that KDP publishers use to build print covers and illustrated interiors. | Price: Free tier | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) Communities & ForumsCourses, Blogs & Channels | ALLi is a nonprofit membership association for self-publishing authors that offers a member forum, contract advice and public watchdog ratings of author services. | Price: From $119/yr | Checked 2026-11-09 | |
| Apple Books for Authors Print & Distribution | Apple Books for Authors is Apple's free portal for self-publishers that puts EPUB ebooks on Apple Books through an iTunes Connect account. | Price: Free | Checked 2026-11-09 |
Price and plan changes
- 2026-11-09 Canva: Corrected from a third-party figure (US$120/yr) to Canva's own US pricing page: Pro US$18/mo or US$144/yr.
- 2026-11-09 Draft2Digital: Corrected from 'free' after checking D2D's FAQ: publishing needs a $20 one-time activation fee, plus a $12/yr fee for small accounts after the first year.
- 2026-11-09 Ideogram: Corrected from an unsourced free-tier estimate (~10 a day) to Ideogram's pricing page: weekly free credits that vary, paid plans from $20/mo.
- 2026-11-09 IngramSpark: Corrected from 'fees not verified' to IngramSpark's pricing page: free account and title setup; you pay print costs per copy.
- 2026-11-09 KDPTop: Plans listed as Free, Creator $19.99/mo ($199/yr), Pro $39/mo ($390/yr), Team $99/mo ($990/yr); first period 50% off after a 7-day trial.