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I’m not going to repeat what we already covered. At this point, use the checklist as your upload map and check off each platform as you finish it.

Wide Publishing for Ebooks

Start with Amazon Kindle Dir…

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Full disclosure: Some outbound links are part of affiliate programs where I’m compensated for any sales made through them. It never impacts what you pay and greatly helps support this Substack. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s only been a week since our last news update, but there’s already plenty happening in the world of self-publishing. Amazon is buying physical books, scanning them for AI training, and destroying the originals. Ingram is giving some publishers a way to opt out of physical book sales to AI companies while expanding Share & Sell into Australia. StreetLib opened another international distribution channel for authors. StoryOrigin rolled out several new marketing tools, and AuthorLetter made its author email marketing platform even easier to use.

All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for August 27, 2026.

Collections: One Link for More of Your Books

Support for Self-Publishing with Dale on Substack comes from BookLinker, the completely free universal book link service for authors.

I’ve been a huge advocate for universal book links for years because they make life easier for both authors and readers. Instead of juggling separate links for Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and different countries, you can give readers one BookLinker URL and let them choose where they want to shop.

But BookLinker also has something called Collections—a pretty cool feature if you have more than one book.

Collections lets you put several books together on one page. That could be your entire catalog, one specific series, books from the same genre, or even a group of books you simply want to recommend together.

Where I think this gets especially useful is inside your back matter.

Instead of cramming a bunch of individual book links into the back of your ebook, you can send readers to one Collection page. Then, when you publish another book later, just add it to the Collection. The original link stays the same, so you don’t have to keep going back and updating older books every time your catalog grows.

You could do the same thing inside an email newsletter, on your website, across social media, or anywhere else you want readers to see more than one book at a time.

And yes, just like BookLinker’s regular universal book links, Collections are completely free.

Give your readers one easy place to find more of your books when you visit Booklinker.com today.

Amazon’s AI & Automation Problems Are Piling Up

Amazon is apparently back in the book-buying business, but not necessarily because it wants to sell those books.

An investigation from 404 Media, covered by Inc.com, traced an order of roughly 1,000 physical books to an Amazon facility in Las Vegas where the books were reportedly having their bindings removed, their pages scanned for AI training, and the physical copies destroyed afterward.

And this may have been happening for quite a while.

Booksellers were reporting unusual orders going to the same Las Vegas warehouse as far back as 2024, including dozens of University Press titles and other seemingly unrelated books purchased all at once. Amazon confirmed those orders were legitimate at the time, although the company hasn’t confirmed whether those earlier purchases were connected to this particular scanning operation.

Amazon did confirm that it purchases books through commercial channels to help “develop and improve its products and services.”

Personally, if somebody legally buys one of my books and uses it to train artificial intelligence, I’m not losing sleep over it. They bought the book. I also understand there are plenty of authors who feel very differently, and I think they have every right to be concerned about how their work is being used.

The part that bothers me more is what happens to the physical books afterward.

If we’re talking about a mass-market paperback with thousands of copies floating around, that’s one thing. But some of these purchases could involve rare books, out-of-print titles, annotated copies, unusual bindings, or books where few physical copies still exist.

Once you cut the binding off and destroy that book, you can’t exactly put it back together.

And apparently Amazon isn’t the only company doing this. Court records previously revealed that Anthropic purchased millions of physical books, removed the bindings, scanned them, and discarded the originals while creating a digital research library.

So this is probably a story we’re going to continue hearing about as AI companies look for more high-quality, human-written material that isn’t already floating around the internet.

Speaking of Amazon and bots, Fast Company recently reported on another strange problem: Amazon is trying to stop unauthorized AI crawlers from scraping customer reviews, but some legitimate shoppers are getting caught in the crossfire.

Affected customers have reportedly been limited to reading only eight reviews on a product page and have had to contact Amazon and appeal the restriction before getting normal access restored.

One longtime Prime member was actually told he’d violated Amazon’s rules regarding data gathering and extraction even though he says he wasn’t using any scraping software, AI tools, or automation.

That’s where I think these systems become a problem.

Automation can certainly make a business more efficient, but if you’re going to let software make decisions affecting real customers, there needs to be some type of human intervention when the system gets it wrong. A paying customer shouldn’t have to spend several days proving to Amazon that they’re an actual human being because a bot incorrectly decided they were another bot.

And in other Amazon news, I came across an interesting discussion inside Wide for the Win, one of my favorite online communities for authors. Highly recommended, even if you’re not publishing wide.

An author mentioned that their KDP account had been terminated and they were simply moving forward with publishing wide. Another member pointed them toward a recent episode of the Sell More Books Show where Bryan Cohen discussed the recent wave of KDP book takedowns, suspensions, and other automated enforcement issues.

More importantly, Bryan said he’s helping authors who have lost access to their KDP accounts.

One of the most frustrating parts of a KDP suspension or termination is that sometimes your only option is replying to the same termination email and hoping somebody eventually listens.

Bryan even points out that simply replying to those messages doesn’t always get authors anywhere.

I’ve known Bryan for years, I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and if your KDP account has been suspended or terminated and you’re trying to figure out what to do next, go listen to episode 645 of the Sell More Books Show. He explains what authors should do, how to approach an appeal professionally, and how you can reach out to him if you need additional help.

Ingram Adds an AI Sales Opt-Out & Expands Share & Sell

One of my Discord members recently brought something to my attention that had completely flown under my radar. Ingram Content Group has an option allowing publishers to opt out of knowingly selling physical books directly to AI companies for model training.

After doing some digging, I found a Publishers Weekly article from January confirming this isn’t exactly new. Ingram had sent a letter to its publisher clients warning about a growing trend of AI companies purchasing physical books to scan and ingest the contents for training.

Ingram said these purchases can be perfectly legal under the right of first sale, but they also recognized that some publishers might not want their books used that way. So they created an opt-out and said they would make reasonable efforts to prevent those sales when they know the buyer is an AI company.

I’m not going to beat a dead horse here. You already know where I stand on AI companies legally buying my books for training; I’m not particularly concerned about it.

But I also know plenty of authors feel very differently, and I still want to make sure you’re aware of something like this if it matters to you.

There is one pretty important limitation, though.

Based on Ingram’s opt-out form, you need a direct relationship with Ingram Content Group to submit the request. I haven’t found anything showing that individual authors publishing through IngramSpark can submit the opt-out themselves. And I haven’t found anything confirming that authors distributing through Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, Lulu, or other companies that use Ingram’s distribution network can do it either.

So don’t assume that option is automatically available simply because your books eventually flow through Ingram. If that changes or I get clarification, I’ll absolutely share the update.

Now, onto some better news from IngramSpark: Share & Sell has officially expanded into Australia.

Share & Sell allows authors to create direct purchase links for their books, and IngramSpark recently improved the shopping experience with refreshed book pages, an updated cart, and a new preview feature. Australian readers can now purchase in AUD with orders fulfilled directly within Australia.

Interesting timing because just last week we talked about Lulu rolling out its own shareable direct-purchase option in the US. We’re seeing more publishing platforms make it easier for authors to sell books with a simple link instead of requiring an ecommerce setup.

I spoke directly with the IngramSpark team quite a while ago about Share & Sell, and they told me the long-term plan is to continue expanding into more regions. They’re just doing it slowly so they don’t sacrifice the quality or reliability of the system along the way.

And one final friendly reminder from IngramSpark’s latest newsletter: you can nominate your books for free in upcoming promos.

IngramSpark puts together curated lists that can be shared with retailers, librarians, wholesalers, consumer-facing review sites, and others. Even though nominations are free, there’s no guarantee your book will be selected.

They already have themes listed throughout the rest of 2026, so take a look at the calendar and see whether one of your books fits an upcoming promotion. You can’t beat free exposure with a stick.

StreetLib Expands Distribution Into Poland

The Italian-based aggregate publishing company StreetLib recently added another international distribution partner with Empik, one of the largest cultural and ecommerce companies in Poland. The partnership includes both Empik.com and Empik Go, its digital subscription service, and is specifically focused on non-Polish-language ebooks and audiobooks, especially English and German titles.

For regular ebook and audiobook sales, authors receive 60% of the recommended net price. Empik Go also offers a subscription model where royalties are based on reader and listener engagement, but what’s noteworthy here is another potential way to reach readers in Poland without having to establish a separate publishing relationship.

One important requirement: ebooks distributed to Empik need to meet Ace by DAISY accessibility standards and comply with EPUB accessibility guidelines. If you’re already using StreetLib and publishing internationally, take a look at Empik and see whether it makes sense to add another market to your distribution.

StoryOrigin Rolls Out Several New Author Tools

My preferred book marketing tool and resource, StoryOrigin, rolled out several updates throughout August, and the newest one gives authors more options for collecting reviews. Reviewers can now select TikTok, Instagram, and StoryGraph as places where they plan to leave feedback on Review Copies and Audiobook Codes.

I especially like seeing TikTok and Instagram added because video reviews are becoming increasingly valuable. There’s something a lot more convincing about watching an actual person explain what they liked or didn’t like about a book instead of simply reading another block of text on a retailer page and hoping it’s a legit review coming from a real person.

StoryGraph is a nice addition too, giving authors another dedicated reader platform where reviews can show up. I’ve been hearing great things about this alternative to Goodreads.

StoryOrigin also expanded its email marketing integrations this month. Authors can now add custom tags to subscribers coming through the Reader Magnets option for services like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, EmailOctopus, AWeber, ActiveCampaign, and GetResponse, and StoryOrigin also added a new Sender.net integration.

AuthorLetter Makes Email Marketing Even Easier for Authors

The email marketing service for authors, AuthorLetter, recently rolled out several improvements designed to make its landing page builder even easier to use.

Authors can now manage layouts, themes, and page sections from one place, click directly on text to edit it, and quickly show, hide, or customize buttons and other page elements.

AuthorLetter also continues to offer a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers. For comparison, MailerLite currently caps its free plan at 250 subscribers and has moved several useful features behind paid plans.

If you’re looking for a simple email marketing option built specifically for authors, AuthorLetter is worth keeping on your radar.

Rapid-Fire Newsflash

Time for the Rapid-Fire Newsflash, a quick roundup of headlines hitting the self-publishing world this week.

• The AI Audiobook Company Spoken recently added Sound Uploads, allowing authors to insert their own music, sound effects, recorded audio, author notes, or other custom audio into individual passages inside Spoken Studio. And if you were already planning to use Spoken this week, every paid draft you publish between August 25 to 31 earns one entry into a giveaway, with two winners selected September 1 to have their next 50,000-word project published for free.

• The all-in-one author platform Tertulia for Authors recently rolled out merchandise sales for PRO subscribers, allowing authors to sell non-book items like art, bookmarks, apparel, and book boxes directly through their author websites. Authors keep 100% of the earnings minus credit card processing fees, and Tertulia says print-on-demand merchandise integration is coming soon.

• Hidden Gems Books is warning authors about a new impersonation scam involving its Fully Booked Podcast. In one case, scammers conducted a fake podcast interview over Zoom and charged the author $2,000 for the appearance. Hidden Gems says legitimate podcast invitations come from a HiddenGemsBooks.com email address, and they never charge guests to appear. If someone approaches you unexpectedly claiming to represent a company or podcast, verify them through the official website before paying anything.

• The Authors Guild is hosting a free online event called Writing for IP: What Authors Should Know on Tuesday, September 1 at 2:00pm EDT. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to write for an established franchise or take on work-for-hire projects created by publishers, literary agent Shelly Romero will walk through how those opportunities come together, what the audition process looks like, how the money and contracts can differ from your own books, and where authors can find this type of work.

• Book Brush is hosting a free session called Publishing with Purpose on Friday, September 11 at 1:00pm EDT with authors Douglas Pratt and Nicholas Harvey. They’ll talk about making smarter long-term decisions around genre, editing, covers, branding, marketing, and the mistakes they’d avoid if they were starting over today. The session will be recorded, so register even if you can’t make it live.

• The Written Word Media Podcast recently put together a step-by-step walkthrough for Amazon A+ Content. They show authors how to build a simple three-module setup with a hero banner, image blocks, and a comparison chart, while also covering Amazon’s content rules, mobile-friendly design, alt text, and how to apply the same setup across an entire series. If you still haven’t added A+ Content to your books, this is a solid walkthrough to help you get it done.

Wrapping It Up

Special thanks one final time to our sponsors at Booklinker. Every author should be promoting their books with a universal book link and Booklinker has exactly what you need there. Create your own Collections page today when you visit Booklinker.com today.

That’s all I have for this week’s Self-Publishing News. What do you think about some of the latest updates? Did I miss anything? Hit me up in the comments, let’s talk about it. Till later, catch up on the previous weeks’ news here 👇

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But spend any amount of time inside Amazon’s KDP Community forum, and you’ll notice a very different tone. Authors are asking reasonable questions about reviews, scams, piracy, account terminations, and more, only to get responses that are cynical, dismissive, and sometimes unnecessarily hostile. So, let’s look at what these authors were actually told, where some of these replies went off the rails, and give them the answers they deserved in the first place.

Getting Reviews for Your Book

Reviews give your book social proof and third-party credibility, helping browsing readers decide whether your work is worth their time and money. They can build trust, strengthen buyer confidence, and make your book feel like a safer choice compared to one with little to no feedback.

The frustrating part is that most readers simply don’t leave reviews, even when they genuinely enjoyed the book. So when authors see people buying and reading their work but very little feedback showing up afterward, it can be discouraging and defeating.

In this first post, the publisher said:

Reviews for my coloring book
Hi everyone! I’m new to KDP. I’ve published some books, and one of my books sold around 200 copies in the first two months. However, I only received two positive reviews at the very beginning of the sales, and I haven’t received any more reviews since then.

Is this normal? Is it common to sell around 200 books without getting any reviews?

First off, congrats on selling 200 copies of your book. I know of several self-publishers and authors who’ve not even seen that many sales in their lifetime, so you should be proud of the work you’ve done.

Scrolling through the few comments here, you’ll find a couple of helpful responses, such as:

Those are fantastic sales for just two months. As far as written reviews, those stats are normal. Ratings may happen more often, but people rarely take the time to leave an actual review.

Or the even simpler answer of:

Yes, it’s common.

But then we get into something I saw over and over again in this community: responses that are factually correct, but needlessly shitty.

Actually, what’s usual for coloring books is not to sell any at all. If you’re being truthful, then you’re ahead of the curve, as the biggest complaint from coloring book creators is that they have zero sales. 100-300 sales translate into, on the average, one review. If your second paragraph is more accurate than the first, that is so common as to be normal.

Maybe you could’ve abbreviated your response and just gave the last part. The first part literally helped no one and seemed to be merely a way for the author to present themselves as righteous and better than the original poster.

So yes, these folks are correct, especially when it comes to getting reviews on coloring books. In fact, I’ve found that even with an advance reader copy team (ARC), the normal average of readers to reviewers conversion is about 30%. And that’s saying something since people who join ARC teams are usually more invested in providing reviews.

I’d recommend you put a call to action in your book to leave a review.

The next post I found was specifically about getting reviews for a new fiction book:

I have people who have submitted reviews (but) they are not getting posted to my book account. KDP says it’s an Amazon problem. I can’t seem to get Amazon to reply to the issue. They say, Make the Reviewer sort out the problem. That doesn’t seem right when it is multiple people. The problem has to be in the way my book was posted through KDP.

Can anyone give me a hint what I should do next?

Again, there were four responses, all with varying levels of helpfulness. None that were particular mean, but all seemed to take on this unfriendly tone, like:

You do nothing. If you can discuss reviews with people they most likely don’t qualify to leave a review. Contacting KDP and Amazon has increased the likelihood that they will never post. If a total stranger ever contacts you about reviews tell them to discuss the situation with Amazon because you have nothing to do with reviews.

Then the rest of the responses essentially dog pile, adding no real value to the conversation.

Let’s clear up one thing real quick. Contacting KDP and Amazon about your reviews isn’t a direct path to the principal’s office. There’s ZERO evidence that’s the case and is merely speculation by this responder.

But, I will have to agree that reviews are not something you should interfere with. Your main job is to send readers to leave a review. If it doesn’t post, then it’s that reviewers responsibility to sort it out, not yours.

Because as soon as you tie yourself to that reader, it indicates some level of bias. And that’s the part Amazon doesn’t like. So, do your best to guide readers to leave a review and the rest is in Amazon’s hands.

There’s also a variety of reasons why Amazon rejects a review. If they detect a personal or financial connection between the reviewer and the author, if the review appears to be part of a direct review swap, if the reviewer was compensated or incentivized, or if the activity around the review looks suspicious or manipulated. In some cases, even the wording can reveal a relationship or bias that causes Amazon to filter it.

The next post about reviews is a prime example of where you should not ask. The KDP Community forum is possibly the worst place to ask for a review and this original poster found out real quick why you shouldn’t ask here.

His post was simply titled In need of an honest review of my book, then the post had a link to his mandala coloring book product listing. I won’t even go through the comments on this one because it gets ugly real quick.

Apparently, the original poster was not necessarily looking for book reviews, but feedback on his book so he could likely improve his sales. However, the way it’s worded, it appears like he was simply wanting reviews.

And the dog pile started out big time! From the anti-AI rhetoric to the comments on why coloring books shouldn’t be published through KDP. And the original poster made it worse by cursing people out in Spanish.

Dude...why? All you’re doing is pouring fuel on the fire and giving every troll a reason to come back at you harder. It’s no surprise that KDP intervened and locked the post from any additional comments.

And I found this funny, especially since I’ve seen several posts by this poster and others like him:

I think from now on, I’m only going to answer people that I think can be helped.

Then don’t say anything. You’re like that person who “takes a break” from social media, but has to announce your departure and arrival. No one cares, write it in your journal so we don’t have to hear your inner monologue.

My thoughts are you shouldn’t source reviews on KDP’s forum. Also, avoid asking for any feedback on your books in a place where you won’t get a nice, thoughtful, or professional answer.

No Sales & Beginner Frustration

Few things frustrate a new author faster than publishing a book and watching the sales dashboard sit there doing absolutely nothing. You put in all that work, hit publish, and naturally expect somebody to find the book. When that doesn’t happen, it’s easy to assume something is broken or that you’ve already failed. Usually, though, the problem is much simpler: publishing the book was only the first step, and getting people to actually discover it takes a separate strategy.

The original poster said this:

I lost my job of 26 years back in early March of this year and don’t have an income. How do I promote my books that I have available without money for a marketing campaign?

Within the feed, we find out that this author had AI assistance, and lord help us! Rather than help this struggling author, they decide to disparage his process and tell him what he’s doing is wrong. You have no moral high ground in this situation and you’ve provided NO value to this person.

Until you truly know why or how he’s using AI to assist in his creative process, close your mouth. Naturally, rather than focus on providing this person with answers, the dog pile continued.

That is, until, one very kind person intervened. Most importantly, they start with the assumption that “you’ve actually written and published a good book that people want to buy and read,” because no amount of marketing fixes a product nobody wants.

From there, they recommend a lot of practical, inexpensive ways to get the book in front of readers:

• Consistently using social media instead of posting once and disappearing

• Reaching out to libraries, book clubs, schools, community groups, and organizations connected to your topic

• Setting up your Amazon Author profile and listings on places like Goodreads and BookBub

• Contacting local media

• And even getting out into the community through speaking opportunities, fairs, and events.

It’s not glamorous advice, but it’s pretty darned solid. No notes.

In this next post, the original poster did the same thing as the guy asking for a review earlier.

I recently published three short children’s books in my The Adventures of Mopsey series and would really love some honest feedback from other authors... I’m not looking for reviews or review exchanges. I really just want honest feedback.

Much like our previous issue, the person was looking for feedback and found out real quick that the book was taking from an already established IP. And though the original poster tried to defend the idea, no one was having it.

If you want feedback that actually has substance that you can work with, get with other authors in your niche and not just a bunch of random, grumpy authors lurking on KDP’s forum.

One snarky yet true commenter said it best:

This the third post in the last few days where the request is for an “honest” review. I don’t recall ever seeing that requirement before, and am wondering if some advice is being dispensed on YouTube or somewhere.

I can assure you, that is not advice I’m dispensing. If you’re a video content creator telling people to blindly ask for feedback on KDP’s forum, stop. That’s just straight-up mean.

Scams & Piracy

Scams and impersonators are plentiful these days, so it’s no surprise when I see some authors double checking with other authors. And while you’ll get an answer in KDP’s Community, they’re not always going to be the most pleasant.

The first poster here stated, in all caps, mind you:

i RECEIVED A NUMBER OF EMAILS AND CALLS TO SET UP AN AGREEMENT TO HAVE MY LATEST WORK PUBLISH THIS TIME KDP WITH CONNECT ME WITH A PUBLISHING HOUSE AND HELP WITH EDITING PROOF READING THE LIKE FOR 299.00. HAS ANY ONE USED THIS SERVICE AND IF SO IS IT REAL?

First off, in case you don’t know, posting anything in all caps online is the equivalent of shouting. I understand some folks do it because of sight impairment, but that doesn’t always translate well to the rest of the world.

Naturally, two replies were pretty much telling the person to stop shouting, as if that’s answering this person’s question. Get to the point, you don’t need to do this performance of you being the better, more knowledgeable person in this space.

A little empathy goes a long ways, folks. If all caps triggers you, then move on.

But, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s a scam. KDP doesn’t endorse or run any writing or publishing services. In fact, the only thing you’ll ever have to cover in costs would be ordering your proof copies.

KDP doesn’t charge anything for any of their services right now. And any company saying they belong to or are partnered with KDP are outright lying. The same goes with any company pretending to be with Amazon.

But, in this next post, the author shared a common problem seen on Amazon.

I had one of my books I had unpublished pop up on Amazon for sale at $65, and now down to $35. Yesterday, I found another one of my books was also on this person’s site for $35. They also created a web with my name in small letters.

I sent a few notices to Amazon, but it bounces back “resolved.” How do you get Amazon to investigate and remove these links to your books? When someone goes to Amazon Books to pull up your book, this person’s book, your book, shows up. Not good. They can do this to many authors and scam your data.

The original poster is pointing out that they found their book on Amazon despite having unpublished it. And the more shocking part is that the seller is offering it for an exorbitant amount of money.

The keyword is “seller.”

When you publish any print books on Amazon, that listing stays on their site permanently to accommodate third-party sellers who either have a copy of your book or can order a copy of your book to sell. They’re usually not doing anything illegal and rest assured, if someone buys your book through them, chances are likely they either already paid you for that copy or are going to pay you for that copy (unless it’s not in circulation).

The only time you should be concerned is when your book is being pirated. And one of the few ways to check if your book is being pirated is ordering a copy or checking the associated ISBN.

The Kindlepreneur Dave Chesson has a free browser extension called WriterWatch that helps you track any unusual behavior associated with your book that could indicate piracy. Highly recommended!

And speaking of piracy, this next post initially looked like something I just talked about with third-party resellers.

The original poster said:

Unauthorized Pirated Copies of My KDP Books Being Distributed Online

What do we do in this situation? Do we report to KDP? Or send a notice to the external website that is doing this unauthorized distribution? How do authors handle this - this is the first time this happened - so I am anxious.

My first instinct was, how do you know they’re actually pirating your books? Because as we just discussed, once you publish a print book, third-party sellers can list and resell legitimate copies of it. And one commenter actually brought up that same point.

But then the original poster provided a little more context further into the thread:

So I found a list of my books on this website - It had a link to download about 35 books into a zip - EPUB version of the ebooks. I have DRM set - so I do not know how this could be possible.

Then later he said:

The download link works. It has 35 epub files. I have it for evidence.

Okay, now we’re talking about something completely different.

First off, digital rights management—or DRM—is simple to break, just look up any number of videos on YouTube, you’ll see how simple it is. Do not expect DRM to protect any of your books; they’re just as vulnerable as books without them.

And before you immediately assume every website offering a free copy of your book actually has it, keep something else in mind. Some fake piracy sites will scrape book covers, titles, descriptions, and other metadata so it looks like they have a downloadable copy when they really don’t.

Simply put, your book is the bait.

Security researchers have documented fake ebook download sites that instead pushed people toward credit card forms or unwanted software, while the supposed ebook download didn’t even work.

But in this case, that additional evidence makes actual piracy far more likely.

Honestly, the very first response in this thread could’ve ended the conversation:

KDP can’t do anything. You can issue DMCA takedown notices. If it’s a legit website, they usually action the request, if it’s an actual pirate site, they’ll probably ignore you. To be honest, this kind of thing is so ubiquitous these days, I largely ignore it.

That’s pretty much it.

You can issue a DMCA takedown notice, contact the website or hosting provider, and pursue it further if you feel it’s worth your time. Personally, if I find somebody pirating my work through Amazon or another legitimate commercial website, I’m going after it. But am I going to spend my afternoons hunting down every offshore piracy site hosting one of my books? No. I’ve got better things to do in my business.

Something else happened in this thread that’s worth pointing out. Another person, who we’re about to see again, tried posting their email address so affected authors could contact them directly. A KDP moderator stepped in, removed the email address, and specifically cited the rule against posting personal identifying information.

Folks, don’t put your personal email address on a public forum. You’re just asking for trouble.

Though I do find it a little concerning that KDP will remove an email address while some regular contributors are allowed to attach websites and commercial services to practically every response they post. If we’re restricting personal information and self-promotion, then let’s make the rule consistent for everybody, even top contributors.

Now, remember that person who tried sharing their email address? They started another thread about the same piracy site:

Have you had your books stolen and put online on a “comix” forum? If so, I have found that the site in question is hosted in the UAE. I have the name and address, and have confirmation from Cloudflare. They are not responding to DMCA takedown notifications.

I have been in touch with a law firm in the UAE - they are willing to send a cease and desist for 5000 AED or full mediation for 10000 AED, plus a success bonus after...

However, they note that there is an increased chance of success if they can represent more people. Therefore, if you feel your stuff has been stolen and placed on said site, please let me know.

One commenter gave a pretty cynical response, but there’s a nugget of wisdom buried in it:

I’m sure they’d be happy to take your money to send a legal notice. The problem is the moment one pirate site goes down, like the Hydra, two more pop up to replace it.
Spending money doing this is a bad idea.

The Hydra analogy is pretty accurate, but I call it whack-a-mole. You knock down one piracy site and another one pops up somewhere else.

Are you an author or a contestant on the Whack-a-Mole Game Show?

I’m not saying you should roll over and let people steal your work. But before you start spending thousands of dollars on attorneys and international legal action, ask whether that money and time would be better spent reaching readers who actually want to buy your books.

Unless your publishing business is pulling in six or seven figures and piracy is creating a measurable problem, chasing these sites isn’t worth your time.

The original poster then said:

According to them, of my books alone, of which there are about 100, there have been 26000 downloads in the past six months which equates to about 65,000 EUR in lost revenue.

I understand why you’d do that math, but 26,000 illegal downloads does not automatically equal 26,000 lost sales.

People visiting piracy sites are specifically looking to get something without paying for it. If your book wasn’t available there, you can’t assume every one of those people would’ve suddenly gone to Amazon and bought a copy. Some might, but plenty would’ve simply looked somewhere else or downloaded a different book. So multiplying the number of downloads by your retail price and calling all of it lost revenue gives you a wildly misleading picture.

Unfortunately, this is also where the thread starts going completely off the rails.

One person said:

Have flagged this post as inappropriate for promotion of a product and possible scam. Even if legit, this is not the place to promote. Read the Terms and conditions and forum guidelines.

What exactly are they promoting here? They’re talking about a legal option they’re considering and asking whether anybody else is affected.

Then another person takes it considerably further:

I’ve reported you as I believe your actions suggest you maybe complicit with the piracy site.

Well now! If you legitimately believe somebody is running a scam, report it to a moderator and let them investigate it. Publicly accusing somebody of being complicit with a piracy operation without actual proof is ludicrous.

But the original poster didn’t exactly help matters either:

Are you kidding me??? I’m not promoting anything! Are you stupid?

Folks, don’t do that either.

Someone being an asshole to you doesn’t mean you have to become one too. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and responding in kind only gives everybody another reason to keep the fight going.

And that’s exactly what happened. The accusations continued, the original poster kept firing back, and, thank goodness, eventually an actual KDP moderator stepped in:

We are closing this thread as it is no longer productive or helpful to the community.

Copyright & AI

Copyright can absolutely derail your publishing business if you don’t understand how it works, and unfortunately, “I didn’t know” isn’t much of a defense when you’re publishing commercially. Copyright and trademark are two different things, and we’re not going to turn this into Copyright Law 101, but before you start publishing books, you need at least a working knowledge of both.

This first original poster said:

Copyright infringement

...I feel completely lost and I need some help.

I created recently a whodunit / suspect elimination book which simply took inspiration from the famous “The Killer isn’t Alice”
The story is completely different. There is a theme, a real story behind the suspects elimination and a different interior basically.
However, it looks like the cover I chose was very similar (I think it wasn’t) as well as some elements in the book description and title.
Based on this, Amazon blocked the book which was going well and I believe I won’t get a dime from the royalty plus I will have expenses from the amazon ads but never mind...

I wanted to ask you how can I verify in advance that there is no such risk in the future...

Can somebody help, please?

As we talked about earlier, getting one book blocked doesn’t automatically mean your KDP account is getting terminated. But it certainly isn’t something you want piling up in your account either.

The good news is we don’t even have to speculate about why this one was blocked, because the original poster later shared the email KDP sent them. Amazon specifically said the book could mislead customers by attempting to imitate a previously published work and specifically called out the title as being significantly similar.

And KDP’s own Metadata Guidelines spell this out:

Covers that may be misleading because they closely resemble another book’s layout, color scheme, fonts and/or images aren’t allowed.

In plain English, KDP doesn’t need a court to rule that you committed copyright infringement before they decide they don’t want the book. If Amazon believes your title, cover, or packaging looks close enough to another book that customers could be confused, they can refuse to publish it.

Their game, their rules.

There’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration from another author. Fifty Shades of Grey famously started as Twilight fan fiction called Master of the Universe before E.L. James reworked it for publishing.

But inspiration and imitation are two very different things.

If you love the premise of another book, let that inspire you. What you probably shouldn’t do is make a similar title, similar cover, similar description, and then wonder why Amazon thinks the whole package looks a little too familiar.

And the original poster asks a really good question: how do you know before publishing whether you’ve gone too far?

Get yourself an inner circle of authors who aren’t afraid to tell you the emperor has no clothes. I don’t want friends who just pat me on the back and say, “Atta boy,” every time I show them an idea. I want people who will call me out on it.

Show them your concept, the title, and the cover. Ask them, “Does this remind you too much of something else?”

I’d much rather hear that from somebody I trust than hear it from Amazon after it’s too late.

Now, this thread also provides a wonderful reminder that confidence and accuracy aren’t the same thing.

One commenter stated:

Pen names need to be human names. This is vague in the help pages. The line is something like “authors and contributors are people”.

Nope!

KDP’s own guidelines actually say:

You are free to use a pen name, as long as it does not impair customers’ ability to make good buying decisions.

So before confidently announcing a rule to another author, maybe check whether that rule actually exists.

And then somebody else contributed this gem:

The naivety of this O.P. is palatable.

Waaaaay toooo much left to learn while standing on the thin cusp between now and nevermore. A full termination is brewing.

What exactly did that accomplish? There were already people explaining the problem. This added nothing to the conversation except making a newer publisher feel stupid for asking.

Now, our second post takes the copyright problem quite a bit further.

The original poster said:

Request for Improvement of Amazon’s Account Suspension Process

My Amazon account was closed...

My account was closed after I published this photo book. However, Amazon never provided any specific explanation about which part of the content violated its policies...

I was unable to make improvements because I did not know what the problem was, and my account was closed without being given a meaningful opportunity to fix the issue...

I would like Amazon to improve its process by providing specific explanations of violations and offering an opportunity to correct issues, at least in cases where improvements are possible.

I actually agree with part of this. KDP can be painfully vague when they tell publishers they’ve violated a guideline, and that makes correcting the problem unnecessarily difficult.

But then the original poster attached the images from the book, and commenters started reverse-image searching them. That’s when the conversation changed.

The original poster eventually explained:

The images used in this photobook were created by transforming and enhancing public domain photographs (photographs with no copyright restrictions) using AI.

Now, if those source photographs truly are in the public domain, that’s definitely worth paying attention to. A reverse-image search by itself doesn’t prove copyright infringement.

But running an image through AI also doesn’t magically fix a rights problem if you never had the necessary rights in the first place.

And KDP is extremely clear about who carries that responsibility:

You are responsible for verifying that all AI-generated and/or AI-assisted content adheres to all content guidelines...

Their Content Guidelines also put the responsibility on the publisher to ensure the content doesn’t violate copyright, trademark, brand, privacy, publicity, or other rights.

And from my own experience, I’ve heard from several authors whose books were blocked after they used freely available stock imagery from places like Canva or Pixabay that had already appeared elsewhere.

That isn’t me telling you KDP has a written rule saying, “Someone else used this picture, therefore your book gets blocked.” They don’t.

But when you’re using imagery available to thousands of other people, don’t be shocked when duplicate or similar content becomes another potential headache. Make your work as original and differentiated as you possibly can.

Unfortunately, even with a legitimate issue worth discussing, somebody still found a way to be needlessly crappy:

If KDP did not have to invest so much time dealing with malicious, ignorant and arrogant publishers, perhaps they could afford to give better service to the rest.

Come on now, dude.

You can explain copyright, sure. You can explain why the images raised concerns, that’s fine. And you can even tell this person they made a serious mistake without calling them “malicious, ignorant, and arrogant.”

Not knowing copyright can absolutely get your publishing business in trouble. That’s why you learn it before uploading somebody else’s work and hoping everything works out. But treating somebody like garbage after they’ve already screwed up doesn’t make them understand it any better.

Do better.

Account Termination & Identity Verification

Few things will make an author’s stomach drop faster than seeing that their KDP account has been terminated or is scheduled for closure. And while I absolutely believe KDP should verify the identities of people using its platform, especially when it helps keep scammers, pirates, and other bad actors out, there also needs to be a reasonable way for legitimate publishers to get help when things go south.

Our first original poster asked:

How do we CALL a real person at KDP?

Our account was inexplicably terminated in the wee hours of the morning, and I’m about to have hundreds of panicked authors contacting me to find out why their books are no longer available on Amazon...

I have to be able to talk to a real person about this. Can anyone give me the phone number to call?

Here’s the simple answer: you don’t call KDP, KDP calls you.

Here in the U.S., when your account is active, go through the Contact Us option in your KDP dashboard. You’ll work through their assistant and, depending on what’s available to you, you’ll typically see options for email, live chat, or requesting a phone call.

For complicated issues, phone support is my first choice, live chat is second, and email is something I’d reserve for simpler questions.

And KDP confirms there is no public support number. Their own help page says:

The only way to request phone support from a KDP representative is to submit a call request through the Contact Us Form on the KDP website.

But once your account has been terminated, that’s different. I’ve spoken directly with the KDP team about this, and they told me the proper course of action is to reply directly to the termination email. Don’t open another account or start looking for some secret backdoor. Respond to that email, that’s it.

Unfortunately, the original poster gave everyone their entire life story, and the thread wandered about seventeen exits past the actual question. People started investigating their publishing business, royalty model, reviews, submission fees, and eventually started suggesting they might be scamming authors.

For context, this person appears to have operated a done-for-you publishing service where they published books on behalf of other authors. There are legitimate businesses that do exactly that. Some authors have the money but don’t have the time or desire to learn every part of publishing themselves. You might not like it or agree with it, but it’s perfectly acceptable as long as the publisher has full rights to publish the content.

And then someone confidently declared:

You aren’t a real publishing house if you are using KDP’s platform that was built for self-publishing.

Again, confidence and accuracy aren’t the same thing here.

KDP’s own Metadata Guidelines say:

KDP isn’t a publisher, but a service that supports authors and/or publishers like you.

So maybe check the actual rules before telling somebody what KDP was supposedly designed for.

Now, our next two posts are from completely different people, but they’re dealing with essentially the same problem: identity verification.

The first original poster said:

Terminating KDP

In a few days my KDP account will close all because of Amazon’s screwed up ID Verification thing...

Regardless, Amazon has no business having photos of my Drivers License to begin with, and then what, a scan of my face to verify my photo ID....

Well, here’s where I’m going to disagree big time.

Amazon absolutely has the right to require identity verification as a condition of using KDP. You can dislike that requirement, but if you don’t want to provide what they’re asking for, then KDP probably isn’t the platform for you.

And frankly, I’m glad they’re verifying people.

KDP says identity verification is designed to protect authors, publishers, and readers and help protect the service against fraud and abuse. If requested, you may need to provide a government-issued ID and, in some circumstances, complete additional verification.

But, I still have concerns with their current process, especially when somebody is legitimately trying to comply and the process repeatedly fails.

There’s been a lot of speculation about how many attempts you get before your account is terminated. I’ve heard authors throw around numbers like three attempts, but that isn’t what KDP currently says.

If you reach the limit for verification attempts, the Your Identity section on your account will be temporarily locked out. Please wait 72 hours to try again.

While they don’t publicly state what that attempt limit actually is, they do say that failing to successfully complete the verification can eventually lead to restrictions or account closure.

And here’s something I loved seeing buried in this thread. One person had previously gone through an account termination and said:

...but I did not give up & my account was reinstated saying it was their mistake.

Think about that the next time somebody in the forum confidently tells you your account is gone forever and you should just give up. They don’t know the outcome of your case, so don’t let them talk you into believing their false narrative.

In a separate yet similar post, this person said:

Identity Varification Difficulties

Don’t know if KDP looks at these forums, but there are some serious problems with the Identity Varification process. We are a global community. There are differences with everything from name orders to number orders to ID formats, just to name a few that have affected my account which is scheduled to be terminated in a few days.

That’s a legitimate reason to come to a community forum. Maybe somebody else experienced the same problem and figured out a solution.

But one commenter eventually decided these posts were essentially pointless, saying:

...none of us really care enough to bother answering these posts anymore.

And later said these types of discussions should be blocked because nobody there can help.

The original poster responded in the best way:

People go to forums/communities like this hoping that others who’ve experienced the same problem have found a way through it. I’m one of those people and I’ve done this same thing on other platforms where people are friendly and helpful, not rude like you. You’re no different than Amazon I guess. And apparently you think you speak for everyone in the community, as - “none of us really care enough to bother answering these posts anymore.” Then don’t, nobody cares to read your rude Debbie Downer reply here either.

Bravo! That is how you call somebody out. You don’t have to start a spitfight—nobody wins, and everybody just ends up covered in spit. Tell them their response wasn’t helpful, make your point, and move on.

Number of Books Allowed Per Day

Sometimes, the best answer in a community forum is also the simplest one. Somebody asks a straightforward question, you give them an accurate answer, provide the source, and move on. And if you only think you know the answer, take thirty seconds and look it up before confidently sending somebody in the wrong direction.

The original poster asked:

How many books are allowed to publish per day?

That’s it; simple question, right?

One of the first answers was:

Three. There are those who wish to post more, usually no/low content items such as journals, diaries, etc. Ultimately, this is a practice in futility as those “books” don’t sell.

And before long, somebody else added:

Wait for one to go live before you publish another. That way you’re less likely to get terminated for doing something “silly”. As noted above, low content doesn’t sell, nor does anything written/generated by AI. If you’ve been told otherwise, you’ve been lied to.

What are you on about?!

Nobody asked whether low-content books sell or about AI-generated books. The question was how many books KDP allows you to publish. Period.

Stop overcomplicating the situation. Just answer the question or move on.

Thankfully, one person actually looked it up, provided the source, included a screenshot, and quoted KDP directly:

Title creation limit

To ensure a positive experience for all authors, we limit the number of titles you can create at the same time to 10 per book format each week. If you expect to regularly create a large number of titles, please contact us to inquire about an exception.

There you go. That’s how you answer somebody’s question.

And according to KDP’s current documentation, it’s ten titles per book format each week, not three books per day. They even tell you to contact them if you regularly need to create more.

If you’re going to give somebody advice that could affect their publishing business, cross-check it first. I do that with my own information because the last thing I want is somebody making a business decision based on something I confidently got wrong.

And after spending hours reading these threads, I kept seeing the same people show up again and again, frequently turning simple questions into debates nobody asked for.

At some point I have to ask: are you an author, or are you a self-appointed moderator of the KDP Community forum?

Because if you’re spending more time lecturing strangers in a forum than working on your own publishing business, I might have a suggestion for where some of that energy could be better spent.

Wrapping It Up

Remember those account termination stories we talked about earlier? If that made your hair stand on end because you’re wondering whether you could fall afoul of KDP’s often ambiguous guidelines, catch this next post where I break down some of the most common violations that can get your account suspended or terminated. I’ll show you what to avoid and how to deal with it should you ever find yourself in that position. See you there 👇

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The following options are companies I’ve investigated for my podcast but have yet to try them out. They all come with mostly positive reviews from authors. I’ll brie…

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Full disclosure: Some outbound links are part of affiliate programs where I’m compensated for any sales made through them. It never impacts what you pay and greatly helps support this Substack. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s only been a week since our last news update, but there’s already plenty happening in the world of self-publishing. The CEO of HarperCollins weighed in on AI authorship, AI detectors, and what publishers may start asking writers to prove. Lulu just announced a dead-simple direct sales tool that could remove a whole lot of friction from selling books yourself. Dibbly Create finally added the one feature I’ve wanted since day one, and it will save authors a lot of extra work. And two book review platforms launched some interesting new tools.

All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for August 20, 2026.

One Link for Every Reader

Support for Self-Publishing with Dale on Substack comes from BookLinker, a completely free universal book link service for authors.

I’ve been a huge advocate for universal book links for years now because they remove unnecessary friction between readers and your books. Instead of sharing separate links for Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, you can create one BookLinker URL and share it everywhere.

Your readers can choose the retailer they prefer from one simple page, whether that’s Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo. For Amazon and Apple Books, BookLinker can also route readers to the appropriate regional storefront, which is especially helpful when you’re marketing internationally. That means fewer links for you to manage and an easier path for readers to find your book where they already shop.

Setting up a link only takes a couple of minutes, and BookLinker also includes built-in click analytics so you can see where your traffic is coming from and how your links are performing.

I recommend BookLinker as a free universal book link option for authors, and I’ve personally trusted and used its parent company, Geniuslink, for years.

Best of all, BookLinker is completely free. Make it easier for readers to find your books when you visit Booklinker.com today.

Create Your Universal Book Link

Publishing Is Starting to Draw Lines Around AI-Assisted Books

Publishers Weekly recently spoke with HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray about the growing number of controversies surrounding AI and authorship, and his comments show that traditional publishing is beginning to wrestle with how it handles manuscripts created with generative AI.

Murray described the current situation as “very murky,” particularly when it comes to copyright. He raised the possibility that an AI-assisted book could potentially be treated like something in the public domain if enough of the work isn’t eligible for copyright protection.

That’s still speculative, and I think we need to be careful with the term “AI-assisted” because people continue to use AI assistance and AI generation almost interchangeably when they’re not.

There’s a massive difference between asking AI to brainstorm ideas, research a topic, proofread your writing, or help clean up a few sentences and having generative AI produce an entire manuscript.

Interestingly, Murray doesn’t believe AI detection software is going to solve the problem. Instead, he thinks authors, agents, and publishers need to establish industry-wide best practices based largely around trust and disclosure.

He even suggested authors could eventually be expected to keep records documenting their writing process so publishers have some assurance that the work was actually written by a human.

I’m not sold on that angle. If an author wants to document every stage of their writing because they’re concerned about someday being accused of using generative AI, that’s their choice. But requiring writers to maintain some elaborate paper trail proving how they created their books feels unnecessarily invasive and a burden to me.

If traditional publishers eventually decide that’s the price of admission, they’re certainly free to establish those requirements. I just don’t think documenting every step of the creative process should become another standard responsibility dumped onto authors.

And this issue isn’t stopping at publishers.

Editor Mary Kole recently wrote an excellent guest post on Jane Friedman.com about how working on two undisclosed AI-assisted manuscripts caused her to rewrite her client agreement entirely.

Kole shared how both manuscripts appeared polished at first, but the deeper she got into editing them, the more she realized she wasn’t doing the same job she normally performs for a human-written manuscript.

Instead of helping an author strengthen their existing voice and creative decisions, she found herself making many of those creative decisions herself. She was reshaping emotional arcs, strengthening characterization, and essentially trying to find the humanity inside material generated by AI.

That additional work has now changed how she handles these projects.

Her new agreement requires clients to disclose AI-generated content, allows her to renegotiate or terminate a project if the AI use turns out to be significantly greater than disclosed, and reserves the right to charge a 50% premium because of the additional editorial work involved.

And I totally understand that from firsthand experience.

Last year, I worked with Dibbly on a case study where we had generative AI produce an entire novel. I read the raw manuscript, and while it was technically readable, it was mediocre at best. There was too much internal exposition, not enough natural dialogue, and large parts of the story felt stilted.

Then Dibbly brought in a human ghostwriter to “humanize the manuscript.”

The difference was immediate. The dialogue improved, the characters felt more natural, and the story became considerably more enjoyable to read.

After that, an editor came in and took it to another level.

By the time the manuscript went through both human passes, it was a night-and-day difference from the original AI-generated draft.

That experience showed me there can be significantly more work involved when somebody hands a professional an AI-generated manuscript and simply says, “Edit this.”

Some editors are going to refuse those projects altogether. Others are going to take the work but recognize that the scope is completely different and charge accordingly.

Kole also stated how she reserves the right to submit a small portion of a manuscript to AI detection software, although her own agreement acknowledges that those tools are imperfect and their findings aren’t definitive.

That’s probably the part where she and I differ the most.

I don’t put much faith in the current generation of AI detectors. We’ve already seen far too many questions about false positives, inconsistent results, and what those percentages actually prove.

If an editor wants to use one as part of deciding which clients they work with, that’s their business. But I wouldn’t personally want to make a major decision about somebody’s manuscript based primarily on an AI detector.

And it’s interesting that while one side of the business is experimenting with detection, the CEO of one of the world’s largest publishers is essentially saying he doesn’t believe a technical solution is going to settle the issue anyway.

For now, publishers, editors, and authors are all trying to figure out where these boundaries belong. Judging from these two conversations, we’re probably going to see a lot more contracts and policies attempting to define them.

Lulu Rolls Out a New Buy Button for Direct Sales

Lulu rolled out a new Buy Button for direct sales (see here). The biggest benefit is you don’t need a dedicated ecommerce website to use it. Once your book is published through Lulu, you can share a direct checkout link through social media, email newsletters, QR codes, in-person events, or embed the button on your website if you already have one.

You can set your own selling price, keep your customer data, and Lulu handles the printing, fulfillment, and shipping while Stripe manages the transaction and payouts. I haven’t had a chance to test the Buy Button yet, but from everything Lulu has shown, it looks dead simple to put together.

Dibbly Create Finally Adds Manuscript Imports

My preferred writing software, Dibbly Create, finally launched a feature I’ve been begging them to add for about three years: manuscript imports. Authors can now upload Word or PDF manuscripts instead of starting a project from scratch or manually copying and pasting every chapter into separate sections, which can become incredibly labor intensive with longer books.

Dibbly Create will automatically identify the chapters in your manuscript and let you approve the structure before anything gets created. I haven’t had a chance to test the new import feature yet, but I’m super excited to finally see it added. This is something I’ve wanted since day one, and thank goodness they finally got it.

Book Review Platforms Roll Out New Features

If you picked up my latest book, Reviews for Books—available through major online retailers and libraries—you probably remember my case study testing several book review exchange platforms across nine different titles. Two of those services, Get Authentic Book Reviews and Book Bounty, rolled out some noteworthy updates this week.

Get Authentic Book Reviews is increasing the number of points members can earn for reading and reviewing books, while encouraging everyone to keep a comfortable, natural reading pace. Just as a friendly reminder, those points only help your own book once you actually use them to request reviews.

Side note: During my case study, Get Authentic Book Reviews generated more than 339 reviews across my books and scores more since, so I’ve had plenty of firsthand experience with the platform.

They’re also reminding members about an option for lower-rated reviews. If you finish a book but don’t feel comfortable posting a low-rated review publicly on Amazon, you can submit that feedback privately and still receive your points.

Personally, if I spend the time reading a book, I’m comfortable rating it honestly, good or bad. But I completely understand why some authors don’t want to publicly tear down another author, so I can see the value in having that option.

Meanwhile, Book Bounty added image and video requests for Verified Purchase print reviews. Authors can now request that readers include a photo or video with their review, and I think we’re going to see a lot more visual reviews across retail platforms in the years to come.

Book Bounty is also placing limits on how many visual-review requests can run at once so the activity stays natural instead of flooding a product page all at once.

Also, Book Bounty launched a new Cover Feedback area where authors can share cover designs with the community to get feedback before committing to a final version.

It’s a neat addition, although I’d still prefer feedback from readers specifically inside my niche rather than a broad audience whose tastes may have nothing to do with my market.

Quick side note: During my Reviews for Books case study, Book Bounty generated more than 148 reviews with an average rating of 4.7 stars, so it’s good to see both of these platforms continuing to add tools while tightening up how their review systems operate.

Rapid-Fire Newsflash

• Voices by INAudio just added a new Promotions Dashboard where authors can submit their audiobooks for retailer promotions. Voices sends your submission directly to the retailer, and if your title gets picked, they’ll automatically set the promotional price for the campaign. You’ll find the new dashboard under the Marketing tab in your Voices account. And even though there’s no guarantee you’ll be selected, it never hurts to try.

• The AI Audiobook Company Spoken is hosting a free Multi-Cast Deep Dive webinar later today, Thursday, August 20 at 1:00pm EDT. The team will demonstrate its Magic Mode tools for creating multi-cast audiobooks, including character voices and accents, custom audio, and its new speed-control feature. If you’re interested, register now before the session gets underway and to get access to the replay.

• Tertulia for Authors co-founder Lynda Hammes is joining me later today, Thursday, August 20 at 2:15pm EDT, for a live author website build from start to finish. We’ll show how quickly an author can get a professional site up and running with little more than an ISBN or Instagram handle, with no coding or technical experience required.

• ProWritingAid recently rolled out Creative Nudges, a new tool that analyzes your existing manuscript and suggests questions, directions, and possible story beats to help you figure out what comes next without taking control of the writing. Creative Nudges are available across ProWritingAid plans, including free accounts, with a limited number of nudges available each day.

• Speaking of ProWritingAid, they’re teaming up with BookBaby for a free webinar called Is Your Manuscript Really Ready to Publish? on Tuesday, August 25 at 2:00pm EDT. They’ll cover using ProWritingAid to identify developmental issues before moving into professional cover design, printing, and distribution through BookBaby.

• The Women in Publishing Summit is hosting a free webinar with Miblart on Wednesday, August 26 at 1:00pm EDT called The Marketing Power of Book Covers: From Market Research to Promotion. They’ll cover first impressions, market research, and using your finished cover across different promotional channels, with the big takeaway being how to build a stronger cover design brief that attracts the right readers.

• For the third week in a row, my friend Matty Dalrymple has brought another fantastic guest to The Indy Author Podcast, this time Draft2Digital co-founder and CEO Kris Austin. Kris breaks down some of D2D’s recent changes and why they were necessary, including how bad actors and AI-generated spam accounted for as much as 70% of submissions in some months. I’m a huge fan of both Kris and Matty, and this episode is absolutely worth your time.

• The replay of my recent Self-Publishing Insiders interview with Draft2Digital is now available. We cover how authors can build a YouTube platform, choose the right content, grow a community, and get started without waiting for everything to be perfect. If you’ve been thinking about YouTube, this is a solid place to start, so go catch the replay right away.

Let’s Wrap It Up

Special thanks to my sponsors, Booklinker. If you’re going to market and promote your book, at least do it with a universal book link. And since Booklinker is a free universal book link service, take a few minutes to set up your book now at BookLinker.com.

That’s all I have for this week’s Self-Publishing News. What do you think about some of the latest updates? Did I miss anything? Hit me up in the comments or feel free to share this post along with your thoughts. Till later, catch up on the previous weeks’ Self-Publishing News 👇

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If Amazon discovers your ebook has a different pr…

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While there’s nothing inherently wrong with publishing through those avenues, it’s rather short-sighted for some author…

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Full disclosure: Some outbound links are part of affiliate programs where I’m compensated for any sales made through them. It never impacts what you pay and greatly helps support this Substack. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s only been a week since our last news update, but authors already have plenty to catch up on. Publishers Weekly just released new data on book sales in 2025, Anthropic is making a major change to Claude that stems from the European Union’s AI transparency laws, Pulitzer winners are adding an unexpected twist to the AI disclosure debate, and YouTube just announced changes that could make authors regret waiting until 2027 to get started.

All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for August 13, 2026.

Publishing Sales Hit $33.4 Billion in 2025

Publishers Weekly reported that the U.S. publishing industry brought in an estimated $33.4 billion in 2025, which is up 2.5% from the previous year. Unit sales also managed to creep up 0.4% to 3.15 billion books sold.

Now, am I doing backflips over a 2.5% increase? Not really, but I’ll take growth over decline every time, especially considering how much doom and gloom we hear about publishing.

Yet here we are with more money being spent on books and slightly more units moving than the year before.

The data behind print sales is what caught my attention. Hardcovers and paperbacks accounted for 73.1% of trade publishing revenue in 2025. Hardcover sales increased 3.9% to $8 billion, while trade paperback sales were up 2% to $7.8 billion.

And physical bookstores had the biggest increase among the major sales channels, jumping 6% to $5 billion.

For anyone who has completely written off print because ebooks are easier, cheaper, or supposedly where all the money is, you might want to reconsider that strategy. There’s still a lot of revenue to be had in print books.

Also, digital audiobook revenue increased 5.3% to $2.5 billion, compared with $2.2 billion for ebooks. And this is now the second year in a row that digital audio has generated more revenue than ebooks.

I’ve been beating this drum for years. Get in now to ride the wave of success in audiobook publishing.

Hire a professional narrator, work with a production team, or use AI narration if that makes sense for your business. I don’t care which road you take, but at least consider getting your books into audio because readers are clearly spending money there.

And of course, online retail is still king. Amazon and other online retailers generated $11.3 billion in sales, up another 2.9%. But physical stores grew at twice that rate percentage-wise.

So once again, Amazon is huge, but it’s not the entire publishing industry.

Publishers Weekly has a whole mess of additional insights and data to explore, so check out the links in the show notes, as per usual.

AI Watermarks, Pulitzer Winners, and the Fight Over Disclosure

The European Union’s AI transparency rules officially took effect on August 2, and one of the requirements under Article 50 is that AI companies need to add some type of hidden marker so AI-generated content can potentially be identified.

For authors, this doesn’t suddenly mean everybody who brainstorms with AI or uses it to proofread a manuscript has to start putting disclosure statements in their books. Most of the responsibility here falls on the companies providing AI systems.

And of course, Anthropic is already responding. New Claude models released in the EU on or after August 2 will start embedding invisible watermarks into AI-generated text. Supported files will also include information showing they were processed through Claude.

It should be noted that Anthropic isn’t limiting this to Europe. These markings will apply worldwide on supported Claude models.

I actually speculated about something like this years ago when I first started digging into generative AI. I figured eventually we’d see some type of invisible fingerprint that couldn’t be detected with the naked eye. Images seemed like the obvious starting point, but now we’re officially seeing it happen with text.

And here’s where I start having some concerns. Anthropic openly acknowledges that finding one of these watermarks doesn’t necessarily mean Claude wrote the original material.

Maybe you wrote the entire article yourself and only brought it into Claude for proofreading. Maybe you used it for translation. Or you could’ve possibly asked it to clean up a couple of sentences, that’s it.

The output could still carry that watermark. And that’s where I have an issue. If I wrote the original material and I’m simply using Claude as a tool to clean something up, why should that suddenly put a marker on my work suggesting AI was involved?

The watermark doesn’t tell anyone how much AI actually contributed.

On the flip side, Anthropic also admits that not finding a watermark doesn’t prove the work wasn’t generated or processed by AI. Heavy editing, paraphrasing, translation, mixing the text with other writing, or using an older model could make the mark disappear.

My hot take is if you’re going to mandate technical detection, you better make sure the detection actually works.

And that brings us to software engineer Sean Goedecke, who shared in a recent article that text watermarks are going to be relatively easy to break.

His point is that text is very different from an image. With an image, you can hide information inside pixels without noticeably changing what somebody sees. With text, you don’t have nearly as much room to hide that information.

Depending on how the watermark works, paraphrasing or substantially rewriting the material could potentially destroy the underlying pattern. Goedecke even argues that text watermarks will ultimately be “trivial” to remove. That’s his technical analysis, not proof that every watermarking system has already been defeated, but it certainly raises questions about how effective this is going to be.

And yes, there’s probably some value here in catching somebody who generates something, copies it, pastes it, and immediately publishes it without another thought.

But even that doesn’t tell the whole story. Someone could spend hours or days developing something with generative AI, editing it, fact-checking it, rewriting portions of it, and shaping the finished piece. Simply detecting a watermark doesn’t explain any of that.

That’s one of the problems I continue having with this entire AI detection conversation. We’re trying to reduce AI use down to a yes-or-no answer when the reality is far more complicated.

And speaking of complicated, the BBC recently covered a study that tested three short stories written by published authors against three generated by ChatGPT.

Participants had a hard time telling which was which. Even more interesting, the AI-generated stories received higher quality ratings, and the highest ratings went to AI-written stories when readers believed they had been written by humans.

To be clear, I’m not going to take a six-story case study and declare that AI writes better fiction than people. That’d be ridiculous.

But it does challenge the idea that readers can always tell when something was generated by AI.

For me, it still comes back to the reading experience. Does the story pull me in? Does it entertain me? Does it provide some type of value? If it doesn’t, I stop reading. It’s that simple.

And while governments and tech companies are working on ways to identify AI-generated material, AI use is becoming more common in professional workflows.

Nieman Lab reported recently that a record eight Pulitzer-recognized entries disclosed using AI this year, including five winners and three finalists.

This brings me back again to the context and behind the scenes work that went into a book. There’s a massive difference between generating an entire story and using AI to comb through 10,000 documents to get you good source material fast.

Some of these journalists used AI for summarizing records, translating material, organizing research, searching large collections of documents, or double-checking work that humans had already completed. Humans were still reviewing and verifying the important information.

I applaud these journalists for their willingness to openly say, “Yes, we used artificial intelligence as part of the process.” Maybe more fearful writers will see that there are people on our side of the conversation and that not everyone is against AI use.

Shout-out to Jane Friedman’s The Bottom Line newsletter for curating a few of these articles and sharing additional insights into such a complex topic. I highly recommend picking up a paid subscription to her newsletter; it’s very much worth it.

Instagram Wants You to Show What You’re Reading, Will It Matter?

The Independent highlighted a new Instagram feature that allows users to display the book they’re currently reading at the top of their profile. Readers get another way to share what they’re into, while authors potentially get some free visibility whenever somebody puts their book on display. And if that reader forgets to change the title for a couple of weeks? Even better! That’s extra exposure without the author having to do a thing.

There is a 20-character limit, so not every full book title is going to fit, but that doesn’t seem like a huge obstacle. The bigger question is whether anybody will still care about this feature a year from now. Instagram has rolled out plenty of features over the years that people got excited over, used for a little while, and then seemingly forgot existed.

Remember IGTV???

So, check back with me next year and I’ll probably have a much better idea of whether this actually helps build awareness and sell books, or whether it becomes another Instagram feature that quietly fades into the non-existence.

The columnist at The Independent takes a much more cynical view, questioning whether something like this turns reading into another performance for social media. I really don’t care whether somebody is being performative or completely authentic. Putting yourself out there online isn’t always easy, and everybody has to find their own voice eventually.

If somebody talks about a book, shows it off on their profile, and that gets one of their followers interested enough to pick up a copy and start reading, that sounds like a win to me.

How a Self-Published Memoir Sold 1,000 Copies in Five Months

Debbie Friedman recently shared on Jane Friedman’s website how she sold more than 1,000 copies of her self-published memoir, Guarded: Women, Water, and Saving Lives, in just five months. That’s impressive on its own, but memoir is historically one of the tougher categories to market and sell because you’re usually trying to reach a very specific audience.

What caught my attention was that Debbie didn’t rely on some massive marketing budget or complicated strategy. She kept asking herself,

She started with the community she already knew, then built momentum through local events, bookstores, newspapers, radio, podcasts, book clubs, and other community organizations.

That lines up with something I’ve been saying for years and even said in last week’s news segment: don’t overlook your own backyard. Start local, build momentum in a grassroots campaign, and expand from there. Whether you’re publishing a memoir, nonfiction, or fiction, the readers are out there; the hard part is finding them. Debbie broke down five things that worked for her, so make sure you read the full article for the deeper dive.

The Best Time for Authors on YouTube Is NOW

If you’re an author who has been thinking about starting a YouTube channel, do it now. YouTube just announced upcoming changes to the YouTube Partner Program, and starting February 1, 2027, getting fully monetized will be significantly harder for new creators.

Right now, video creators can qualify for ad and Premium revenue sharing with 4,000 watch time hours over one year or 10 million Shorts views over 90 days. In February, YouTube is doubling those requirements for new applicants to 8,000 watch time hours or 20 million Shorts views.

The good news is creators already inside the YouTube Partner Program won’t be affected by those higher entry requirements, meaning, they’ll be grandfathered in on the old qualifications.

I’ve fully monetized four different YouTube channels, and three of those required me to cross the current qualification thresholds. I can tell you from firsthand experience that 4,000 hours isn’t an easy task for most video creators. Eight-thousands hours is going to make that considerably more difficult.

If you need help getting started, I literally wrote the book on this. YouTube for Authors is a two-time award-winning book and part of my award-winning series Self-Publishing with Dale.

The good news is that later today, Thursday, August 13 at 1:00pm EDT, I’ll be joining Draft2Digital Director of Marketing Jim Azevedo live on Self-Publishing Insiders. We’ll talk about building your author platform on YouTube, what kind of videos authors should create, and I’ll most likely dig into these new partner program requirements and how you can get monetized before the February deadline.

Join us live so you can ask questions. Replays will be available, but if you want your questions answered, show up live.

Rapid-Fire Newsflash

Time for the Rapid-Fire Newsflash, a quick roundup of headlines hitting the self-publishing world this week.

• Kindlepreneur founder Dave Chesson recently updated his comprehensive guide to writer’s conferences, including how to decide whether an event is worth your time and money, what to do before and during the conference, and how to follow up afterward. He also shares a curated list of conferences for different genres, experience levels, and budgets, along with practical advice for getting more value from the networking opportunities that often happen outside the scheduled sessions.

• Jane Friedman joined my friend Matty Dalrymple on The Indy Author Podcast to discuss how indie authors can prepare for future print, audio, foreign, film, and other rights deals while protecting the rights they want to keep. I’m a HUGE fan of Jane’s work, and this is two weeks in a row Matty has brought on a stellar guest, so definitely subscribe to The Indy Author Podcast if you want consistently strong conversations around the writing and publishing business.

• Big shout-out to BookLinker for hosting a free Ask Us Anything book marketing session with Kerrie Flanagan and Lee Elwell on Thursday, August 13 at 2:30pm EDT. Authors can bring questions about newsletters, metadata, ads, social media, launches, international sales, and more.

• LAST CALL: The book review exchange platform Gemsy is offering 50% off its annual plan through August 20 with coupon code DALESUMMER50. During the nine-book case study featured in my publication Reviews for Books, Gemsy generated more than 39 reviews across my books with an average rating of 4.9 stars, so I’ve personally put the platform through its paces. Give Gemsy a shot while it’s at a bargain-basement price.

Final Thoughts

That’s all I have for this week’s Self-Publishing News. What do you think about some of the latest updates? Did I miss anything? Hit me up in the comments below; I read all of them. Till later, catch up on the past two weeks of Self-Publishing News here 👇

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Full disclosure: Some outbound links are part of affiliate programs where I’m compensated for any sales made through them. It never impacts what you pay and greatly helps support this Substack. Thanks for your understanding.

As more indie authors see diminishing returns self-publishing through Amazon KDP, I’m often asked where the next best place is. And my default answer has always been Draft2Digital. However, it’s been a couple years since I last reviewed this aggregate publishing platform, and a lot has changed since then.

In fact, in early 2026, Draft2Digital went under fire for changing their model so that any account holders earning less than $100 in a year were subject to a $12 fee. And that’s far from the only thing that’s changed with Draft2Digital. There’s a lot we need to unpack before you decide whether it belongs in your publishing plans going forward.

How Draft2Digital Works and What It Costs

Draft2Digital (D2D) was founded in 2012 by CEO Kris Austin, who I’ve interviewed several times over the years on my channel and podcast. That’s given me a pretty good look at how the company thinks about authors, distribution, and some of the changes they’ve made along the way.

D2D is what’s known as an aggregate publisher. Instead of uploading your ebook direct to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, libraries, subscription services, and everywhere else, you upload it once to D2D and they distribute it to the partners on your behalf.

D2D makes its money by taking roughly 10% of your book’s list price. So, if your ebook is $4.99, Draft2Digital takes roughly $0.50 from each sale, while the retailer takes its cut separately. Simply put, D2D’s percentage comes from the retail price, not whatever net profit is left afterward.

But, as alluded to earlier, that model has changed a bit.

New accounts now have a one-time $20 activation fee. After that, account holders with books in distribution who earn less than $100 during a rolling year are subject to a $12 annual maintenance fee on their account anniversary.

D2D will pull that fee from whatever royalties you have available. If you don’t have enough earnings to cover it, they’ll request payment for the remaining balance. And to be clear, that’s $12 for the account, not per book. You can have one book or 100 books in there and the fee doesn’t change. If you already have an account with no books in distribution, you’re not subject to that annual maintenance fee.

Kris Austin also publicly shared why Draft2Digital put some of these barriers in place. They were getting inundated with low-quality, largely AI-generated content, much of it nonfiction, and some distribution partners started putting restrictions on what they would accept. Sadly, he had to put this safeguard in place or the platform would’ve gone belly-up under the weight of garbage books.

Keep in mind, Draft2Digital isn’t backed by a billion-dollar corporation like Kindle Direct Publishing or Ingram. While the fees aren’t ideal for most legitimate authors, it’s practical in order to keep the lights on and D2D in business.

KDP has trained a lot of indie authors to expect publishing platforms to have no upfront or annual fees, so I completely understand why D2D charging $12 per year rubbed some people the wrong way. This is especially tougher for longtime account holders who had gotten used to paying nothing. But when you compare that fee to some of the alternatives, $12 starts looking a whole lot more reasonable.

PublishDrive’s lowest annual plan comes out to $13.99 per month and only covers three titles. So, one month costs more than an entire year with D2D and has a three-book limit. Lulu charges $4.99 per format, per title for Global Distribution. That means distributing one ebook and one print book costs $9.98 right out the gate. And StreetLib’s current subscription is $99 per year for up to 100 titles while paying 85% of net revenue.

To be fair, both PublishDrive and StreetLib have free options. However, PublishDrive limits that to one title, while StreetLib’s free model comes with lower royalties and more limited distribution. So, there are ways to avoid annual fees altogether, but you’re giving up significant benefits of using those platforms.

Meanwhile, D2D’s $12 fee covers your entire account, regardless of how many books you have in distribution. And if you earn at least $100 in royalties during that rolling year, they waive the fee entirely. That’s $100 in earnings coming to you, not $100 in retail sales. So, while I understand why people weren’t thrilled about another fee, we’re essentially talking about a dollar per month, and potentially nothing if your books are selling.

So, D2D is still a very low-cost way to distribute books, but calling it completely free isn’t accurate anymore.

Draft2Digital Ebook Distribution

Ebook distribution is where Draft2Digital shines. Rather than uploading your book to a bunch of different platforms and managing a separate dashboard for every last one of them, you can upload it once to D2D, choose where you want it distributed, and let them handle the rest.

To be very clear, D2D does not force you to distribute everywhere. You can pick and choose whatever makes the most sense for your publishing business.

Another nice feature is D2D’s automated ebook formatting. If you come with a completed manuscript, you can choose from their formatting templates and generate a professional ebook file without having to format it yourself. You can even download the finished file without distributing the book through D2D.

Once your ebook is ready to go, their distribution breaks down into three different models:

1. Digital stores (retailers)

2. Subscription services

3. Libraries

For retailers, D2D currently distributes to:

• Barnes & Noble

• Kobo

• Apple Books

• Tolino

• Vivlio

• Smashwords

• Gardners

• Bookshop.org

• Fable

Amazon is technically available too, but only by invitation. And there are enough limitations with Amazon distribution through D2D that most authors are probably better served going direct through KDP anyway.

Bookshop.org is also worth pointing out because, at the moment, their ebook distribution through D2D is limited to the US and UK. I’m a big fan of Bookshop because they’re not only trying to build a real alternative to Amazon, they’re also supporting independent bookstores in the process. When someone purchases through Bookshop, a portion of that sale helps support indie bookstores, which is a huge win in my book. Hopefully we’ll continue seeing their reach expand.

Quick side note: “Limited” might not be the most accurate way to describe Bookshop, especially since they’re aggressively expanding. With over 3,400 stores currently in Bookshop’s network, we can all agree that’s not nothing. The limitation represents the current global reach being only in the US and UK. I’m sure they’ll expand to other regions soon.

Bookshop.org is one of the newer additions to D2D’s distribution reach, but one of the oldest names in indie publishing under their umbrella is Smashwords.

Smashwords was founded by Mark Coker in 2008 and was one of the early pioneers in ebook self-publishing. In fact, Smashwords was the first aggregate publishing platform I personally used. D2D acquired the company in 2022, and I’ll admit, I was ecstatic about the news but also a little reluctant about what would happen afterward.

Several years later, I think it ended up being a great decision for both companies. D2D became the publishing and distribution platform while Smashwords remained as the storefront, along with some of the tools and promotions authors loved about it.

Now, just because D2D distributes somewhere doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use every available option.

For instance, I publish direct through Kobo Writing Life. That gives me access to three different avenues I’d otherwise reach through D2D:

1. Kobo for regular ebook sales

2. Kobo Plus for subscription-based reading

3. OverDrive for library distribution

In all three cases, going direct means I’m removing D2D as the middleman and keeping more of the royalty for myself. If you’d rather sacrifice that percentage for the convenience of managing everything through one dashboard, that’s totally fine. For me, Kobo Writing Life is easy enough to manage that I’d rather go direct and keep the extra earnings.

And Kobo isn’t the only place where going direct is an option. You can also publish directly through Barnes & Noble Press, Apple Books for Authors, and Tolino Media.

But the tradeoff is that the more places you go direct, the more dashboards, tax information, sales reports, payments, and book listings you have to manage. Some authors don’t want that headache. They’d rather upload once, manage everything through one D2D dashboard, and give D2D their cut for handling the extra work.

There’s nothing wrong with either approach. Look through Draft2Digital’s partners, figure out where going direct makes sense for you, and use D2D strategically for everything else. That’s exactly how I use the platform.

And rather than me rattling off a bunch of royalty percentages that’ll probably change at some point later on, D2D shows you the projected royalty for each outlet based on the list price you set before you publish. You can see approximately what you’ll earn and decide whether that distribution avenue makes sense.

The second model is subscription services. Right now, D2D offers:

1. Everand

2. Kobo Plus

Instead of someone purchasing your ebook outright, readers access your book as part of their subscription, and your payout is based on the terms of that particular service.

Kobo Plus pays authors based on the amount of time readers spend consuming the ebook. So, unlike Kindle Unlimited where you’re being paid based on pages read, Kobo Plus is measuring read time.

And here’s one BIG difference from KDP Select: Kobo Plus is non-exclusive. You can enroll your ebook in Kobo Plus and still sell that same ebook everywhere else.

Keep in mind, if you want D2D to distribute your ebook into Kobo Plus, you also need to choose Kobo in the Digital Stores section. So, someone like me who’s already going direct through Kobo Writing Life wouldn’t use D2D for Kobo Plus either.

The third model, and one of my favorite reasons for using D2D, is library distribution.

D2D currently works with:

• OverDrive

• Vivlio Libraries

• cloudLibrary

• Hoopla

• BorrowBox

Library distribution generally falls into two models:

1. One Copy, One User: The library purchases a digital copy of your book and can lend that copy to one reader at a time.

2. Cost Per Checkout: The library doesn’t purchase a permanent copy. Instead, you’re paid whenever your book is checked out.

Because libraries can potentially circulate an ebook over and over again, the common industry recommendation is to price your library edition about two to three times higher than your normal retail ebook price. D2D lets you set that library price separately.

Side note: Amazon currently allows KDP Select ebooks to be distributed to libraries without violating the program’s exclusivity requirements. So, you can use Draft2Digital specifically for library distribution while remaining enrolled in KDP Select. But pay close attention to what you’re selecting.

If that ebook is enrolled in KDP Select, do NOT send it to D2D’s regular digital retailers or subscription services. Stick to the library distribution options. Otherwise, you’re in danger of breaking the KDP Select agreement.

D2D also gives ebook publishers access to pre-orders and scheduled promotional pricing. You can set up an ebook before release, and for promotions, schedule a temporary price change so D2D sends the new price to your selected stores and switches it back afterward.

That can save you a fair amount of busywork when you’re managing launches or running a sale.

You’ve got plenty to choose from here, but avoid blindly checking every box. That’s one of the things I appreciate most about D2D. Use the retailers, subscription services, and libraries that make sense for your business, go direct wherever you believe is worth the extra effort, and let D2D take care of the rest.

Draft2Digital Print Book Distribution

Draft2Digital also offers print-on-demand publishing for paperback books. You upload your files, set your price, and D2D handles the printing and fulfillment whenever someone orders a copy.

D2D distributes print books through Ingram, giving your paperback access to a global distribution network of more than 40,000 retailers, libraries, universities, online stores, and other outlets. That includes Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and independent bookstores that order through Ingram. Your book isn’t automatically going to show up on bookstore shelves, but retailers and libraries can order it through the same network they already use.

That reach also gives D2D a major advantage over KDP’s Expanded Distribution for paperbacks. KDP only taps into portions of Ingram in the US and UK, whereas D2D gives you complete access to Ingram’s reach.

D2D currently offers six trim sizes:

• 5” x 8”

• 5.25” x 8”

• 5.5” x 8.5”

• 6” x 9”

• 7.5” x 9.25”

• 8.5” x 11”

One of my biggest hang-ups with their print option is how limited those choices still are. D2D only offers perfect-bound paperbacks with grayscale interiors. You can have a full-color cover, but there’s no full-color interior, hardcover, or dust jacket option.

Hopefully that expands somewhere down the road, but I don’t have any inside intel on if or when that’ll happen.

The setup process is pretty easy, especially if you’ve already published the ebook through them. They offer:

• Free automated print formatting

• The ability to generate a print interior from your ebook file

• A wraparound print cover generated from your existing front cover

• Free ISBNs, or you can bring your own

• Automated front and back matter

Print pre-orders are also available, but you will need your final files—no placeholder files here. You’re essentially preparing the completed book ahead of its release date.

Back in 2024 when I last reviewed D2D, I was fairly critical of their proof pricing. Ordering a proof could run somewhere around $30 once everything was factored in, which was ridiculous compared to the competition.

I have to give credit where it’s due: they’ve done a remarkable 180 since then. D2D now has more flexible pricing and shipping options for proofs, so you’re not stuck paying that premium just to get a copy in your hands.

For royalties, D2D pays roughly 45% of the list price minus the print cost.

And this is where I start to have some issues with their print model.

Since D2D uses Ingram’s distribution network anyway, I personally prefer going directly through IngramSpark. There, I can adjust the wholesale discount and potentially earn anywhere from 45% to 70% royalty, depending on the market. With D2D, you’re locked into the 45% model.

Conversely, D2D’s 45% is still better than the 40% offered through KDP’s Expanded Distribution, and you’re reaching far more of Ingram’s network through D2D.

Another huge limitation is making revisions. You get one free print-book update every 90 days. If you need another change inside that window, you’ll have to purchase a $25 Change Token. So, make sure your files are dialed in before you start making a bunch of last-minute changes.

Despite those limitations, D2D Print can still make a lot of sense for authors who want simplicity, especially if they’re already using the platform for ebooks.

You’re getting broad Ingram distribution without having to open another account or learn another platform. Whether that convenience outweighs the lower royalty ceiling and limited print options is ultimately going to depend on how you want to run your publishing business.

Other Draft2Digital Features & Account Details

Draft2Digital has a few other features worth knowing about beyond ebook and print distribution, including a couple of audiobook options.

If you already have a completed audiobook, D2D integrates with Voices by INAudio. The integration simply transfers the book metadata you’ve already entered over to the audiobook platform, saving you a little time and a few extra keystrokes. From there, you’re working with Voices by INAudio under their own terms and conditions, not D2D’s.

Side note: D2D also integrates with Apple Books Digital Narration. If your ebook is already available on Apple Books through D2D or somewhere else, eligible titles can be submitted through D2D to have Apple create a digitally narrated audiobook. The service is currently free.

One of my favorite tools connected to D2D is Books2Read, which creates Universal Book Links for your publications.

A Universal Book Link gives you one URL for your book rather than forcing you to share separate links for Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and every other retailer. The reader chooses their preferred store, and Books2Read helps direct them to the appropriate version of that retailer rather than you having to share a pile of store and region-specific links.

If you publish an ebook through D2D, they automatically create the Universal Book Link for you. But here’s the cool part: you don’t actually have to publish through D2D to use Books2Read. Universal Book Links are completely free to use, but you will need a D2D account to access Books2Read. You do not have to distribute any books through D2D to use the service.

Books2Read is pretty good at automatically finding your ebook listings, but don’t assume it’ll catch everything. If you’re publishing beyond D2D, you may need to manually add some missing retailer links. And for your paperback, hardcover, and audiobook iterations, you’ll need to add those links yourself.

It’s a little bit of work when you’re setting everything up, but once it’s set up, you’re all done. If you add another retailer later, just update the link on Books2Read rather than hunting down everywhere you’ve already shared it.

Books2Read helps on the marketing side, but D2D also gives authors opportunities to get their books in front of more readers through its promotions program. At no additional cost, authors can fill out a short promotions form and opt in to receive opportunities that apply to their genre. From there, D2D can submit eligible books to merchandising managers at major retail and library platforms for consideration.

According to D2D, authors submitted 29,450 titles for promotional opportunities in 2025, and 18,570 of those titles were placed in merchandising promotions with their partners. They also sent out 46 separate promotional invitations throughout the year.

Now, opting in doesn’t guarantee placement, but with thousands of titles getting featured every year, there’s really no downside to throwing your hat in the ring when an opportunity fits your book.

Beyond helping with promotion, D2D can also take some of the administrative work off your plate with a feature called Payment Splitting. If you’re working with a co-author, illustrator, collaborator, or anyone else who’s entitled to a percentage of your royalties, D2D can automatically divide those payments between everyone involved. They’ll handle the math, payments, and tax reporting rather than having one person collect everything and manually pay everyone else.

Before D2D will distribute anything for you, though, your account needs to be activated and your tax information has to be verified. They also follow Know Your Customer requirements (KYC), meaning they need verifiable tax and identification details before they can distribute your books and pay you.

Availability isn’t universal either, since legal restrictions and payment-provider coverage can prevent D2D from servicing certain regions. In fact, some authors simply can’t use D2D because of where they live, and that’s one limitation we’ll need to address when we get into the pros and cons.

As for getting paid, D2D currently offers:

• Direct deposit: $10 minimum

• International direct deposit: $20 minimum

• Payoneer: $20 minimum

• PayPal: $10 minimum

• Check: $100 minimum

D2D sends payments around the 15th of each month once you’ve reached the threshold for your payment method.

Just remember, D2D is the middleman. If somebody buys your ebook through Apple, Apple has to report that sale and pay D2D before D2D can pay you. Most ebook retailers pay them somewhere around 30 to 60 days after the end of the month, while print sales can take up to 90 days.

Once D2D receives the money, they’ll include it in their next monthly payment. So don’t panic if somebody tells you they bought your book yesterday and you don’t immediately see that sale reflected in your sales dashboard.

I highly recommend exploring all of D2D to get a better understanding of what they offer. If I covered every part of their business in granular detail, I’d be talking about them for the next hour or so.

The Pros and Cons of Draft2Digital

I like a lot about Draft2Digital, but they also come with a few drawbacks worth considering. So let’s break down the pros and cons of D2D.

The Pros of Draft2Digital

First, D2D has an excellent lineup of distribution partners across retailers, libraries, and subscription services, and you can pick and choose where your books go rather than being forced into every available option.

Something else I’ve appreciated over the years is how selective they are about those partnerships. Partners have come and gone, and D2D seems willing to remove an option when it no longer makes sense for the indie authors using their platform. I’d much rather see a smaller lineup of worthwhile partners than a bloated list of places that aren’t doing anything for authors.

Their automated formatting tools are another big win, especially for cash-strapped authors. You can take a completed manuscript and use D2D to create a basic but professional ebook interior. And with print, they can generate the interior and even create a wraparound cover from your existing ebook cover.

Just remember, this is formatting software, not writing software. You still need to come with a finished manuscript. But if you need something clean and professional without paying a formatter, it’s a fantastic alternative.

And Books2Read is easily one of my favorite features connected to D2D. Every author should be using Universal Book Links when they’re promoting their books. Sharing nothing but an Amazon.com link is short-sighted because you’re ignoring readers in other regions and anyone who simply prefers another retailer. Books2Read makes it easy to give readers options without sharing a pile of links.

The Cons of Draft2Digital

The biggest obvious drawback now is the fees. New accounts have the $20 activation fee, and accounts earning less than $100 during the rolling year can get hit with the $12 annual maintenance fee.

Then there are Change Tokens for print books. You get one free update every 90 days, but if you want to make any additional changes, that’ll cost you $25.

I understand why D2D introduced these fees. They’re running a business, they have bills to pay, and some of these barriers were introduced after they were inundated with low-quality content. But regardless of why the fees exist, they’re still fees authors need to account for.

Geo-blocking is another significant drawback because some authors simply cannot use D2D based on where they live. Nigeria is one example I hear about regularly in my video comments on YouTube. In many cases, D2D’s hands are tied by compliance requirements, payment providers, and distribution partners, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for legitimate authors who are locked out. If that applies to you, you’ll need to investigate alternatives like PublishDrive, StreetLib, IngramSpark, or Lulu.

And finally, their print options are still pretty limited. The fixed 45% royalty isn’t terrible compared to something like KDP’s Expanded Distribution, but it can be beaten elsewhere. On top of that, six trim sizes, grayscale interiors, paperback only, and no hardcover or dust jacket makes the print side feel pretty light compared to some competitors.

Wrapping It Up

Overall, I still feel Draft2Digital is a solid option for most authors, and it remains one of the first aggregate publishers I’d look at for wide distribution. But it’s no longer something I’d recommend without a few caveats. Look at the fees, distribution options, regional availability, and the formats you actually need, then do your own due diligence before deciding if D2D fits your publishing business.

Just so you know, Draft2Digital isn’t the only option out there. Of course, you’ve got KDP, IngramSpark, PublishDrive, Lulu, and the list goes on. But there are five platforms that are hidden in plain sight for selling more books, and one of them is criminally underrated. I’ll show you all five in this post 👇

Traditional publishing is the process…

Read more

Full disclosure: Some outbound links are part of affiliate programs where I’m compensated for any sales made through them. It never impacts what you pay and greatly helps support this Substack. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s only been a week since our last news update, but authors already have plenty to catch up on. Barnes & Noble is tightening what it expects from local authors, ProWritingAid is expanding beyond grammar checking, Voices by INAudio is opening another path into the UK audiobook market, and Apple Books and Lulu have important platform updates.

All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for August 6, 2026.

Barnes & Noble Tightens the Rules for Local Author Events

Jane Friedman recently reported inside The Bottom Line (paid subscription) that Barnes & Noble stores nationwide received new corporate guidance for handling local author events. Despite some of the discussion online, Barnes & Noble is not eliminating local author signings altogether. But stores are expected to become much more selective about which authors they accept.

The issue is pretty easy to understand: Some stores have been hosting local authors who set up a table, rely entirely on Barnes & Noble’s existing foot traffic, and bring little to no additional business into the store. From Barnes & Noble’s perspective, those events are not meaningful or profitable enough to justify the time, space, and staff required to support them.

According to employee comments shared in the Barnes & Noble Reddit community, authors may now have to show they already have a following and can actively promote the appearance. Stores are also being advised to avoid placing random signing tables near the front entrance. How strictly this is enforced will probably vary depending on the location and the store manager.

This is a completely reasonable business decision. Barnes & Noble doesn’t owe any author free access to the audience and reputation they’ve built over the past 150 years. If you want the store to host your event, you need to bring real value to the table.

Barnes & Noble’s longstanding guidance already tells authors what it wants to see:

• A solid marketing or publicity plan

• Proof you can drive customers into the store

• A professional presentation

• Competitive pricing

• Availability through a wholesaler or distributor

• And an active listing on BN.com

So, don’t approach Barnes & Noble unless you have all those items in order. The opportunity is still there, but it simply isn’t enough to be a local author. You need to prove that the event makes sense for everyone involved.

Free Local Book Publicity: It’s Easier Than You Think

Speaking of Jane Friedman, book marketing expert Penny Sansevieri wrote a guest post for JaneFriedman.com explaining why authors should focus on local publicity before chasing national attention. That ties directly into the previous update about Barnes & Noble because building local visibility gives you a much stronger case when you approach a bookstore about hosting an event.

A lot of authors immediately jump to premium online marketing through Amazon Ads, Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads, or any number of services that require a significant upfront investment. Meanwhile, they completely overlook the free marketing and promotional opportunities sitting right in their backyard.

This is especially important for cash-strapped authors. Libraries, newspapers, radio stations, community groups, alumni organizations, and nearby businesses are often far more accessible than national media outlets or major influencers. Your local community also has a built-in reason to care because people generally enjoy supporting someone from their area.

But local outreach shouldn’t be treated like small-time marketing. It can become the foundation of a much larger grassroots campaign.

Local buzz can lead to regional or even national opportunities because larger media outlets often pay attention to stories already gaining traction. Every local appearance also gives you promotional assets you can use elsewhere, including photos, video clips, testimonials, media mentions, and event coverage.

That exposure can continue working long after the event ends. Local news coverage and trusted third-party shout-outs can improve how your book, website, and author brand appear through Google and AI-powered searches.

In other words, local marketing doesn’t have to be separate from your online marketing. The two can support each other.

Three Publishing Platform Updates Authors Need to Know

Apple Books for Authors has scheduled maintenance for Saturday, August 8 beginning at 9:00AM EDT. iTunes Connect could be unavailable for up to two hours, so complete any additions or changes before that maintenance window.

The aggregate publishing platform Lulu updated its Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy on August 3. If you keep using Lulu after that date, you’re automatically agreeing to the changes, so don’t ignore the fine print. Read the entire agreement from top to bottom and decide whether anything affects how you publish or distribute through their platform.

And the aggregate audiobook publishing platform Voices by INAudio expanded its exclusive partnership with Bookshop.org, making its audiobook catalog available to listeners in the UK. Bookshop.org supports more than 630 independent bookshops and 14,000 affiliates across the UK, giving authors another way to reach listeners while supporting independent retailers. The audiobook service currently operates through a credit subscription, with à la carte purchases and additional markets planned for the future. That’s a big expansion for the partnership and a big victory for authors distributing through Voices by INAudio.

ProWritingAid Expands Beyond Grammar Checking

My preferred grammar checking tool, ProWritingAid, launched a new system called the ProWritingMethod. At first glance, I was a bit confused about what that actually meant, so I dug into the fine print.

The ProWritingMethod expands beyond improving the words on the page and focuses on helping writers finish what they start. They cover three areas:

• Craft strengthens the writing

• Habit helps writers keep returning to the work

• Mindset helps them continue through doubt, overthinking, and those moments when they might otherwise stop

In other words, ProWritingAid is looking to support the entire writing process, from the first idea to the finished manuscript, rather than focusing only on editing or grammar checking. I wholeheartedly endorse ProWritingAid and am interested to see how this new feature unfolds.

Rapid-Fire Newsflash

• Tertulia for Authors, the all-in-one platform for author websites, recently rolled out international storefronts for the U.S., Canada, the UK, and the Eurozone, along with expanded email imports, welcome email automations, pop-ups, and event sales through a point-of-sale card reader. For the full update, check out their post inside Wide for the Win (free online community for authors). I’ve been exploring Tertulia for Authors for a while now and will be migrating my author websites over to the platform in the very near future.

• The folks at Novel Report—the Amazon market research service—recently reached out to let me know the $20 coupon code I’d shared previously is retired. BUT, the good news is if you use my affiliate link at DaleLinks.com/NovelReport, you can take $20 off that way. Quick side note: Novel Report turns your manuscript into keyword, category, subtitle, description, and market-data recommendations. For more details, catch my full breakdown in this Substack Post.

• The free universal book link service for authors Booklinker recently shared a breakdown of how to measure whether your marketing is actually working. In one example, a BookBub Featured Deal cost $424 and generated 5,996 free downloads. It didn’t immediately earn back the full cost, but it brought in new readers, pushed the book into the top 50 of its category, generated more ratings and reviews, and helped produce the authors’ best sales month of the year. Get more cutting-edge insights for authors when you subscribe to Booklinker’s email newsletter.

• The Authors Guild is hosting Agent Talks: How Digital Platforms Reshape Book Launches on Thu., Aug. 13 at 3:00pm EDT. A panel of guest experts will discuss the role of digital analytics in shaping launch strategies, balancing traditional marketing with digital reach, how digital platforms can create more equitable opportunities for debut authors, and how authors can use data to connect with readers during a launch. Registration is free, of course, and there will be replays for all registrants.

Final Thoughts

That’s all I have for this week’s Self-Publishing News. What do you think about some of the latest updates? Did I miss anything? Hit me up in the comments; let’s talk about it! Till later, catch up on my last two articles here 👇

If you’ve followed my work for any amount of time, you’ve likely seen John Alocelja’s work without realizing it.

For more than five years, John has worked behind the scenes on hundreds of YouTube thumbnails, book covers, promotional graphics, web banners, logos, and other projects for Self-Publishing with Dale. Over the last couple of years especially, he has become someone I can rely on whenever I need a project completed quickly and done well. When I needed additional design support during my Kickstarter campaign, John stepped in and helped keep everything moving.

John is a freelance graphic designer based in the Philippines with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in illustrations, mascot characters, branding, logo design, and other graphic design projects.

I sent John a series of questions about his background, our work together, his creative process, the rise of AI in graphic design, and what authors should know before working with a designer. Here are his answers.

For anyone meeting you for the first time, how would you describe your background as a graphic designer?

I’m a freelance graphic designer based in the Philippines with more than a decade of experience. I specialize in illustrations, mascot characters, branding, and logo design.

What originally attracted you to graphic design, and how did you begin doing it professionally?

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been into traditional drawing and painting. I joined national competitions, including poster-making and mural contests. When the digital age arrived, I shifted from traditional art to digital. I studied IT to build my computer skills and eventually moved into graphic design.

I started working professionally as a graphic artist in 2009 at Cubepixels Design Studio in Davao City.

You’ve worked with me behind the scenes for roughly five years. How did our working relationship begin?

It started when I began working through the Flocksy platform. I was still a freelancer because Flocksy is project-based rather than full-time employment, and that’s where I first got to work with you, Dale.

What types of projects have you handled for Self-Publishing with Dale over the years?

Usually, I’ve handled YouTube thumbnail design projects, along with some book cover projects, web banners, social media banners, collateral designs, and even logo design projects.

Of all the projects we’ve worked on together, which ones challenged you or pushed your creativity the most?

The thing that pushed my creativity the most was the arrival of AI. I needed to design YouTube thumbnails that could surpass the AI standard without looking AI-generated. I also needed to stay on trend while still standing out from the competition.

During my Kickstarter campaign, you stepped in to help with several graphics on a tight schedule. What was that experience like from your perspective?

The Kickstarter project was fun, actually, because it was a new learning experience. I didn’t feel pressure at all because I was able to complete everything within the deadlines. I was also thankful that Dale gave me the projects ahead of time.

How is designing a book cover different from creating an ordinary promotional graphic?

Designing a book cover is very tricky and requires close attention to detail. Besides coming up with a strong concept that fits the theme of the book, you also have to consider the technical side, such as proper bleeds, measurements, and sizing. Everything needs to be accurate, or there could be printing errors and the cover may need to be redone.

What information should an author or creator give a graphic designer before a new project begins?

For me, the first things I need are the size of the layout or book and where it will be printed. That way, I can research the specific printing requirements.

What are some of the most common mistakes clients make when communicating with a graphic designer?

One of the most common mistakes clients make is giving confusing directions or not being specific enough about what they want.

What makes a book cover look professional rather than homemade?

I think it really comes down to the designer’s experience. Professional designers understand proper spacing, color harmony, clean or suitable fonts, and readable contrast. Those details help make a book cover look professional rather than homemade.

Which graphic design programs and tools do you use most often, and why do you prefer them?

Since I mostly do illustrations and collateral graphic design, I prefer using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, with a bit of Figma if required.

When someone gives you an open-ended project without a clear visual direction, how do you develop the initial concept?

My first step is to analyze the theme or background of the project so I can come up with the best possible style for the concept.

What technical challenges have you encountered when preparing book covers for platforms such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital?

The main technical challenges are the different measurements, sizing, bleed requirements, and templates required by each platform.

Do you use artificial intelligence as part of your graphic design process? If so, where does it fit into your workflow, and why do you use it?

Mostly, I use AI for color combination suggestions, initial rough draft ideas, or layouts. I use it to give me more ideas and suggestions, so I also have something to compare with or use as a baseline.

Some authors and creators prefer graphics made without generative AI. Are you able to accommodate that, and how does your process change?

Yes, I can definitely accommodate that. I always start with research, a mood board, and sketching the concept.

You’ve created hundreds of YouTube thumbnails for Self-Publishing with Dale. Based on that experience, what design elements have you found most effective for making a thumbnail clear and attention-grabbing?

For me, it’s the right sizing and visibility of the title or text, the contrast between the design and the text, and proper spacing so it doesn’t look too cluttered or busy. It should be very straightforward.

Final Thoughts

John has been an important part of the work behind the scenes at Self-Publishing with Dale for more than five years. I’ve appreciated his creativity, reliability, and willingness to take on many different types of projects.

If you’re an author or creator looking for help with book covers, promotional graphics, YouTube thumbnails, branding, illustrations, or other design work, consider reaching out to John directly. I’ve worked with him for more than five years, and I’m comfortable recommending him to my audience.

Email: john.alocelja.17@gmail.com
Discord: john_alocelja
Instagram: john_alocelja
Facebook: john.alocelja
Dribbble: John_Alocelja

To make matters worse, authors get a lot of misinformation about what actually puts a KDP account at risk, what only raises a red flag, and what has no effect on your account at all. Knowing the difference could mean correcting a temporary problem instead of losing your account for good.

Suspension vs. Termination

First off, we have to draw a very clear distinction between a suspension and a termination because they are not the same thing. One means you still have skin in the game. The other means it’s game over.

When KDP suspends your account, they typically send an email telling you that your account is under review. You may also find yourself locked out when you try to sign in. A suspension is temporary while KDP investigates whatever raised concerns, but temporary does not always mean quick. That review could take a day, several weeks, or somewhere in between. The timeline is completely up to them.

But, when KDP terminates your account, they have ended the relationship. They’ll send you a notice, remove your books from sale, and block access to your dashboard. Depending on why the account was terminated, KDP may also withhold unpaid royalties.

And they rarely reverse their decision, so unless you can successfully appeal or hire a lawyer, you should assume you’re done publishing through KDP. We’ll get into the appeal process a bit later.

The Most Common Reasons KDP Accounts Get Banned

Account terminations are the worst, so I think it’s a smart idea for us to hit the common issues that could send you packing if you aren’t careful. However, KDP still has its share of gray areas and other common triggers that could land you in hot water, but may not carry the same severe punishment of suspension or termination.

And whether you’re trying to stay out of trouble or you’re already dealing with it, we’ll cover what options KDP actually gives you once they take action against your account.

Of course, you probably already know that KDP does not publish a checklist showing which violation earns a warning, suspension, or termination. In their Terms & Conditions, they pretty much say they reserve the right to decide how serious the problem is and what action they believe is appropriate. So, one author might receive a warning and a chance to correct something, while another account could be suspended or terminated for similar infractions, especially with repeat offenders.

One of the most common problems I’ve seen involves authors opening multiple KDP accounts. Their terms are crystal clear and I even confirmed this directly with the KDP team:

To be abundantly clear, you do not need a separate account for pen names. You can publish under multiple pseudonyms through the same KDP account, and your legal name will not be tied to those pen names publicly. Readers won’t automatically know those names belong to you unless you connect them yourself through your branding, imprint, Author Central profile, or somewhere else.

And if KDP terminates an account, you aren’t allowed to create another one unless they give you permission. That includes opening an account under another email address, business name, family member, or fake identity just to get around the termination. KDP can verify the information you provide through third parties, so trying to sneak back onto the platform is not a clever workaround. It merely confirms that they were right to remove you in the first place.

According to their Terms and Conditions, the account information must always be “accurate, complete, and valid.” That includes your legal name, business information, address, date of birth, banking details, and tax information. KDP might ask for additional documentation before letting you publish or receive any payments.

The easiest way to understand this one is simple: don’t be a scammer. Don’t use a fake identity, impersonate other people, or provide inaccurate information.

Next, you need to own or control the publishing rights to everything you upload. That includes the manuscript, cover, illustrations, trademarks, photographs, and any other protected material inside the book. If KDP requests proof of those rights, you must provide “current, complete, and accurate documentation.”

This means copyright infringement, plagiarism, stolen covers, trademark violations, and publishing material you don’t own or have permission to use can all put your account at risk.

And here’s the part that scammers fail to realize: Amazon can also hold your royalties while investigating a rights complaint, and if they discover you never had those rights, they can refuse to pay out any royalties tied to that book or account.

Then there’s deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity. KDP keeps this language intentionally broad since there are countless ways someone could attempt to exploit the platform. That could include manipulating sales, refunds, royalties, Kindle Unlimited page reads, or any other part of Amazon’s systems for financial gain. If KDP determines that deceptive or fraudulent activity occurred, they can permanently withhold unpaid royalties and attempt to recover money they already paid. Their terms also allow them to use those funds to cover enforcement costs or compensate anyone harmed by the activity.

Manipulating page reads through Kindle Unlimited is another big no-no. Some authors still treat it like a harmless shortcut, but KDP sees it differently. If borrows or page reads come from accounts attempting to manipulate their services, they can withhold royalties across all your books for up to 90 days while they investigate. They can also claw back royalties already paid, remove you from KDP Select, or prohibit you from using KDP altogether.

For anyone who’s wondering how KDP knows when page reads are being manipulated, the answer is simple: it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

All Kindle devices sync with Amazon and will reveal certain tells about the reader. They’re literally watching what everyone is doing on their Kindle device or app. Reading ten full-length novels in a day? Yeah, why don’t you just scream that you’re a scammer. And for an underperforming book to magically pick up steam without any real buzz or sales, that sends up red flags.

Don’t try to cheat the system with KDP Select; they’re watching everything you’re doing. While Amazon might not have a human vetting all page reads and activity, they’ve gotten good at deploying automated systems to catch would-be scammers in the act.

Also, third-party access is another huge risk. KDP holds you responsible for everything that happens in your account, whether you personally authorized it or not. Their terms explicitly state that you cannot allow a third party to use KDP through your account. That doesn’t mean hiring an editor, designer, formatter, or publishing assistant will automatically lead to termination. The gamble begins when you give someone full access to the account and have no idea what they’re doing behind the scenes or what they’ve done in other accounts like yours.

A company or contractor could be handling several KDP accounts, using questionable tactics, or carrying baggage from accounts that were previously terminated. KDP is not going to differentiate your intentions from the activity taking place inside your account. As far as they’re concerned, you own the account, so you own the problem.

The Gray Areas and Common Misunderstandings

While we covered some of the obvious rule violations, KDP still has plenty of gray areas and common misunderstandings that can trip authors up. Some of these issues might get a book kicked back to draft or blocked, while others can raise red flags without automatically putting your entire account at risk. The trick is knowing the difference.

Let’s start with blocked books because this is where a lot of authors immediately assume the worst. Getting a book blocked isn’t necessarily good, but it’s not the same as having your account suspended or terminated. The issue is tied to that particular book. KDP will typically email you about the problem, and you can check the title’s status in your Bookshelf.

I’ve known several authors who have received multiple blocked books over the years and continued publishing without any issue. I even had one early in my career because KDP didn’t like a particularly spicy cover I had for an erotica book. I changed the cover and published the book under the same title without any further problems.

Side note: If you don’t want that blocked book cluttering your Bookshelf, you can archive it. That only hides the title from your default view and doesn’t change the book’s status.

I still wouldn’t make a habit of getting books blocked. My theory is that numerous blocked titles could work against you in the event you run afoul of another rule. I can’t point to anything from KDP that confirms that, so take it as speculation based on what I’ve seen over the years.

Mistakes in your metadata can fall into a similar area. Sometimes KDP will simply put the book to draft and tell you what needs to be corrected. For example, you might have used a prohibited keyword such as “free,” referenced an Amazon trademarked name, or selected a category that doesn’t accurately represent the book.

However, making an honest mistake isn’t the same as deliberately trying to manipulate the system. KDP specifically says they do not tolerate misleading keywords or categories.

Several years ago, authors were category squatting by placing books into small, unrelated categories just to earn an Amazon bestseller tag. For the record, that is a hollow accomplishment that won’t help you sell more books. Some account holders have faced account suspensions and terminations for selecting the wrong category, so choose wisely.

Metadata isn’t the only place where authors try to game the system. Some take it a step further by recycling the same book over and over again. Years ago, I saw a popular publishing coach recommend unpublishing an underperforming book and uploading the exact same content under a new ASIN just to exploit the thirty-day window for the New Release categories.

That is a terrible strategy and shame on that coach for teaching her students that this was okay.

To be clear, you can unpublish a book, improve it, and release an actual new edition. But repeatedly recycling the same content to reset the clock can look like you’re trying to exploit the platform.

Low-content books make this slightly more complicated because a lined journal is always going to contain lined pages. KDP allows low-content books, but you must identify them by checking the low-content box during setup. If you fail to select it, or select the wrong option, KDP says the book will be rejected.

That disclosure requirement doesn’t end with low-content books. Artificial intelligence comes with its own set of rules, and this is where authors often confuse AI-generated content with AI-assisted content.

If AI created the actual text, images, or translation, KDP considers it AI-generated, even if you heavily edited it afterward. You must disclose that during the publishing process.

Conversely, AI-assisted content includes using AI to brainstorm, create an outline, proofread, edit, or improve something you created yourself. KDP doesn’t require disclosure for AI-assisted work.

While failing to disclose AI-generated content could put a title at risk, review manipulation is a completely different issue that authors often assume will get their entire KDP account shut down.

In the twelve years I’ve been in the self-publishing business, I haven’t heard of one confirmed case where review manipulation alone caused an account termination. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, so take that with a grain of salt.

Typically, Amazon removes the reviews and may revoke the person’s ability to post reviews or use other Amazon Community features.

Bottom line: Don’t test your luck. Amazon strictly prohibits review manipulation, and drawing that kind of attention to your books is never a good idea.

Whenever you are unsure about one of these gray areas, use the Contact Us option inside your KDP dashboard. The AI Assistant will ask you a series of questions to forward you to the right resources. Choose phone support or live chat support when they’re available. Email support works for basic questions, but detailed problems often receive basic answers. I usually avoid email support altogether since I’ve found it largely unhelpful.

What to Do If Your Account Is Suspended or Terminated

Okay, so we’ve thoroughly covered some of the common problems, gray areas, and misunderstandings surrounding KDP account suspensions and terminations. But what are you actually supposed to do when it happens to you?

First, don’t assume the worst or start firing off angry emails. Not every author who gets flagged knowingly broke the rules. Automated systems can make mistakes, copyright complaints can be false, and verification issues can catch legit authors in the crossfire. Whether you made a mistake or KDP did, how you respond next could make all the difference.

The KDP team has specifically told me that anyone dealing with a suspended or terminated account must reply directly to the email they received. That’s the only way to handle it. You’ll most likely be locked out of your dashboard, so Contact Us and other support tools inside your account won’t be available.

That email should arrive at the address connected to your KDP account, but it may not show up immediately. KDP can lock the account first and send the notice later. Check your inbox, check your spam folder, and give it a little time before assuming they never contacted you.

Once you receive it, read the entire message carefully and respond to the specific issue they raised. Don’t start guessing, admitting to unrelated mistakes, or unloading every concern you’ve ever had about your account. If their explanation is vague, ask them to clarify what they need from you. Only provide the information they request, and always be honest.

You also need to show up with receipts. If they question your publishing rights, provide whatever proves the work belongs to you. That could include contracts, licenses, copyright registrations, source files, or other dated documentation. A registered copyright will usually carry more weight than simply telling them you wrote the book several years ago and have a digital time stamp.

Also, it’s a bad idea to point to another book on Amazon and argue that someone else got away with the same thing. That doesn’t prove your book follows the rules, and dragging someone else’s business into your appeal won’t help your case. Keep the focus on your account and the issue KDP asked you to address.

Keep every response professional. Don’t curse out the representative, threaten them, insult Amazon, or send a flood of emails demanding your account back. You’re not yelling at a giant corporation. You’re most likely speaking to a person working through your case, and making that interaction miserable won’t improve your chances.

Your appeal also needs to be rock solid. Repeating the same argument probably won’t change the outcome. Ask what documentation they need, address the concern directly, and bring something new that strengthens your case.

And be prepared for a long road. A friend of mine spent more than six months fighting a false positive. KDP flagged an archived title that had never been published because it matched another title elsewhere. He eventually got his account reinstated. His case proves that even an innocent author may have to grind through the appeal process before KDP corrects the mistake.

Active members of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) can submit their case privately for review. ALLi may be able to contact KDP and ask for a real person to take another look, but they don’t guarantee assistance. This support is generally for authors publishing books with substantial written content, not low-content books like journals, planners, or notebooks.

If you’ve exhausted the appeal process or haven’t made any real progress, you may need legal help. Attorneys aren’t cheap, and you’ll want someone with experience handling Amazon-related cases. Do your own due diligence before hiring anyone.

Whatever you do, do not open another KDP account or use someone else’s account to get around the termination. That can put the other person’s account in danger and create another violation tied to you.

Appeal the termination on the account you had or move on to another platform. Those are your two options. It’s harsh but true.

Final Thoughts

The good news is that even though KDP might be the biggest publishing platform today, it isn’t the only way to reach Amazon and readers beyond it. If you want to protect your publishing business and explore more options beyond KDP, I break down twenty alternatives for authors in the video below. See you there!

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Full disclosure: Some outbound links are part of affiliate programs where I’m compensated for any sales made through them. It never impacts what you pay and greatly helps support this Substack. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s only been a week since our last news update, but there’s already plenty for authors to unpack. Substack rolled out a controver…

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