Harmony Publishing vs Amazon KDP
Amazon KDP is the free starting point for many authors. The difference is how much of the work you do yourself.
Short version. KDP is free to upload to and pays 35% or 70% on eBooks and 50% or 60% on paperbacks sold on Amazon, less costs. Its route to bookshops and libraries is the optional Expanded Distribution for paperbacks. We produce the book, set up KDP and wider distribution, and take no share of your royalties. If you can produce a finished book yourself and mainly need Amazon, KDP alone is a sound route.
Which should you choose?
Choose Harmony if…
- You want the whole run priced up front: our calculator gives the delivered price of 100 to 10,000 copies (for the common black-and-white paperbacks) before you commit, with the freight as its own line when the shipment is heavy.
- You want one team across editing, design, print and distribution, an ISBN registered in your name or your own imprint, and no share of your royalties.
- You want an ISBN you can take anywhere: a free ISBN from KDP 'can only be used on KDP', so the book stays tied to that platform. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
Choose Amazon KDP if…
- You have a finished interior and cover and mainly sell on Amazon: KDP is free to upload to, and sets the paperback royalty at 50% or 60% less printing costs. (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G201834330, checked 15 October 2026)
- You want to try Kindle Unlimited: KDP Select is a free 90-day program for Kindle eBooks that adds the book to it. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200798990, checked 15 October 2026)
- You are happy to leave bookshop and library ordering optional: Expanded Distribution is free to enrol in, but not guaranteed. (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching probably isn't worth it if…
- Your book is finished, edited and live on Amazon, you sell mainly there, and nothing about the service is failing you. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- You only need printed copies of a finished book for yourself: a print-only run does not need a full-service package, and our calculator prices one copy upward.
Side by side
| Harmony Publishing | Amazon KDP | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full-service publisher that produces your book and sets up KDP and wider distribution for you | Amazon's self-publishing platform: you upload your own files, then choose pricing, royalty and distribution settings (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026) |
| eBook royalties | You keep 100% | Two options: 35% of list price, or 70% of list price less delivery costs (70% only for books sold in listed countries) (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200644210, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Paperback royalties | You keep 100% | 50% or 60% of list price depending on price and marketplace, less printing costs; 40% less printing costs through Expanded Distribution (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G201834330, checked 15 October 2026) |
| ISBN | Registered in your name or your own imprint | Optional for eBooks. For print you can use a free KDP ISBN, which 'can only be used on KDP', or your own (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Bookshop and library reach | Worldwide distribution, set up in your name | Optional Expanded Distribution for paperbacks: free to enrol, not guaranteed, up to eight weeks, hardcovers not eligible (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45, checked 15 October 2026) |
| KDP Select | Not applicable | An optional free 90-day program for Kindle eBooks that adds the book to Kindle Unlimited (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200798990, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Best for | Authors who want the whole route handled | Authors who will prepare the editing, cover and files themselves and mainly want Amazon (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026; kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G201834330, checked 15 October 2026) |
Competitor descriptions reflect their published service structure at the time of writing and may change. Check their current terms directly. Our own prices are on the packages page.
The same book, priced on both
One book, priced the same way on both sides: a 6×9 inch paperback, 200 pages, black and white interior on 60lb natural paper, gloss cover, perfect bound, with print-ready files supplied. Printing only, delivered to ZIP code 10001 (New York, NY), Economy delivery.
| Copies | Harmony Publishing (our calculator, today) | Amazon KDP |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $890.08 printing, with delivery included$8.90 per copySee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (kdp.amazon.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| 1,000 | $6,623.74 = $6,140.40 printing + $483.34 freight$6.62 per copy, deliveredSee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (kdp.amazon.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
Our figure is the live output of our calculator at the moment this page was shown. Where the quantity is small, delivery is included in the price; for a heavy shipment the freight is its own line at the carrier's cost, with no markup. Prices exclude sales tax. A competitor price appears here only with a source and the date we checked it; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
The same job on both
The job: Publish a 200-page paperback with your own ISBN and get it on Amazon.
With Harmony Publishing
- Choose a package. Essentials is built for a manuscript that is already edited and covers cover design, interior layout, ISBN assignment, account setup and the publishing submission to KDP and IngramSpark, and distribution worldwide.
- Send your manuscript and a cover brief. If you already own an ISBN for the printed edition you can give it to us in the calculator's ISBN step.
- Approve the proofs. Nothing is printed until you have approved everything.
- We submit the book to the retailers and print-on-demand services and set up distribution in your name.
- You supply:
- A finished, edited manuscript and a cover brief (or a finished cover).
- You get back:
- An ISBN registered in your name or your imprint, your print-ready and editable files, the book live through worldwide distribution, and 100% of your royalties.
- How long:
- 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks, depending on the package and how quickly proofs are approved.
With Amazon KDP
- Prepare the interior and cover files yourself, to the format KDP sets for your trim size. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- Choose an ISBN: a free KDP one (usable only on KDP) or your own. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- Set the price, royalty and distribution options, including whether to enrol the paperback in Expanded Distribution. (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G201834330, checked 15 October 2026; kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45, checked 15 October 2026)
- Publish, then order proofs and author copies as you see fit. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- You supply:
- A finished interior and cover, and the metadata and pricing decisions. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- You get back:
- The book on Amazon, with optional Expanded Distribution to other sellers. You earn 50% or 60% of list price on Amazon sales, less printing costs. (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G201834330, checked 15 October 2026; kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45, checked 15 October 2026)
- How long:
- Expanded Distribution 'can take up to eight weeks'; the pages we read state no other turnaround. (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching to Harmony from Amazon KDP
If you decide to move a book you have already published, this is what carries over, what does not, and an order of steps that keeps the book available the whole time.
What moves with you
- Your files. Keep your own copies of the interior and cover, since you upload them to KDP. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- An ISBN you bought yourself. It is yours to use on any platform.
What does not
- A free ISBN from KDP. Amazon says it 'can only be used on KDP', so a book published elsewhere needs a new ISBN. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- Retailer listings and reviews tied to the old ISBN. A new ISBN starts as a new listing, and whether reviews carry over is the retailer's decision.
The order of steps, so the book is never unavailable
- Keep your interior and cover files, and leave the KDP listing live while you move.
- Decide the ISBN: keep one you own, or take a new one with us.
- Order a single proof copy from us (the calculator prices one copy) and approve it.
- Publish the new edition with us and check it is live on Amazon and the other stores you sell through.
- Only then retire the old KDP edition, once the new one is selling.
What to check first
- Which ISBN is on the KDP edition: a free KDP one, or your own? (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- Do you hold the print-ready interior and cover files? (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
- Is the book enrolled in KDP Select? Check Amazon's terms before moving the eBook. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200798990, checked 15 October 2026)
To price a reprint or a proof copy before you move anything, use the calculator.
Three questions to ask any provider
Including us. The answers decide more about value than the headline price:
- Ask who the publisher of record will be. If it is not you or your imprint, understand why before you sign.
- Ask what royalty share they take. Any percentage of your sales is a cost that compounds over the life of the book.
- Ask whether you receive your editable source files. If you cannot take your interior and cover elsewhere later, you are locked in.
On all three, our answer is: you are the publisher of record, we take no royalties, and you receive your print-ready and editable files.
How this comparison was made
- Prepared by the Harmony Publishing editorial team.
- Amazon KDP's public product, help and terms pages were read on the dates in the sources list; nothing was purchased, and no account was opened.
- Our figures are the live output of our own calculator, for the scenario stated above.
- A competitor price appears only with a source and the date it was checked; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
- Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Each source below carries the date it was checked, which can be earlier.
Sources
- kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170 — checked 15 October 2026
- kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200644210 — checked 15 October 2026
- kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G201834330 — checked 15 October 2026
- kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45 — checked 15 October 2026
- kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200798990 — checked 15 October 2026
- kdp.amazon.com/ — checked 15 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is Amazon KDP cheaper than Harmony Publishing?
KDP is free to upload to, so it has the lower upfront price. Editing, cover design and formatting are yours to arrange, so the real comparison is the price of a service package against the time, or separate fees, of doing that work yourself. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
Can I use KDP and Harmony Publishing together?
Yes. Our packages include publishing on KDP, and an ISBN is non-exclusive, so you can also list the book through other channels. There is no conflict.
Will KDP get my book into bookshops and libraries?
Not by default. Expanded Distribution is a free option for paperbacks that makes them available to distributors. Amazon says it does not guarantee acceptance, it can take up to eight weeks, and hardcovers are not eligible. (kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/GQTT4W3T5AYK7L45, checked 15 October 2026)
Can I use a free KDP ISBN and sell elsewhere?
No. Amazon says a free ISBN from KDP 'can only be used on KDP'. To publish the same book elsewhere you need your own ISBN. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834170, checked 15 October 2026)
What is KDP Select?
A free 90-day program for Kindle eBooks that adds the book to Kindle Unlimited. Read Amazon's current terms before you enrol. (kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200798990, checked 15 October 2026)