Does Amazon Own My Book?

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Does Amazon Own Your Book if You Publish Through KDP? Let’s Clear This Up

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about self-publishing, especially when it comes to publishing through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) on Amazon. A question I was recently asked and IMMEDIATELY wanted to address was:

“If I publish through KDP, does Amazon own my book?”

The short answer? No.

Let’s break this down and clear up this dangerous myth.

Amazon (KDP) Does NOT Own Your Book

When you self-publish through KDP (or any similar platform like IngramSpark), you retain full ownership of your work. These platforms do not claim rights to your book—they simply act as printers and distributors for your content.

What Does This Mean for You?

:heavy_check_mark: You are the publisher. You hold the rights to your work.
:heavy_check_mark: You can take your book down whenever you want.
:heavy_check_mark: You can sell your book elsewhere. Amazon does not prevent you from publishing on other platforms, unless you opt into Kindle Unlimited’s KDP Select (which requires 90 days of ebook exclusivity).

How This Compares to Traditional Publishing

If you traditionally publish, the publisher owns the rights to your book—often for an extended period (depending on your contract). This also applies to hybrid publishers, who may require you to sign contracts that grant them ownership for a set amount of time.

So if keeping the rights to your work is important to you, self-publishing through KDP (or similar platforms) is actually the better option.

Publishing through KDP Gives You More Control

Unlike traditional publishing, where book rights are negotiated in contracts, publishing through KDP gives you full control over your book’s availability, pricing, and where it’s sold.

:white_check_mark: Want to update your book? You can upload a new version anytime.
:white_check_mark: Want to pull it from Amazon? You can unpublish whenever you choose.
:white_check_mark: Want to publish somewhere else? You have zero restrictions (unless you’re in KDP Select).

For authors who want complete creative control and ownership, self-publishing is the way to go.

Final Thoughts: The Truth About KDP

If you’ve been hesitant about self-publishing because you’re worried Amazon will own your book, rest assured—they won’t.

Amazon’s KDP is simply a platform that prints and distributes your work; they do not claim any rights over your content. You remain the rights holder, free to sell, modify, or remove your book whenever you choose.

If you have more questions about KDP, IngramSpark, or self-publishing in general, feel free to ask!

Let me know what publishing myths or concerns you’ve heard—I’d love to help clear them up! Happy writing! :sparkles:

Quick Summary for Busy Authors:

:heavy_check_mark: KDP does NOT own your book—you do.
:heavy_check_mark: Self-publishing gives you full ownership and control.
:heavy_check_mark: You can remove or modify your book at any time (on KDP).
:heavy_check_mark: Traditional/hybrid publishers may own rights to your book, depending on contracts.
:heavy_check_mark: Self-publishing is the best option if protecting your rights matters to you.

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