Publica Now vs Amazon KDP
KDP gives you access to Amazon's massive audience. Publica Now gives you control: buyer email list, multi-format, no exclusivity, no arbitrary account terminations.
TL;DR — in 3 lines
Table built with data verified May 13, 2026. Sources are in each quote below.
| Supported formats | Publica Now | Amazon KDP |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 15% | Partial 35% / 70% |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Supported formats | books, music, photography, video, courses, zines, poetry, design | ebook, print_on_demand, audiobook_via_acx |
| Multi-format | Yes | No |
| Exclusivity required | No | KDP Select: 90 days |
| Email to your list | Yes | No |
| Content ownership | 100% creator-owned | Author-owned; reviews stay on Amazon |
| AI training opt-out | Explicit opt-out | Ambiguous |
KDP doesn't charge a commission; it pays a "royalty": 35% on ebooks outside the USD 2.99-9.99 range, 70% within that range if you're in KDP Select. Premium prices ($10+) drop back to 35%. Publica Now charges 15% + USD 0.50 flat: you keep 85% regardless of price. If your ebook costs USD 25, you earn more with Publica Now.
KDP Select forces 90-day exclusivity to access the 70% royalty and the Kindle Unlimited pool. ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors) estimates 60-70% of new authors enroll without understanding the lock-in. Publica Now: zero exclusivity. Sell here, on Kobo, on your own site, on Apple Books, simultaneously.
This is the most important long-term business difference: Amazon NEVER gives you the buyer's email. If you sold 10,000 books on Amazon, you can't email them about your next release. Publica Now gives you the complete, exportable email list. That means each sale builds your fan base for future sales.
Recurring reports on r/selfpublish describe account terminations with no explanation, royalties withheld for suspected fraud, no clear appeal process. Publica Now operates with an accessible human team and doesn't terminate accounts via algorithm — conflicts are resolved with real support.
Amazon's AI training policy is ambiguous and ALLi publicly asked for more transparency in March 2025. Publica Now has an explicit opt-out: creator work is not used to train AI models.
When Amazon KDP is the better choice
When Publica Now is the better choice
You sell an ebook at USD 15 to 100 people/month (USD 1,500 gross). On KDP, being outside the USD 2.99-9.99 range, royalty drops to 35%.
| Publica Now | Amazon KDP | |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty to author | 85% (15% commission + USD 0.50 flat) | 35% (outside premium range) |
| Platform fee | 15% × 1,500 = USD 225 | 65% × 1,500 = USD 975 |
| Transaction fees | USD 0.50 × 100 = USD 50 | Included |
| Total fees | USD 275 (18%) | USD 975 (65%) |
| You keep | USD 1,225 | USD 525 |
In this scenario Publica Now leaves you USD 700 more per month. And that's only the cash — you also get the emails of the 100 buyers for future sales, which Amazon never gives you.
Migration
What DOES transfer
What DOESN'T transfer
Complexity
Technically low (the file is yours) but high opportunity cost: you lose years of reviews and Amazon search ranking.
Estimated time
If in KDP Select: wait the 90 days or take the penalty. Publishing on another platform: 1-2 hours.
What creators say
Verbatim quotes from public reviews and creator communities in 2025-2026. Sources are linked.
My account was terminated with no explanation. 47 legitimate sales in a day flagged as "suspicious activity". Amazon kept all royalties. Zero response to appeals.
The KU page-read rate dropped 40% this month. Zero visibility into why.
60-70% of new authors enroll in KDP Select without understanding they become exclusive for 90 days.
Thursday: 23 sales. Friday: 19 returns. Made $0 that day. They came from the same ISP. Amazon won't investigate.
Creating your account is free. Upload your first work today, or let's talk first if you have specific questions.