Amazon KDP in 2026: Still Worth It for Authors?

Amazon KDP is still the biggest name in self-publishing, but a lot has changed in 2026. In this deep dive, I break down the good and the bad of Kindle Direct Publishing, including KDP Select, ebook publishing, print books, royalties, support, and the biggest issues authors need to watch. Some parts of the platform still work well, while others have gotten harder to trust. Before you publish your next book through Amazon KDP, you need to see where the platform stands right now. Bestseller Book Launch Checklist - https://DaleLinks.com/Checklist How to Publish eBooks on KDP | Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners -    • How to Publish eBooks on KDP |  Step-by-St...   How to Publish Paperback & Hardcover Books on KDP | Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners -    • How to Publish Paperback & Hardcover Books...   Kindle Direct Publishing - https://kdp.amazon.com Amazon News: A look back at 10 years of the Amazon Kindle - https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devi... KDP Help: Learn more about audiobooks with virtual voice - https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/top... KDP Help: Beta: Kindle Translate - https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/top... Written Word Media: KDP Global Fund Payouts [Updated February 2026] - https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/kdp-... KDP Help: Beta: Audible audiobooks with virtual voice - https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/top... Amazon Advertising Academy - https://advertising.amazon.com/academy Amazon Author Central - https://author.amazon.com 🟡 Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp 🟣 Join Channel Memberships -    / @dalelroberts   🔵Join my Discord community - http://dalelinks.com/discord 🔥 Check out my podcast channel -    / @selfpubwithdale   📚 My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks 😇 Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. 0:00 Intro 0:55 What is Amazon KDP 4:20 Ebook Publishing 7:43 The KDP Select Program 10:56 Bestseller Book Launch Checklist 11:27 Ebook Royalties 13:41 Print Book Publishing 15:13 Paperback Publishing 19:16 Is Expanded Distribution worth it? 20:07 Hardcover Publishing 22:47 Print Book Royalties 25:01 Audiobook Publishing 27:11 Additional Features and Functions in KDP 27:28 What is the Marketing Tab? 27:52 KDP Select and Price Promotions 28:14 Amazon Advertising for books 28:48 What is Author Central? 29:43 What is A+ Content? 30:26 Nominate Your Ebooks 31:17 Community Tab 32:23 Contact Us 34:08 Payments and Reporting 35:41 The Pros and Cons of KDP 40:05 Watch How to Publish a Book on KDP Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! Dale L. Roberts