Kindle Direct Publishing is a global self-publishing service for authors, with a presence in India. It enables new authors to gain attention, pursue writing as a career, and even get published by traditional publishing houses following the success of their self-published titles.
“India is a nascent market segment but we see huge potential here. India is amongst the top ten marketplaces for books and the third-largest market segment for English books. This high propensity for reading, growth in literacy, increasing Internet penetration and internet-enabled devices plus a rapid growth of the middle-class population with increasing disposable income makes it very promising for eBook adoption,” Vaishali Aggarwal, Head, Amazon KDP – India tells us.
Promotional tools such as free eBook promotion, even-based deals, and Prime Reading are made available to those enrolled in KDP Select. Their books are then made available in the U.S, U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, India, Japan, and Australian markets through Kindle Unlimited subscription programs.
When asked about the impact of the rise in self-publishing on traditional publishers, she says, “Earlier on, one could consider themselves a celebrated and successful writer when someone published a print book. A tangible product that was purchased at stores and displayed by avid fans in cupboards and shelves as a memorable keepsake. Self-publishing offers the writers of today the same experience, albeit with a few distinct benefits.”
“We believe self-publishing is another way of publishing which adds an option for authors. For many authors and publishers, traditional publishing is the right choice, while KDP appears to be the appropriate choice for the different set of growing numbers of people. It is not an or, it’s an and. Print books continue to retain their charm and we are all about giving customers a choice here,” she adds.
Over the years, both English and regional language writers including Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, and Gujarati have embraced Kindle Direct Publishing to self-publish their stories. As far as editorial checks are concerned, Amazon allows readers to decide the quality of these self-published books. In case of content being flagged off as poor or one violating their guidelines, it’s taken down.
According to the brand, several authors have been able to use self-publishing as a means of supplementing their income or as an alternative source of livelihood driven by attractive royalties of up to 70%. “There are also instances where traditionally published authors use KDP (hybrid authors), either in addition to traditional publishing or sometimes instead of traditional publishing,” Aggarwal tells us.
In 2020, Indian writers who used KDP published works across genres such as Literature and Fiction, Society, Politics and Philosophy, Mystery, and Thrillers. The bestselling self-published genres in 2020 included Health, Mind and Body, Society, Politics, and Philosophy, Romance, Literature and Fiction, and Business and Investing.
Comments
comments