Amazon KDP Terminates Your Account for THIS...
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2022
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is NOT playing around and have actively suspended and terminated account holders based on guidelines and rules broken. Getting your KDP account closed - whether temporarily or indefinitely - is rather easy especially if you aren't aware of the fine print in their terms and conditions. Safe guard your business when you follow my real world examples of what NOT to do.
🔴 Amazon KDP Will Hate This (video) - • Amazon KDP Will HATE T...
🔴🔴🔴 Most outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. We only endorse programs, products or services we use and can stand confidently behind. 🔴🔴🔴
🍌🌮What violations did I miss? Have you made any of these mistakes? If so, how did you resolve them?
Find out why Amazon KDP Will Hate This - th-cam.com/video/RUbrqN2srpM/w-d-xo.html
Great video. Thanks.
I wish Amazon was a lot more obvious with their terms and conditions.
No one reads the legalese version, so it would be nice to have an abridged version of the terms and conditions with only the things I need to avoid doing listed.
I wonder if some lawyers could come together to build a website that does that.
Most people (myself included) want to obey terms and conditions, so we don't get banned.
However, it is hard to know what they want me to do sometimes, so videos like this are a lifesaver.
I had no idea that you couldn't have multiple accounts.
BTW, erotica is immoral. You need Jesus.
First, I totally agree with you. Second, I'm not a Christian, so please keep your beliefs to yourself and I'll keep mine with me too.
I haven't been paid my April royalty even after updating my account so many times. I have received payment twice from this account before….what can I do? 8:39
And here, in my naivety, I thought indie authors spent most of their time just writing great, polished books and putting them online. Some of the techniques you describe are ones I've encountered (as a reader) and they really sour readers' opinions on taking a risk with buying a book from an unknown name.
So true! Keep putting out stellar content, Skevos. We need to counter-balance the crappy, low-quality books with stellar, high-quality books. We've got this!
Just self published my first children's book on Amazon- glad that I didn't violate any of these. Crossing my fingers that my print copy looks okay and that nobody complains about it 🤞
Have you ordered a proof yet? That's one way to know for sure.
Dude, awesome tips! And a huge tip on not having more than one account...that's something many are probably not aware of.
Very true! Some people do it accidentally. This is why I tell people to keep your login simple. Use the same login for Amazon as you do KDP, so you aren't mistakenly opening another account when forgetting to switch emails from KDP to shopping on Amazon.
This was so informative. I had no idea that KDP was terminated pages for this. Wow. Great video Dale. Thank you for posting this video.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Dale, your video seems very honest and I thank you for that. Thank you for disclosing your past mistakes. Cheers.
So nice of you to say! Thanks for the kind words.
The other mistake I've seen people make - asking other people to go into their KDP account (e.g. a virtual assistant, cover designer, etc.) and upload the book for them, manage their account, etc.
However this is against the rules as well (although done by people who don't realise, and looking for someone to help them).
Plus if the person doing the helping also has their own KDP account, theres a risk KDP algorithms will detect and believe both accounts are the same person, and suspend both people's KDP accounts!
I could see how that'd be a problem.
I appreciate all the 'heads-up' for the mistakes folks can make.
I have purchased books that had almost the exact same content, but different covers and 'authors' that I am pretty sure that were those 'purchased content' subscriptions from a primary source. I was pretty torqued off that I was purchasing the same content under the guise of a different book and author.
Well said! That's a prime example of how self-publishers need to be more mindful of the customer. Oftentimes, these publishers think, "Oh, I'm going to screw Amazon for every bit of money I can get." When in reality, they're screwing over their family, close friends, extended family, neighbors - REAL people who buy from Amazon.
By the way, I had someone legit SCREAM that on the top of his lungs (in a more colorful manner) in a hotel lobby of a video creator conference. It was at that point I decided I NEVER wanted anything to do with that guy ever again. It was just gross.
I hope you were able to get your money back and left a bad review. Trash self-publishers who don't need to be in our business.
Thanks as always for tuning in and weighing in your thoughts, Dawn. I appreciate you!
@@DaleLRoberts I posted a comment on the duplicate books telling folks to NOT purchase the 'other book' because the content was almost duplicative to each other. I wasn't trying to prevent folks from buying the books, just prevent them from purchasing duplicate content. The book was "OK' so didn't honestly deserve a bad review, just purchased content from a main source and reused (or the publisher used two different names in publishing).
I got ya.
About 7-8 years ago, I highlighted a bunch of those on my blog. This was when Kindle Unlimited was new, and at that time, they paid if someone read the first 10% so scammers were uploading "books" of ten pages or less. Literally, only the front matter being opened would generate a "borrow". Then I noticed that many were like you said. Same book, different title, different crappy cover, and fake author name. I notified Amazon of them with their ASIN. I didn't hear back officially, but I did see via Statcounter that Amazon had repeatedly looked at my blog and eventually those books were taken down. A small victory, but I felt better about it. lol.
Thank you for another helpful video! I don't think there's a need to worry if you're always doing the right thing.
Glad it was helpful! And, yes, you are correct! Sadly, some rules are accidentally broken. I cannot even recall the number of people who had their accounts closed due to having multiple accounts opened. It seems innocent enough yet Amazon deems it a punishable offense. Of course, other items like "don't plagiarize" are a given for most people, but there are some parts of the world where copyright, trademark, and intellectual property are a foreign concept.
"What do you mean I can't translate someone's book and publish it without their consent???" Legit, I had a commenter ask that once. And, seemed to get defensive when I explained it to them. I truly try to be patient with them. I'm sure their culture might shock me as much as ours shocks them.
Fun fact: The U.S. carries 50% of my viewers on this channel. The second highest? You'll probably guess U.K., Australia, or Canada. The actual answer is Nigeria. Big shout-out to my viewers in Nigeria! haha Now, I'm not implying they have any connection to the previously mentioned comment. It's more to illustrate how diverse our audience is and how some interesting folks from all walks come into the self-publishing space.
Nigeria my country. Hi Dale.
Thank you for your wisdom shared here!
I wrote a children's book for my grandnieces and am working on another now. I hope to be able to publish them on KDP and have been trying to research rules, what works best, approaches, and just how to do it in the best way first, so I maximize my efforts. I just subscribed to your channel because of your very down to earth approach and genuineness. Thank you very much!
Hi Camille! Thanks for your comment. You seem like a really smart person. Not everyone does their due diligence first and that can cause a lot of headaches later. Thanks for subscribing. Welcome aboard!
I want to publish to KDP and already live in the state of Washington. But their rules are so scary sometimes.
Yeah, it sure can be scary, but if you aren't intentionally gaming the system, you should be good. The cream always rises to the top. By the way, Taura, I see you've been subscribed for over three years. You're the best! I cannot appreciate you enough for your support. Seriously, thank you!
Thanks Dale for sharing this info
You bet!
Enjoying your videos and learning a lot. Is copyrighting import for medium content books? How can I ensure that my book is not just reproduced with a different cover or slightly changed information? Thanks for your videos!!!
I'm so glad.
You mean registering the copyright. Your book is copyrighted when you create it. You can register that copyright with the U.S. copyright office if you so choose. I wouldn't sweat piracy. It could happen. The odds are probably very slim.
Great content! Now that some time has passed since this video, do you still think AI is stilted? (I do!)
My mind hasn't changed. AI-generated text can be useful, but I still believe it has a ways to be as flawless as some hypebeasts would have you believe.
Hello Dale , great content and I quickly subscribed
I have a question. Can husband and wife have their own kdp accounts but on the same computer ?
Yes, absolutely! Just be sure you're keeping separate logins, tax IDs, and bank accounts. I mentioned it in the video, so I guess you must've missed it. My wife and I have worked from the same household, but not the same computer. To be safe, I recommend you reaching out to KDP support and clarifying it. I'd hate to have them close your accounts and you hold me responsible for it.
Thanks for the informative video. Subscribed!
Awesome, thank you! Stay tuned for more!
Thanks for sharing this valuable information.
My pleasure!
Urgh, this video is so helpful! Question though, when it comes to duplicate content, how do you then go about publishing books with different covers? For example say you want to publish a book that's the same as one you've published before but with a milder cover so that your audience can enjoy it if they're on the road with friends etc. (Instead of a shirtless man you put a more subtle cover) does that count as duplicate content?
You could possibly create a second edition, but you'll need to notify KDP about the iteration. And, change something about the content to merit the new cover design. Maybe a new bonus chapter, or behind-the-scenes insights, or even a foreword from another author commenting on the book. Tread carefully and err on the side of caution - contact KDP to be sure. I can only speculate what will work, so please don't take my suggestion as gospel.
@@DaleLRoberts Okay, thank you so much! And as always, keep up the good work!
Thanks!
Thanks for the heads up
No problem 👍
Regarding more than one account....do you have any advice on how to work with other parties? I've had a few people approach me to ask if we can team up on some writing projects, but who receives the royalties then, because it would be a pain to manage that every month from one account, especially if that account would have other publications unrelated to that joint venture?
Contact KDP for advice on that. I think they'll appreciate you being open and willing to work with them.
But, from what I've heard from some author splits, it is a pain. Draft2Digital has a royalty split system and PublishDrive has a co-authoring feature specifically for tracking royalties and earnings (it's called Abacus). I'll lean in favor of Draft2Digital since there's no fee to use it. PublishDrive charges a couple bucks for every book you want to track.
Hi, which service you recommend for PCIP Data block for copyright page. Thanks in advance... and thanks for all the info you provide.
That's a little outside my wheelhouse. I recommend checking with the Alliance of Independent Authors or the Independent Book Publishers Association. They'll have an answer.
Because you can only link one paperback book to Kindle, I've had to do a separate series for the Large Print Edition. Most have been fine (6/8), but 2 of them got snagged in the algorithm and I had to contact support.
Glad you got it figured out. Thanks for sharing! It's comments like these that help me get a better pulse on what's happening through KDP.
Okay, I've got a question. And I'm going to subscribe just in case you answer it. I have a book on KDP in EBook, paperback, and hardcover form. I focus most on the paperback. The book is 545 pages. To get a royalty of $4.75 I have to list it for $22.95. Is that a usual price for a book this size (6X9)?
Yes, because it's a lengthy book. KDP will give you a minimum list price and that covers printing costs. Anything over that is profit for you.
Thanks, Dale!
You're welcome!
Thanks for sharing these dodgy techniques! Got to avoid or risk the wrath of the Zon
hahah Star Trek: The Wrath of Zon!
Captain Kirk: Zooooooon!!!
So many tips and tricks! ...wait.... this wasn't a how to? Umm.... crap.... BRB...
Great video! I recommend making one that's just you looking at the camera saying, "GET AN EDITOR! GET AN EDITOR! GET AN EDITOR!!!"
It cannot be overstated!!!
hahaha Yes! I've shouted that from the mountain tops yet some authors STILL don't listen. Even getting another set of eyes - whether or not it's a pro editor - is a smart idea. I tried reading a loyal subscribers Vella series and couldn't get past the first episode because it was riddled with errors, typos, and too many things for me to read comfortably. I'm okay with a mistake once in awhile, but when it's littered with issues, I can't forgive that. I asked the viewer if they used an editor and they confirmed they did not since they couldn't afford it. It has NOTHING to do with affording something financially. Yes, hiring a pro editor isn't cheap. But, there are other alternatives (i.e., great beta readers) authors NEED to consider.
So, yes, I'm thinking about doing a video dedicated to editing.
I've had my account for over a decade and recently, I was prompted to login when I was going to the ACX platform. I have all my login stuff saved but I know sometimes you have to login again at times, so I didn't think much of it. Then when it logged me in, instead of going to acx, or even my bookshelf, like normal, it took me to the screen where you put in your bank info, name, address, etc. I even starting to fill it in, thinking there must be some new reason Amazon came up with that required the info to be added again. (keep in mind, I did not follow a link other than the one prompted from, I'm pretty sure, was ACX, so this wasn't phishing). I stopped myself because I had heard about people losing accounts when they made new accounts. Some said they didn't realize they had. Now I think that's how this happened. I've had it happen a couple of more times since. I wish I could remember exactly what prompted that new account info form to pop up, but if anyone who already has an account sees it, DO NOT FILL IT IN! It will set up a new account for you, which will then get you kicked off Amazon.
Wow, that's crazy. Thanks for the info!
@@DaleLRoberts I figured it out because it just happened again! About once a month, Amazon makes me login again. It happens when I try to use BookReport. I think it loses connection to it so my BookReport is no longer synced. So I went to my KDP account and hit Your Account link to login. I got the screen to do the 2-step verification, which I did with a code to my phone. Entered it, and when it accepted it, it opened up to the Author Information form! I can totally see someone being confused and filling it out again.
I will come back to view this because it is important. Just a bit much for a Friday night! I also have to say that, as a non-American, what-the-heck? There are SO many rules and regulations, it makes one's head spin. I almost wonder if it might be better to be on any other digital platform than KDP. I do use a multitude of other platforms and bookstores and wonder if other authors might be thinking of flagging Amazon altogether. Has anyone said this? Thought this? Done this?!
I think most people who aren't publishing on Amazon aren't doing so because they've been terminated for one reason or another. Sure, there are those people who just see Amazon as an evil monopoly and choose not to use it for that reason, but for the majority of authors, they want their piece of that 75% market share.
Everything is wrapped in so much red tape these days...screwing up should be a part of the plan.
Yo Dale! I did a consultation with you when you did those free 30 minutes zoom calls. Pen name: En Pandit Cole. Fell into a bit of an author slump and haven’t been doing anything online for marketing. And I haven’t been selling any books. So I’m back here looking for tips. Thanks for all the great info!
Hey, buddy! Yes, I remember chatting with you, for sure! I believe we're connected on IG still. One of the best ways to get your book out there is to be more visible. Figure out ways you can get in front of more people. And, you don't always have to pay for visibility. Keep at it, buddy! And, stay consistent. I heard once: A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.
Be like water! Stay persistent.
Hey Dale! Thanks for this video. Is it ok to mention brand names in your book? For instance in a word search? That’s not copywrite to put the word ‘Cadbury’ in a book , right?
Hmmm, that's a tough one and a gray area for me. It seems okay, but...
You might want to talk with lawyer or someone a bit more informed in this area.
If it were me, I wouldn't chance it.
@@DaleLRoberts I’ve emailed KDP to see what they think! I thought that was a good step - in longer form books, you may represent a brand - drinking cola for instance… tough one isn’t it!
Yep. Seen the same book with different cover in the coloring book section. It’s so selfish, blocking up five pages and preventing others books from getting a view!
I have a feeling a sweeping change is going to happen. And, sadly, much like other changes in the past, collateral damage is inevitable. Some AI-based system will weed out redundant content and suppress the listings. When will that come? We'll certainly see.
I have a deeper piece about KDP's stance on low content books coming out in the next few weeks. It's gonna get ugly. haha
Thanks for weighing in, Inga.
@@DaleLRoberts yikes! I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!
Oh, yeah.
Oops, I accidentally have 2 accounts. Except that one of them is on my name, while the other is on my company's name. I wonder if KDP would have a problem with that? My personal account was opened before CreateSpace actually merged with Amazon (they had bought it, but hadn't yet incorporated it into their operations), and I used it to test CS to see if it would be suitable, and if they would be trustworthy. I published a test book (a short autobiography) to see how things worked, and asked some of my relatives to buy copies, only to test CS's honesty. It was a controlled test, so that I would know exactly how many copies were sold, and so see if CS honestly reported the sales. They passed the test. So my actual books were published on my company account. Haven't published anything on my personal account since then.
Yeah, in theory, you should be okay since your personal tax ID and business tax ID are different. Keep your bank accounts different too. Ultimately, KDP will have the final say, so I can't give you a definitive answer. Sorry.
😂😂 4:04 one big nasty monster its......so funny 🤣🤣🤣
haha Not sure what I said, but it sounds like me.
Great video! Just curious - I thought it was ok to have a separate email for my KDP account and customer account because I was only actually using KDP under one email. But, apparently, this creates 2 customer and KDP accounts anyway and violates TOS. If I've deleted one account completely (customer and empty/unused KDP) would this mean I am now in compliance using only 1 account for KDP and buying as a customer?
Yeah, that's fine. Just don't login with the other Amazon account email, you'll be fine.
Thank you for this video. Recently I opened an Amazon KDP account in order to publish notebooks. Last night I got that mail about closing my account because "we found content and/or activities that are in violation of our Terms and Conditions. " I've posted about 5 products with the same name, - Composition notebook, and similar product descriptions. Also, Interior pages are the same on a few products, but it's a notebook... Can that be a reason for closing my account? It doesn't make any sense .
No, I don't THINK that's it, but I'm not KDP. You're going to have to ask them for more details. Sorry to hear about your termination.
@@DaleLRoberts I'll write them for sure. Thanks 🎶
do you anwer followers question Dale? im new and been following you for advise hower i havent notice you address this topic.. thx for ur time
Haha yep, I answer, but I rarely see a full comment thread. TH-cam doesn’t notify me after the first comment. If you have questions, fire off a new comment. Or join me in our Discord community - DaleLinks.com/Discord.
I am writing an autobiography and I have two print articles written in the 1980s in the chapter. I credit the author and date published. Does KDP consider that to be copyright infringement if you are providing the articles since they are not in circulation anymore? Also, can I reference a documentary if I include the description along with the names of the writers and directors in the paragraphs?
Ooo, that’s in a gray area, so I truly can’t give you a good answer. The best idea is to contact a lawyer. It’ll be worth the investment and peace of mind. And you should be able to reference a documentary with no issue. If you use any part of it, limit what you use and cite your source.
Hi Dale, great video. I have a question about a blocked book. How do I remove it? I didn't really understand about the rule of low content book back then. Is there a way to remove it? thanks!
You can't remove it. It stays there forever.
I wish there was a form we can fill out when submitting our book to be published where we can give the info on the permissions we have acquired for the cover graphics.
I've had books that were live, and then sometime later the KDP robot deemed that I was using graphics w/o permission. I have all the necessary info on my copyright page, but of course the bot doesn't read my copyright page. A week after my response to their email I get an email that says they were in error. And now I have to republish the book.
This has happened numerous times, and recently my entire account was suspended.
IMHO -- this scrutiny should happen BEFORE the book goes live. Or at least give us 24 hours to prove they are in error before shutting it down.
And btw-- thanks Dale for your transparency and for always getting to the point in a concise but easy to understand manner.
I love that idea! And thanks for the kudos. Sorry to hear about your issues with KDP. Don’t lose heart.
I paid an artist on fiverr for a cover that got axed. I was basing the cover art off Achilles and the Amazon, a classic piece of art. I guess Amazon didn't like a picture of an Amazon getting speared on the cover.
Oh, yeah! They are SUPER fickle about the covers these days. Anything they deem as "too violent" will get blocked, much like my sad attempt at erotica covers years ago. I'm breaking into horror writing and every part of me aches knowing I can't use something graphic or with blood in it, because Amazon may not advertise it or might even block it. So, I play within the guidelines. Once I pick up enough momentum in my fiction writing business, I'll start fulfilling orders through my site with whatever cover variation I want. That's the way it should be.
Hey Dale great video as always
I wanted to know if using the same interior for multiple journals for example could get my account terminated/ suspended
It's a gray area that Amazon won't clearly define. I can tell you a few account holders shared how they got shut down for that reason. And, when they tried appealing, it fell on deaf ears.
If you already have scores out by now, I wouldn't worry much about those ones. Moving forward, create some differentiating traits - watermarks, images, text, line size and length, etc. I wish I could give you a definitive answer, but Amazon is still unclear about what they do and do NOT want.
I can say they have a specific rule in their Terms and Conditions that says they do NOT want duplicate content. But, when that was developed, KDP was intended for literature, not low content books. So, chances are likely, they're trying to sort out what they do and do not want. In the meantime, we just have to wait and see.
I have a video coming out in the next few weeks discussing some issues I have with KDP and low content books. Stay tuned, because it's gonna get ugly. And, I've got receipts.
@@DaleLRoberts Thank you so much you’re the absolute besttt
You got it! And, I appreciate the kind words and kudos!
@@DaleLRoberts The nonKDP companies selling low content journals and address books, etc., sell the same interiors with different covers. Just wanted to point that out.
Some, not all. If they distribute to Amazon or Ingram, it gets dicey.
Great vid thanks.
Thank YOU!
Hi, I'm curious about having separate accounts for KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and Merch by Amazon. I've got a KDP account already, and when I tried to set up a Merch account with the same email, it didn't work out. Now, I'm thinking of making a new Merch account with a different email and phone number. Can I safely have two separate accounts for KDP and Merch without running into any problems, even with the initial Merch account application being rejected?
You're going to want to go to the source for that. Contact KDP and Merch by Amazon support. In theory, it seems safe since they're two different departments in Amazon. The only challenge you'll run into is logging in and out of KDP when you need to use MBA. And vice versa. Because you do NOT want to open multiple accounts with KDP. They are EXTREMELY strict about the multiple accounts rule. Let me know what you find out.
@@DaleLRoberts They are just telling me that they are two different departments, but what I found out when I created the first account that got rejected on Merch is that when I tried to log out from KDP, it automatically logged me out from Merch by Amazon as well. I don't want to take the risk, so I might change platform if merch to Etsy...
Thank you for the video, i have a question about the trademark issue, I found the word bold under 016 also the word easy is under 016 so we can't use these words despite these being a general word and everybody can use them? we can't use them to describe a coloring book for example ??
I'm not sure what you're asking. Could you rephrase the question?
@@DaleLRoberts i want to publish in a niche Bold & Easy coloring When I put the two words Bold, Easy i found them under class 016 . Should we stay away from them, even though they are two words used to describe a coloring book ?
I'm not familiar with the class numbers. What you'll want to avoid is using trademarked terms as they relate to books or book publishing.
I reached out to Amazon about publishing my book. I was going to have the same story but one edited to Adult and the other YA (minus sex) and they said they would accept that.
That's great!
The edits. With my story I was using grammarly than now prowriting aid. I still use it but now I give it to an editor to fix the things I'm not aware of. Except for my poetry I'm still editing them and I get complaints by how it's structured and grammar. I'm fixing some of the issues they brought up but the way it is will be what it is. And on Amazon they have a category of Hispanic-american and I would use that thinking it was to identify me instead of putting me an actual category that would make those books more visible.
Yeah, poetry shouldn't have such a strict structure. I have heard of poets getting editors, but it's a rare occasion. Then, again, I don't know many poets, so my understanding is skewed a bit. Thanks for sharing the tips!
@@DaleLRoberts yeah I was worried about that until you had somebody on who said that.
I'm new to Amazon KDP with the sole purpose of making low content books for note taking, with some trendy covers. I had about 6 books published, no sales. All the sudden, my account was just closed with no warning or explanation.... Wth!???? I'm hoping to hear something, so I may rectify whatever I may have done. How terrible
Yep. Contact KDP to appeal knowing you still may not get your account back. KDP is just a jerk like that.
@@DaleLRoberts so, I'm now able to log in, but my bookshelf is empty and all my info has been erased.......... I'm so mad.... so much time, lost
@@marx769 we’re you contacted by AmazonKDP about why it was closed???? This happened to my mom and we can’t figure out why her account was closed
I have my personal Amazon account I use when I buy things off of Amazon. I tried to create an account to sell things on Amazon FBA and for some reason it wouldn't go through. The reason given was vague and it was impossible to get somebody to answer me. Apparently many people have had difficulty creating an Amazon seller's account.
Now I have to wonder, if people encounter difficulty when trying to create a KDP account (I already have a personal Amazon account, but I don't know if that matters)?
I haven't heard of that being an issue, but I wouldn't rule it out. And, you're good so long as you aren't opening multiple KDP accounts.
Good to hear.
Thanks!
Thank for the great video, Dale! So I have a question. Two KDP accounts under the SAME name is understandable. What about two people in the same household? I've been publishing on KDP for a few years, and now my boyfriend wants to try it as well. We live together and use one laptop. Could him opening his account, using the same adress and the same laptop be an issue for my account? Or do we have to use one account only?
My wife have had separate KDP accounts for years in the same household. But, we have different business entities using separate tax IDs with different bank accounts. I think that's what makes the difference. We checked with KDP years ago and they said that was fine.
@@DaleLRoberts That makes sense. Thank you answering!
You got it!
Hey buddy, i bought some kindle books which ive already read in hard copy format. Does marking it the kindle ebook as 'read' pays royalties?
No.
Hello Dale. I noticed that each time I increase the price of my book, Amazon keep it as it was and give me the new royalties. First I thought that it was because the book is doing relatively well, it sell about 2 copies a day. But after I watched your video I became a bit worried. I found that Walmart sells it for the same low price that Amazon do. Why didn't Walmart increase the price, the last time I increased it was about 2 months ago? And if they do, well Amazon then remove the discount?
Yeah, you go it right. Keep in mind, it does take up to two months (six to eight weeks mentioned), so Walmart might be slow. Heck, it might even be Ingram that's going slow with updates. Once Walmart catches up with the new pricing, Amazon will remove the strikethrough price.
But, keep in mind, if Amazon discovers your book sells pretty well at a specific price point or in an "Also Bought" with another item, they'll discount it that way. You'll still get the higher royalty.
I hope you aren't stressing that you violated that rule. It's when you CLEARLY game the system by jacking up the cost significantly, then buying a HUGE bulk of your books. That's gonna raise some red flags. I'm sure in due time, we will probably lose out on the full royalty in cases of discounts.
Google Play Books has been known to do the same thing, but they give you the lower royalty based on the discounted price. And, you have no choice. It's in their Terms and Conditions. Unlike Google Play Books, Amazon hasn't invoked their right to do that...yet.
They've been rather generous, so in a few years from now, I speculate we may not see this current payout model and will, in fact, switch to the Google Play Books model of - discount your book without permission and give you the percentage from that discounted amount, not the full retail price you set.
I feel like I could do an entire video on that topic alone. haha
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks Dale, I really respect the fact that you always reply to all your comments, Unlike many others. Great job 👌
One last thought, if I publish the book with someone else with the lower price, will that guarantee that my book will stick to the lower price on Amazon, or will it just make them mad. I will not buy my books, just depend on organic/ad sales.
Doing a hole video on that will be a great Idea 💡, I really wish that you consider it. Keep on the great work.
Hey, thanks! I don't respond to every comment. If someone is being a troll or hateful, they get blocked. Nobody has time for that kinda stuff.
In theory, you can publish/do that. Will they get upset? Not sure. Kinda hard for me to predict that. I wouldn't try working that loophole so you get a higher payout on Amazon. It's kinda shady.
We've got about four videos in production right now, so it's going to be awhile if we ever tackle it. Thanks so much for the suggestion and kind words.
@Dale L. Roberts Thanks Dale. I think you're right, it's kinda shady 😀
Good luck with your new videos, can't wait to watch them.
You got it!
Hello Dale! This probably isn't the right kind of video to ask this question, but I hope you can help because I have been searching all over the Internet for answers. So one of my grandpa's friends is designing the cover of my new book, but the thing is, I'm not sure if I have to ask her for permission to mention her in the copyright page of the book and add her as a contributor to my book on KDP. Is it a legal requirement to do so? Will Amazon terminate my account if I don't mention the cover designer for my book? Do YOU mention people who design your book covers as well? I have so many questions. But I'm hoping you can help.
Ask anyway! I couldn't see how that would hurt anyone. I'm sure the answer will be "yes" but remove all doubt and ask anyway. Is it a legal requirement? Beats me! I'm not a lawyer, so you might wanna ask one. Will KDP terminate your account? Not likely. Do I mention my cover designers? Sometimes. When I own the rights to the images, then I don't worry about credit. It's mine, I own it. If attribution is required for image use, then yes, I'll slap that in my copyright page.
By the way, never worry about where you put your question in my videos, even if it has zero context with the video. I'm just happy to help. It also helps me refine my video content so I deliver better video content.
@@DaleLRoberts Oh! Well, it gives me some relief hearing about other people's experiences with book covers. Thanks for the help, Dale!
You got it!
I was planning on publishing 3 short books and then an omnibus version, of all 3 together. Is that considered duplicate content? I've seen people do box sets
No, you’re good. But you can only bundle your a story once.
I guess I screwed up. I created a women's journal with the same interior but different cover. I was deactivated and did not understand why for months. I emailed the dozens of times but only received an automated response. I was just starting out and excited to do this, but now I have not KDP. What's next... I sure don't know,
Here you go: th-cam.com/video/kmCIKaxvafg/w-d-xo.html
I’ve had my KDP account terminated for a supposed misleading title or content for a low content book. I have hundreds of similar low content books that are ok and selling. I’ve appealed twice, But they still won’t reinstate my account. Do you have any advice?
I don't. Once they decide you're done, you're pretty much done. I recommend focusing on publishing everywhere else. Amazon isn't the only gig in town.
An aggregate like Draft2Digital will give you an idea of what's available. Just don't attempt to publish to Amazon. Since you're terminated, they will shut you down.
Can i publish journals that are inspired by novels?(including quotes or literature related content putting bookish lines and poetry with author names...
in a collage format for the cover design)
So long as you have permission to use the intellectual property. Otherwise, you're opening yourself up to potential lawsuits.
Self-editing is painful, awful, stressful, time-consuming, but... 1.) You'll make people happy showing you can produce quality, legible material 2.) Reviews will reflect better ratings 3.) You will get better at editing for future works 4.) You will be proud of the time and effort you have put into your masterpiece.
Great tips!
I created a blank lined journal and then created several different covers, but the interior is blank, and the title and description states that. Does that violate the "duplicate content" rule?
To my knowledge, low content books are the exception to the rule since it's expected that you have that type of content. Drop KDP Support a line just to make sure they're cool with it. Last I knew, you should be okay.
Hi Dale, I've been trying to publish my low content journal notebook since one month for now, but when I submit for review they just email me for misleading title. As per me I've followed all of their publishing guidelines. I don't understand where am I going wrong. Can you please help 🙏🏻
KDP Support is going to have your answer. I can only guess since I don’t know the title you’re using or the reasoning for them blocking it.
Hi Dale, I'm a new publisher and I'm wondering if I can suggest my friends (not relatives) purchase one copy of my book as I publish it?
Thank you in advance!
/Roby
Go for it!
Can i use famous paintings' illustration(like Van Gogh starry nights)
or movie related quotes and photos
for KDP journal covers?
Please answer sir.❤
If you created the work, yes. If you didn't create the work, you'll need to get permission.
When you say you can’t have 2 accounts, I have one Amazon account for my day to day purchases only, and the other is for my published books on KDP. Is that OK? I don’t sell anything on my personal account.
Yes, you're fine. It's having two KDP accounts that's against Terms and Conditions. This is a popular question, so I might have to expand on this point. Thanks so much for asking, it helps me refine my videos.
Dale, I have two books with completely different content and covers, but with identical titles and similar subtitles. The subtitles are the same, except that I use the last half of them to differentiate the differences between these two books, ie..one book is 150 puzzles one per page, and one book is 200 puzzles 2 per page. Would I be violating KDP TOS with this? Obviously I don't want to put my account in jeopardy. Mahalo.
You'll want to ask KDP support for that. I wouldn't think you'll have an issue, but that decision isn't up to me.
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks for the reply. This was my first intention. However, playing Devil's Advocate, and since both books are live, if I tell them and they tell me that the books indeed DO go against the TOS, wouldn't I be telling on myself and then risk having them do something bad to my account? Ie.."oh, thanks for bringing this gross error on your account to our attention. Now we have to suspend you". Or am I just paranoid? Thanks.
Honesty is always the best policy, IMO. But, I can understand your point of view. I could even argue if they don't discover the issue now, won't the find it later? Explain your willingness to work with them to safeguard your account and that you are not intentionally violating their policies. I've found for most authors who have questions like this usually get taken care of. I've never heard of an author coming back and saying that their account got terminated from wanting to work with KDP support to ensure account compliance.
In terms of acquiring content, Should I stay clear of all interior puzzle pages that I might acquire on Fiver, for example, for fear that they may have been used in another book? I see these people advertising thousands of interior pages for a puzzle niche that I sell in, and I could create books with them, but what's the point if it will get me in trouble? Are those types of pages at all redeemable for use in your book? Thank you.
Hmmm, that's a tough one. I don't think I'd want the same interiors as other people. I'd need some differentiating factor to my interiors.
@@DaleLRoberts Absolutely. While it's understandable that it would be bad business to have the same interior content as another author, is it also against the terms of service for two separate authors to have the same content? I'm in the Sudoku niche, btw. Thanks.
It's a gray area and nothing that KDP has clearly defined. In theory, redundant interiors are a no-go on the platform. But, low content is a different animal altogether. We'll just have to wait and see.
Can one do a large print ,"duplicate" of one of your own low/medium content book?
That would be a question for KDP. This might help as well - kindlepreneur.com/large-print/
*"As previously stated, we detected activity on your account trying to manipulate Kindle services, violating our Terms and Conditions"* Could you tell us what that means? Because of this problem, my account has been closed/terminated
It's purposely vague, so I don't even know. Could be any number of things. Only KDP has that answer.
What is the proper way to attribute content you do need to use?
Reedsy will have some articles for you to peruse. There are many ways to do attribution - on the copyright page, footnotes, end notes, etc. Kick around on Reedsy's website, they'll have a more detailed answer.
You'd have been a great actor for Lord Voldemort. I thought I was clicking on a Harry Potter video there.
Yeah, I'm still waiting on my royalties. haha
I got terminated based on what you said I think it's because I dropped my prices. KDP did a review and bumped up all prices. I returned some to the original price. Could that be the reason for the termination? Because Lawd knows they are not telling me why even tho I keep asking.
Your guess is as good as mine. KDP has the answer.
I was going to publish my book with amazon but now I'm thinking of going to a traditional publishing house,this will be my 1st book so I don't know much about whats best to do.
Traditional publishing isn't for the faint of heart. Prepare for rejection...a lot of rejection.
Harry Potter was rejected 12 times. Stephen King's Carrie, 30 times. Hunger Games? 60 times.
Only you can decide what's best for you.
@@DaleLRoberts I wrote so many stories in rhyme for kids when I lived in America and was so bored,that was back in 2003. Everyone who reads them loves them and have been told they are like Dr suess style. I cannot afford to keep trying so I will have to stash them away and let my family decide what they want to do with them,I am 65 years old now so not many years left In me lol
can i put qr code inside of book, to let buyers download digital copy of book
Hmmm, I believe you should be okay, but you might want to confirm with KDP first.
Hello, Sir just have a doubt can we write books on some great personalities like Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Tony Stark, Emma Watson, etc?
Will kdp give trademark issue please reply
I only know two of those names. You know what would be the best place to ask this question? KDP Support. They'll have a clearer answer than I will. I don't want to mislead you and have them terminate your account based on my guess or opinion. You can chat with the KDP support team by scrolling to the bottom of your dashboard and click "Contact us."
What about those mafia novels where it says you got sold to a mafia and you fall in love with them and stuff and books with sex scenes??? Are those not allowed??
I'm pretty sure those are allowed. Ask KDP support if you're nervous about it, that's ultimately their decision, not mine.
Can you do an ebook and copy it as a paperback too??
Yes, but it requires a bit more formatting and finesse.
About racy covers, KDP provides in their gallery images that have partial nudity. It’s confusing. 🤔 Do they know about this cause it’s in their image gallery for book covers.
Yeah, that can be totally confusing, right?
Hi Dale, KDP just told me that the only way I can do a .99 price change on my ebook is to list it on another platform for .99 and KDP will then price match. I was under the impression that I could set a promotion period and reduce the price to .99 for the promotion period. Does any of this track for you. Your advice would be appreciated. Thanks
Depends on your file size. But dropping it to 99 cents is as simple as setting the price on the last step and hitting publish.
@@DaleLRoberts OK. That's what I thought as well. I could just go into the bookshelf page then edit and change the price from 2.99 to .99. Does it matter that the book has been listed as 2.99 for 3- years?
I'll have to check the file size KDP mentioned as well.
@@DaleLRoberts Ok. That's what i thought as well. Doesn't matter that i'm changing the price as opposed to just a new book price?
So, if you have a customer (buying) account and open a KDP(selling) account and get confused and convert your customer account to KDP, is there away to delete the KDP account from your customer account? Or should I delete the KDP account I created? I've not published anything yet.
I’d contact support if that’s the case. Explain the mixup and willingness to cooperate. So far, most people who ask get excellent support with no issue. I hope that helps.
Hold on. I have one account I use as a consumer, and one account I use for kdp. Is that bad??? (I did this for the sole purpose of keeping the emails separate. I have an author email and my regular email.)
No, it's two KDP accounts I'm referring to. So, you're good.
@@DaleLRoberts whew!
Yeah, I can see how you might have thought that. But, you're good. Just don't make the mistake of logging in with your Amazon account email when accessing KDP, because THEN it'll execute an account opening. Though you'd have to enter all your information in order to make it official, you still shouldn't take any chances.
I opened a second account unknowingly, and so far, none have been terminated or suspended.
I immediately emailed them to close of the two.
If the account is closed and I only got one, will they still come after me and terminate my account retroactively?
Your guess is as good as mine.
I have uploaded a book as many as ten times because of stupid copy edit errors that I miss the first five times I read through my book. Yeah, it's a hassle. But I do it. If somebody has already read the book, I cringe a little, but at least it won't be as icky going forward.
No doubt. By the way, thanks so much for all the comments. You must be binge watching my stuff. I appreciate it!
Not all heroes wear cape!!!
Indeed! Thanks for watching and commenting 🔥😎
Please what about putting workbook in UK market can my account get terminated
You should be fine. If in doubt, contact KDP support for clarification.
Amazon terminated my account and I was told I'm not permitted to open a new account... what's the purpose of this.. anyone knows? I called and I was told to send the email to the same email I've been sending initial email to
Yep, that's the best first step - reply to the email so you can find out what went wrong and if you can resolve the issue.
What about a husband and wife under the same roof - can they each have their own KDP account? Thanks
Yep, you're totally fine. My wife and I have had separate business accounts since 2014 with zero issue. You'll just want to make sure you have separate business entities/tax IDs or bank accounts. Reach out to KDP support to get further clarification, because you can never be TOO safe. Track all conversations just in case things ever go south.
@@DaleLRoberts Great thanks Dale! 👍
I have a question. Im publishing my life story. I go into details about rape/abuse/and porn. I have a worning in the beginning. Do you think it would still be ban.
Most likely, yes. They literally say NOT to use those three items. BUT, I recommend don't rely on me for that answer. Check with KDP support. Provide them with a little more context so they understand why you're requesting approval.
Should I open a KDP account if I already have an account that use to buy products on?
Yes, you can use the same login.
@@DaleLRoberts Thank you👍
Hi sir you know why there terminated my kdp account my roommate my IP address is same his kdp account is terminated first then mine they thought I m related to the my roommate kdp account. Soo don't use same IP address. Also he copied my interio design and my cover design I never know about that. So don't do this mistake if you do the kdp, don't share your computer with someone else and don't share same IP address biggest mistake is don't show your design others. Don't do the mistake I did.
IP address has nothing to do with terminations. I've shared the same IP address as my wife since we first started our respective businesses in 2014. However, if you share the same business entity or bank account, then that is your issue.
And, I'll lay money on it your roommate messed it up for you both by using the SAME content. That was probably the issue.
Sharing the computer is fine too so long as you log in and out with each use. I know a few authors who use library computers to do business and they NEVER have any issues.
Thanks for chiming in and sorry you learned things the hard way. I recommend looking into other alternative platforms. And, do NOT tell your roommate or share your business information. They clearly can't be trusted.
@@DaleLRoberts yes sir I m looking for another platform. I lost my 5 years old kdp account that is the hard part. Because of this kdp account I achieved lots of things.
i must have to go with only 1 KDP account or 1 amazon account, i already have multipoles amazon account but i didn't signup with any of them
Okay
@@DaleLRoberts ?
My email address got accidentally deleted half a year ago and my kdp was deleted, losing all royalties and all 7 of my books were unpublished.
Hurt pretty badly but it was my own fault.
Sorry to hear.
@@DaleLRoberts blessing in disguise. Taught me how to do a more effective book release and I sold 298 books in one month. 🙂
Hello Mr. Roberts I am a future self-publishing writer that is looking for advice on AI illustrations. If my ebook has AI generated images in the inside content or cover, does Amazon will terminate my account? The legal copyrights of AI generated images like Mid-journey states that if I am a paid subscriber I can use the images for commercial use, but I have to share that image with other subscribers and they too could use them in their books.
Just wondering what have you learn about this topic.
Thanks,
Kahlil
Ask Amazon. They have your answer and I don't think they'll be upset if you ask. I can only speculate. Go into your KDP dashboard, scroll to the bottom and click Contact Us. The rest you can figure out. It's the best answer you can get.
@@DaleLRoberts Thank you, I did contact them. Will post their reply here, for the benefit of others.
@@kaboartdid you ever receive a response? I'm curious as well as I'm having my children's book illustrated by an AI.
Honestly.
The Novellas, & Novels I am writing is more for myself, my wife and friends that wish to read my books.
I'm just using KDP as a printing service. Publish my book then buy and resell it to people.
Then unpublish the book.
Happy to hear it.
for some strange reason the video will not play, your others will, other videos from other people will but not this one...
Nothing wrong on my end. I'm at a loss on what's happening on your end.
I honestly don't understand how some of the cr@p uploaded to KDP is approved by Amazon.
Yep.
Yup. Pen names are easy.
Yes.
I thought you could only have 3 names on one account. What if someone has more?
You can have one account with as many pen names as you'd like. I think you're confusing Amazon Author Central with KDP. Two different things altogether. Author Central will allow you to have 3 pen names in one account, though with a little polite asking, they'll open a couple more slots in your Author Central account. It's having more than one KDP account that's against the rules. I hope that helps clarify.
@@DaleLRoberts good to know
Happy to help! And, if you ever hear something that doesn't quite make sense in my videos, let me know. It's how I improve how I communicate in each video.
My KDP account got terminated out of the blue today!!! Oftentimes, it’s particularly frustrating because a book may be rejected with very little justification and a mere reference to the KDP guidelines. I write only Word Search Books and certainly there would be no logo violations or the like. This is what I wrote to them: “Please tell me exactly what you are accusing me of. I write Word Search Books. I wrote one about “Seinfeld” which you objected to. It was removed and I never tried to republish it. I also told you explicitly that I had written one about “Married with Children” as a tribute which was approved and I never received any comment or objections about it. I also wrote one about my university that I attended, but obviously it should be clear that I don’t own the university. I have used the occasional book title or movie title as clues in my Word Search Books, but only to make them more interesting. I certainly don’t see how that could be a violation. PLEASE RESTORE MY ACCOUNT!!! I DON’T THINK I DESERVE THIS!!!” If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I never have made that much money anyways even though I have written more than 90 books. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. A lot of time and money spent advertising my books… I really think KDP sucks right now!!!
I replied to your comment 3 days ago. Here it is again:
Seinfeld and Married with Children are someone else's intellectual property. Unless you got permission from the rights holders, you're infringing their copyright. Sorry, man, but that's just a fact. I understand it's a tribute, but you're profiting from somebody else's content.
Quite a few authors try to go the "unauthorized" route with publishing books based on somebody else's creative intellectual property. And, yes, I totally see that many publishers get away with it. But, either the content review team has an extremely sensitive yet inconsistent vetting system or the actual rights holders slapped a cease and desist. Or, worse yet, your competitor could've done it if you want to go full conspiracy mode.
The University could be another issue, too. Some institutions don't like it when you're making a buck without them getting a cut of the revenue.
We could look at this from all angles, but if you were using someone else's IP without their permission, most likely KDP is going to stand by their decision.
And that's despite someone on their team approving the content for distribution. I think rather than termination, they should disapprove distribution rather than letting it get through. Some accountability would be nice. Maybe even hand out a warning with the distribution rejection rather than letting it escalate to this.
Trust me, I agree it sucks. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just telling you their track record of cases like this.
If you move to any other self-publishing platform, I highly recommend getting permission from rights holders or creating your own content without the use of somebody else's brand. Best of luck and I'm sorry to hear about your termination.
If i write a book with the help of chat gbt would they terminate my account
No. When you publish any new books or update current books, you have to declare use of generative AI.
Can you publish a book into and sell it on KDP?
Yes.
KDP Newbie: What are your thoughts about printing the same book in 2 formats, one matte and one gloss? The purpose is to be mindful of sensory preferences for our potential customers ...
Sadly, as good an idea as it is, most likely KDP won't let that fly. They're very much opposed to duplicate content and though you can make the argument that different cover finishes make it different, they're focused on the overall content. BUT, don't take my word for it. Contact KDP support and see what they say.
If you get it pushed through, keep in mind, those two books will have separate product pages. My recommendation: pick one finish and run with it. I'll tell you that not many customers are looking for a specific cover finish when buying a book. The folks who are make up a small fraction of the buying audience.
@@DaleLRoberts Thank you!
bro can we use the chatgpt generated articles to publish on kindle ?
Ask them. In theory, it seems like you could.