What is Amazon KDP Expanded Distribution?

When you self-publish on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), you have the option of 1) exclusively selling your paperback on Amazon.com or 2) selling it on Amazon.com PLUS opting into KDP Expanded Distribution to make your paperback available for distribution in bookstores, libraries, and other retailers to sell your book in physical store locations.

What is Amazon KDP Expanded Distribution?

KDP Expanded Distribution can help you expand your book readership and help you to make more sales by having your book available for distribution through bookstores, retailers (online and in-store), libraries, and more.

How Does KDP Expanded Distribution Work?

When you enroll your book in KDP Expanded Distribution, you make your book available to large distributors to find and purchase copies of your book. Bookstores then purchase your book from these large distributors.

Note that when you enroll your book in this option, it doesn’t guarantee that your book will be picked up by a large distributor or a bookstore, however, it makes it available for them to order should they choose to.

The option for KDP Expanded Distribution is only available for large distributors in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, any bookstore or library around the world can buy from these large distributors.

You can enroll in KDP Expanded Distribution at no additional cost to you. It’s free.

So to recap, the decision to pick up your book is up to the large distributors and the decision to order or purchase your book lies up to the individual bookstores and libraries. Also, Amazon cannot share any details as to which stores ordered your book.

What Types of Book are Eligible for KDP Expanded Distribution?

Only paperback books are eligible. Hardcover books and low-content books are not eligible for KDP Expanded Distribution, at least not at the moment. Perhaps this may change in the future.

What are the Requirements to Qualify for KDP Expanded Distribution?

All self-published authors on Amazon KDP are eligible to have their books sold through KDP Expanded Distribution as long at they meet the requirements. You can reside anywhere in the world. However, to enroll your paperback in this program, it must be available for purchase on Amazon.com, or Amazon.co.uk, and meet some other requirements listed below.

The book distributors set these below requirements, not Amazon KDP. If you try to enroll your book in KDP Expanded Distribution but your book isn’t eligible for enrollment, then it will be removed from the program. However, there will be no impact on your KDP account status or the availability of your book(s) on Amazon. They are two separate programs.

According to Amazon KDP Expanded Distribution, here the the requirements:

ISBN: Your paperback must have an ISBN that either you purchased or be a free ISBN that was assigned to you through KDP. You cannot utilize just an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) or an ISBN that was already submitted for distribution through another book platform.
CONTENT: Distributors only accept certain types of books. Books that are not currently accepted into KDP Expanded Distribution include, are are not limited to:
- Low-Content Books: paperbacks that content little to no content on the interior files, or frequent lined or blank pages, such as journals, notebooks, planners, calendars, agendas, organizers, or other similar works.
- Paperbacks summarizing or providing insight into another published book without permission from the original author.
- Paperbacks with interior pages that require a high concentration of ink to be printed.
- Public domain content.
- Adult Coloring books (this only applies to Expanded Distribution in the United Kingdom.)
- Content that is poorly translated.
- Content that is excessively reused, recycled, or repeated within or across books.
- Content that is rebranded or re-released with significant changes to the metadata, resulting in a confusing reader experience.
LANGUAGE: Paperbacks published in Hebrew, Yiddish and Japanese are not currently eligible for Expanded Distribution.
TERRITORIES: You must have distribution rights in the US to enroll in Expanded Distribution US and you must have distribution rights in the UK to enroll in Expanded Distribution UK.
BOOK SIZES: See below for which KDP Book Sizes are eligible for Expanded Distribution.

Which KDP Book Sizes are Eligible for KDP Expanded Distribution?

Depending on the KDP Book Size, or trim size, that you selected for your book, you may or may not be eligible for Expanded Distribution. To find out which combinations of trim size, ink, and paper type are eligible for Expanded Distribution, see this chart:

Trim Size	Black Ink and White Paper	Black Ink and Cream Paper	Premium Color Ink and White Paper	Standard Color Ink and White Paper
5 x 8″	YES	YES	NO	YES
5.06 x 7.81″	YES	NO	NO	YES
5.25 x 8″	YES	YES	NO	YES
5.5 x 8.5″	YES	YES	YES	YES
6 x 9″	YES	YES	YES	YES
6.14 x 9.21″	YES	NO	YES	YES
6.69 x 9.61″	YES	NO	NO	YES
7 x 10″	YES	NO	YES	YES
7.44 x 9.69″	YES	NO	NO	YES
7.5 x 9.25″	YES	NO	NO	YES
8 x 10″	YES	NO	YES	YES
8.25 x 6″	NO	NO	NO	NO
8.25 x 11″	NO	NO	NO	NO
8.25 x 8.25″	NO	NO	NO	NO
8.5 x 8.5″	NO	NO	YES	YES
8.5 x 11″	YES	NO	YES	YES

How Do You Enroll Your Paperback in KDP Expanded Distribution?

Go to your KDP Bookshelf.
Find the paperback listing you want to enroll.
Under the Paperback Actions menu, click the ellipsis button (“…”).
Choose Edit paperback rights & pricing. For published paperbacks, choose Edit print book pricing.
In the “Royalty and Pricing” section, check the Expanded Distribution box for each available marketplace.
When you finish setting your price, click Publish Your Paperback Book.

If you check the Expanded Distribution box but do not click on publish, the title has not yet been enrolled in Expanded Distribution.

Once the PUBLISH button has been selected, and the status update changes to Live, the Expanded Distribution enrollment process has begun.

What is the Royalty Rate When You Opt-In to KDP Expanded Distribution?

When you opt in to KDP Expanded Distribution for your paperback, the royalty rate is 40% (compared to the standard 60% for regular Amazon distribution). The royalty rate is 40% of the book’s list price minus printing costs, applicable taxes, and any necessary withholdings.

To find out what the estimated royalty for a paperback would be if you enroll in KDP Expanded Distribution:

Find the paperback on your Bookshelf.
Go to the PAPERBACK ACTIONS menu, select Edit paperback rights & pricing. If your book is already published, choose Edit print book pricing.
Enter your list price in your territory and then see how the pricing grid automatically updates the printing cost and estimated royalty for the other territories.

Also, in your Reports tab on the KDP Dashboard, you can identify which sales were made through Expanded Distribution because it’s listed as a separate line item by each available currency for each available marketplace. These royalties will be updated in the reports about 30 days after the end of the month in which the sale occurred.

Then, Expanded Distribution royalties are paid out approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which our distributors report their sales.

How Long Does It Take For Your Book to Become Available to Bookstores, Libraries, and other Retailers?

After your paperback is accepted in Expanded Distribution, it can take up to eight weeks for the book to become available for booksellers and libraries to order. Again, just because you enroll your paperback into the KDP Expanded Distribution program, it doesn’t not guarantee that it will be accepted by large distributors or purchased by individual book stores or retailers.

Note: If you change your book details, content, or pricing, it can take up to eight weeks for the information to update through Expanded Distribution. Your book will still be available, but it will have the previous information until the information is updated.

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What is Amazon KDP Expanded Distribution?