Amazon KDP Policy Updates: What Changed in 2025 & What's Coming

Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform has undergone significant policy changes throughout 2025, affecting millions of self-published authors. From print royalty reductions to AI content disclosure requirements and keyword rule updates, understanding these changes is crucial for maximizing your publishing success.

This comprehensive guide covers all 2025 KDP policy updates, including the most recent changes and what to expect moving forward.

TL;DR - Quick Summary

• Print Royalty Reduction (June 2025): Books under $9.99 now earn 50% royalties instead of 60%
• AI Content Disclosure (Ongoing): Must disclose AI-generated content; AI-assisted content doesn't require disclosure
• Keyword Rules Update (July 2025): Stricter rules on trademarks, claims, and relevance
• Enhanced Typesetting (2025): Now mandatory for all ebooks, can't be disabled
• Printing Cost Reductions: Amazon reduced printing costs to partially offset royalty cuts
• Action Required: Review your book pricing, check compliance with new keyword rules, ensure proper AI disclosure

Major KDP Policy Changes in 2025

1. Print Royalty Rate Reduction (June 10, 2025) 🚨

The most significant change affecting self-published authors in 2025.

What Changed:

Amazon reduced print book royalties from 60% to 50% for paperbacks and hardcovers priced below regional thresholds, effective June 10, 2025.

Pricing Thresholds:

• US (Amazon.com): $9.99 USD
• UK (Amazon.co.uk): £7.99 GBP
• EUR (Amazon.de, .fr, .it, .es): €8.99 EUR
• Canada (Amazon.ca): $12.99 CAD
• Australia (Amazon.com.au): $14.99 AUD
• Other marketplaces: Check KDP dashboard for specific thresholds

Royalty Structure:

Books priced BELOW threshold: 50% royalty rate
Books priced AT OR ABOVE threshold: 60% royalty rate (unchanged)

Example Impact:

Scenario 1: Book priced at $7.99 (below threshold)

• Previous royalty: 60% = $4.79 per sale
• New royalty: 50% = $3.99 per sale
• Loss: $0.80 per book sold

Scenario 2: Book priced at $9.99 (at threshold)

• Royalty: 60% = $5.99 per sale
• No change

Who's Affected:

• Authors with paperbacks priced under $9.99
• Low-content book publishers (journals, planners, activity books)
• Children's book authors with shorter page counts
• Authors in competitive niches using low pricing strategies

Who's NOT Affected:

• eBook royalties (remain unchanged at 35% or 70%)
• Hardcover books above threshold
• KDP Print books above regional price thresholds
• Audiobook royalties through ACX

2. Printing Cost Reductions (Partial Offset)

To soften the royalty rate impact, Amazon reduced printing costs for certain paperback books.

Changes:

• Black & white cream paper: Reduced costs for some trim sizes
• Black & white white paper: Reduced costs for some trim sizes
• Premium color: Slight reductions on select configurations

Important Note: The printing cost reductions do NOT fully compensate for the 10% royalty rate decrease for most books.

What You Should Do:

1. Use KDP's Royalty Calculator:

   • Go to KDP Dashboard > Pricing > Royalty Calculator
   • Compare old vs new earnings per sale
   • Test different price points

2. Consider Price Increases:

   • Raise books to $9.99 or above if market allows
   • Test price sensitivity with ads
   • Focus on perceived value, not just price

3. Optimize Printing Costs:

   • Review page count (reduce unnecessary blank pages)
   • Choose most cost-effective trim size
   • Consider white paper vs cream for black & white books

4. Diversify Income Streams:

   • Expand to hardcover editions
   • Create ebook versions (unchanged royalties)
   • Bundle books into series/box sets

3. AI Content Disclosure Requirements

Amazon requires disclosure of AI-generated content but distinguishes between "AI-generated" and "AI-assisted."

What Must Be Disclosed:

✅ AI-Generated Content (Disclosure Required):

• Text, images, or translations created by AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, etc.)
• Content where AI created the initial output, even if you edited extensively afterward
• AI-created book covers, interior graphics, illustrations
• AI-translated text from other languages

❌ AI-Assisted Content (No Disclosure Required):

• Text you wrote yourself using AI for brainstorming ideas
• Grammar checking and editing with AI tools (Grammarly, ProWritingAid)
• Content refinement, error-checking, proofreading
• Research assistance where you write the actual content
• Outlining and structural help

How to Disclose:

1. During book upload/edit process in KDP
2. New checkbox: "This content was created using AI"
3. Disclosure goes to Amazon only (not shown publicly to customers currently)
4. Must disclose for BOTH new books and updates to existing books

Important Clarifications:

Scenario 1: Used ChatGPT for entire first draft, then edited → Must disclose (AI-generated)

Scenario 2: Wrote book, used ChatGPT to improve specific paragraphs → Must disclose (AI-generated content within the work)

Scenario 3: Wrote book, used Grammarly for grammar corrections → No disclosure needed (AI-assisted)

Scenario 4: Commissioned human artist, they secretly used AI → Complex - Technically should be disclosed if you know; ensure contracts address this

Consequences of Non-Disclosure:

• Account suspension possible
• Book removal from sale
• Loss of publishing privileges
• Potential legal liability

Best Practices:

• When in doubt, disclose
• Keep records of your creation process
• Use contracts specifying AI usage for hired work
• Stay updated as policy evolves

4. Keyword Rules Update (July 2025)

Amazon tightened keyword rules to improve book discoverability and prevent gaming the system.

New Prohibited Practices:

1. Trademark Infringement

❌ "Harry Potter style fantasy"
❌ "Like Stephen King"
✅ "Dark psychological thriller"

2. Time-Sensitive Claims

❌ "Bestseller"
❌ "Award winner" (unless actually won)
❌ "#1 New Release"
✅ Descriptive keywords only

3. Category-Duplicative Keywords

❌ "Thriller" (if already in Thriller category)
❌ "Romance novel" (if in Romance category)
✅ Use for sub-genres: "cozy mystery", "enemies to lovers"

4. Quality Claims

❌ "Best book"
❌ "Top-rated"
❌ "Five-star"
✅ Factual descriptors

5. HTML Tags or Code

❌ <b>keyword</b>
❌ &nbsp;
✅ Plain text keywords only

6. Irrelevant Keywords

❌ Adding "cookbook" to a romance novel
❌ Popular but unrelated search terms
✅ Only keywords accurately representing your book

What You Should Do:

1. Audit Existing Books:

   • Review all 7 keyword boxes for each title
   • Remove any prohibited terms
   • Replace with compliant alternatives

2. Use Long-Tail Keywords:

Instead of: "romance"
Use: "second chance small town romance"

Instead of: "cookbook"
Use: "plant based meal prep cookbook"

3. Focus on Specificity:

   • Genre + subgenre + unique elements
   • Reader demographics (e.g., "young adult dystopian")
   • Book themes and tropes

4. Avoid Over-Optimization:

   • Don't repeat the same keyword across all 7 boxes
   • Use variations and related terms
   • Think about how readers actually search

5. Monitor Performance:

   • Track keyword rankings with tools
   • Test different keyword combinations
   • Update based on search data

5. Enhanced Typesetting Now Mandatory

What Changed:

Enhanced Typesetting (ETS) is now automatically enabled for all Kindle ebooks and cannot be disabled.

What Enhanced Typesetting Does:

• Improved font rendering
• Better hyphenation and justification
• Enhanced layout on newer Kindle devices
• Automatic text adjustments for readability

Why This Matters:

Positive:

• ✅ Better reading experience on Fire tablets and Kindle apps
• ✅ Professional appearance across all devices
• ✅ Improved font display and spacing

Potential Issues:

• ⚠️ May alter your carefully crafted formatting
• ⚠️ Poetry or specialized layouts might change
• ⚠️ Need to test on multiple devices

What You Should Do:

1. Preview Before Publishing:

   • Use KDP's Kindle Previewer tool
   • Test on multiple device types
   • Check all Kindle apps (iOS, Android, desktop)

2. Report Issues:

   • If formatting breaks significantly, contact KDP support
   • Document specific problems with screenshots

3. Adjust Source Files:

   • Simplify complex formatting
   • Use Kindle Create for better control
   • Test extensively during upload

6. Volume Limits on Title Creation

New Policy:

Amazon reduced the number of new titles authors can publish per day to combat AI-generated spam.

What This Means:

• Limit varies by account (not publicly disclosed)
• Most authors unaffected (typical: 3-10 books/day)
• High-volume publishers may hit limits
• Low-content book publishers more affected

Who's Impacted:

• Publishers uploading dozens of books daily
• AI-generated content at scale
• Low-content book businesses
• Large publishing operations

Best Practices:

• Focus on quality over quantity
• Space out uploads over several days
• Ensure each book provides genuine value
• Build sustainable publishing schedule

What Authors Need to Do NOW

Immediate Actions (This Week)

1. Review Your Print Book Pricing

Use KDP's Royalty Calculator to analyze every paperback:

Step 1: Log into KDP Dashboard
Step 2: Go to Bookshelf > Select book > Pricing
Step 3: Click "Calculate Royalty"
Step 4: Compare pre/post June 2025 royalties
Step 5: Decide: Keep price or raise to $9.99+

2. Check AI Content Compliance

For each book published in 2025:

• Review your creation process
• Determine if disclosure needed
• Update book details if required
• Keep documentation of your process

3. Audit Keywords

Review all books for:

• Trademark violations
• Time-sensitive claims (bestseller, award-winner)
• Duplicate category keywords
• Irrelevant terms

4. Test Enhanced Typesetting

Download and check your ebooks on:

• Kindle Paperwhite
• Kindle app (iOS)
• Kindle app (Android)
• Fire tablet
• Kindle desktop app

Strategic Planning (This Month)

1. Pricing Strategy Review

Option A: Raise Prices to $9.99+

• Pros: Maintain 60% royalty rate
• Cons: May reduce sales volume
• Best for: Established books with loyal readers

Option B: Keep Lower Prices

• Pros: Competitive positioning
• Cons: Accept 50% royalty rate
• Best for: New releases building audience

Option C: Hybrid Approach

• Price older books higher ($9.99+)
• Price new releases competitively ($7.99-$8.99)
• Test and adjust based on data

2. Diversification Strategy

Don't rely solely on KDP print books:

• Expand to hardcover editions (higher prices easier)
• Focus on ebook sales (royalties unchanged)
• Consider audiobooks via ACX
• Explore direct sales from your website
• Try IngramSpark for wider distribution

3. Marketing Adjustments

With lower royalties, maximize each sale:

• Build email list (owned audience)
• Focus on series/backlist sales
• Create reader magnets and funnels
• Increase perceived value (professional covers, formatting)
• Emphasize quality over quantity

November 2025 & Future Updates

Current Status:

As of November 2025, no major new policy changes have been announced beyond the June and July 2025 updates already in effect.

Why People Are Searching:

• Authors checking for follow-up changes after June royalty cuts
• Quarterly policy review expectations
• Speculation about additional changes
• Misunderstanding of when changes took effect

What to Watch For:

Likely in 2026:

• Further AI policy refinements
• Potential royalty structure adjustments
• Expanded marketplace-specific policies
• Enhanced content quality enforcement
• Changes to promotional tools and pricing

How to Stay Updated:

1. Official Channels:

   • KDP Help Center
   • KDP Community Forums
   • Email notifications from KDP

2. Self-Publishing Communities:

   • r/selfpublish on Reddit
   • KBoards (Kindle forums)
   • Facebook self-publishing groups
   • Author industry newsletters

3. Industry Publications:

   • The Authors Guild
   • Jane Friedman's blog
   • Kindlepreneur
   • Publishers Weekly

Tools to Help You Adapt

Optimize your book formats and adapt to KDP changes with our free tools:

PDF to Kindle Converter

Convert your manuscripts to Kindle-ready format with proper formatting for Enhanced Typesetting compatibility.

EPUB to PDF Converter

Transform ebook files to PDF for print-on-demand or distribution outside Amazon.

Cover Size Calculator

Calculate exact KDP cover dimensions with spine width for paperback and hardcover books.

PDF Compressor

Reduce PDF file sizes for faster uploads to KDP while maintaining quality.

Word to PDF Converter

Convert manuscript Word documents to PDF for KDP paperback interior files.

All tools process files locally in your browser for maximum privacy and security.

Conclusion

The 2025 Amazon KDP policy updates represent significant changes for self-published authors, particularly the June royalty rate reduction for print books under $9.99. While these changes reduce income for many authors, strategic pricing adjustments, diversification, and quality-focused publishing can help you adapt and thrive.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Review and adjust print book pricing to maintain profitability ✅ Ensure proper AI content disclosure to avoid account issues ✅ Update keywords to comply with new rules ✅ Test your ebooks with mandatory Enhanced Typesetting ✅ Diversify income streams beyond KDP print books ✅ Focus on building long-term author platform and email list

Stay informed through official KDP channels, adapt your strategy based on data, and continue creating quality content that provides genuine value to readers.

Sources

• Amazon KDP Content Guidelines
• KDP Terms and Conditions
• Amazon KDP Royalty Changes 2025 - Dibbly
• KDP Cuts Print Royalties - Self Publishing Substack
• Amazon's New AI Guidelines for KDP - AMZ Sellers Attorney
• Ultimate Amazon KDP Keyword Rules 2025 Guide - KDPKIT
• Amazon's AI Disclosure Policy - Authors Guild
• KDP Royalty Changes - Honey House Press
• Amazon KDP Royalties 2025 Update - Automateed