Feed

How do I self-publish a book, and which platform should I use?

This question is relevant not just to new authors, but to established writers and creators who are constantly navigating decisions around how to monetize their writing, add income streams, and maximize what they earn from their books.
In this article, we compare Amazon KDP and Written to help you choose the self-publishing platform that best fits your goals.

What is Written?

Written is a direct-to-reader publishing platform that allows authors to publish and monetize their writing while earning 90% on every sale. Free-to-use and currently available for ebooks, it also supports instant payouts, limited editions and resale, offering additional revenue streams for authors and creators with an audience.

What is Amazon KDP?

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform, allowing authors to sell books directly through Amazon’s marketplace as Kindle ebooks and print-on-demand paperbacks. It’s free to use and offers royalties of up to 70% on ebook sales.

Amazon KDP has been around for a while and is familiar to many first-time self-publishers, but it comes with tradeoffs, including genre restrictions and exclusivity requirements.

Amazon KDP vs Written: ebook pricing and royalties

Both Amazon KDP and Written support ebook self-publishing and are free to use, with no upfront cost on either platform. The big difference is in the royalty structure.

On Amazon KDP, authors earn 70% royalties on books priced between $2.99 and $12.99, but with conditions: the title must be enrolled in KDP Select, which requires exclusivity and restricts distribution on other platforms, and the book cannot be priced lower elsewhere.

A delivery fee also applies on the 70% tier, deducted per megabyte (MB)of file size — a large ebook with images quietly eats into your earnings. Outside of that price range, anything below $2.99 or above $12.99, the royalty drops to 35%.

Written keeps ebook royalties it simple: a flat 90/10 split on every sale, regardless of price point. Written takes 10% commission, and authors keep 90% of each sale — no royalty tiers, no per-megabyte delivery fees, and no exclusivity required.

1000 books x $15 each = $13500 on Written
1000 book x $15 each = $5250 on Amazon KDP
1000 books x $8 each = $7200 on Written
1000 books x $8 each = $5600 on Amazon KDP

Amazon KDP vs Written: paperback pricing and print-on-demand

For print-on-demand paperbacks, Amazon KDP charges printing costs plus a 40% distribution cut from the list price. Printing costs depend on page count, ink type, trim size, and whether the interior is black and white or color. Color interiors are significantly more expensive and can reduce royalties to very thin margins or even negative amounts at lower price points.

At the moment, Written does not offer print-on-demand paperback functionality, but will add it in the near future.

Amazon KDP vs Written: exclusivity

While authors do not have to exclusively publish and distribute books on Amazon KDP, a temporary exclusivity period is required to participate in KDP Select, Amazon’s promotional program.

In exchange for enrollment in Amazon and Kindle promotions, KDP requires a 90-day exclusivity period, which means authors cannot publish, sell, or give away their books anywhere else. While attractive for first-time authors, KDP Select lock-in is one reason authors with an established audience look for alternatives.

Written, on the other hand, never requires exclusivity from authors, making it both a useful additional distribution channel, and a priority platform choice. However, exclusivity is highly recommended on the platform — especially for limited editions.

Amazon KDP vs Written: payout speed

Amazon KDP pays authors monthly, roughly 60 days after the sales month ends, with a minimum $10 payout threshold for bank transfer. If you’re asking how to withdraw money from KDP, that delay and threshold are important factors to consider.

Written, as a direct-to-reader publishing platform, does not have a payout threshold or a long waiting period — authors can withdraw any amount instantly. Written does not process payouts or act as a financial intermediary – all funds land directly in your bank account or your crypto wallet.

Unlike Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Written allows authors to receive payouts in stablecoins.

Amazon KDP vs Written: content restrictions

Both Amazon KDP and Written have strict legal compliance rules that protect copyright and prohibit plagiarism. Beyond those legal limits, Amazon KDP is also known for restrictions on certain content categories, including explicit content, which can be a pain point for some indie authors.

Written, while still strict about legal compliance, does not impose genre or explicit content restrictions, allowing authors working in erotica and other categories to distribute their work like everybody else. Unlike Amazon KDP, Written also gives authors a way to distribute fanfic-adjacent work in a compliant format, with an option to receive donations.

Amazon KDP vs Written: ease of use and user interface

For a first-time author, publishing an ebook on Amazon KDP usually takes 30 minutes to an hour. The setup is split across three sequential steps: first you enter your book details (title, description, and keywords), then you upload your manuscript and cover files and check the layout in KDP's built-in previewer, and finally you set your pricing and royalty options before submitting for review.

The process is straightforward but not frictionless. The large number of fields and settings make authors pause to figure out what applies to them that makes publishing process feel slower than expected.

Written is built for speed and simplicity. The entire ebook publishing process happens in a single window: drag and drop your book file, add your title details, set your price, and submit for moderation. If you want to create a limited edition ebook, a feature unique to Written, you can define the number of available copies in the same flow.

Should I publish my book on Amazon KDP or Written?

The best self-publishing platform depends on your author profile and goals: whether you are an indie writer focused on niche work, a genre novelist seeking wide discoverability, or a creator with an established readership and clear monetization priorities.
Amazon KDP is ideal if you want the widest marketplace reach, mature print-on-demand services, and access to programs like Kindle Unlimited.

Written, by contrast, suits authors who already have an audience and prioritize higher per-sale earnings: its flat 90% royalty and instant payouts deliver better revenue, and the platform’s streamlined setup means you can publish an ebook in minutes.

Written also offers features KDP doesn’t, such as limited-edition ebooks that create scarcity around a release. It imposes fewer content restrictions, making it a natural home for erotica, serialized fiction, fanfic-adjacent work, and other formats that don’t fit neatly into traditional categories.

If you own your audience and want the highest royalties, the simplest publishing workflow, and the freedom to sell any kind of writing on your terms, Written is the clearer choice.