NotaeLibrary
KDP rules, exclusivity obligations, content sharing limits, and how NotaeLibrary fits into your Amazon publishing strategy.
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon's self-publishing platform. Authors upload manuscripts and cover art; Amazon makes the book available for sale on Kindle (digital) and optionally as print-on-demand paperback or hardcover. You retain copyright of your work. KDP is free to use — Amazon earns a revenue share on each sale.
There are two publishing tracks:
| Track | Exclusivity | Revenue share (Kindle) | Key benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| KDP (standard) | None — publish anywhere | 35% (below $2.99 or above $9.99) · 70% ($2.99–$9.99) | Full freedom to publish on other platforms |
| KDP Select | Kindle exclusive for 90 days (auto-renewing) | 70% on qualifying titles + Kindle Unlimited page reads | Kindle Unlimited access + promotional tools (Free Days, Countdown Deals) |
You enrol individual titles into KDP Select — not your entire catalogue. You can have some books in Select and others not.
When you enrol a title in KDP Select, you agree to make the Kindle edition exclusively available through Amazon for the duration of each 90-day enrolment period. This is the single most important rule to understand.
The exclusivity applies to the digital edition only. It means the digital content of that book must not be available for sale, free download, or free reading anywhere else — including your own website, other retailers (Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, Barnes & Noble), subscription services, or any other platform.
KDP Select titles are automatically included in Kindle Unlimited — Amazon's subscription reading programme. You earn money from the Kindle Unlimited Global Fund based on pages read (KENPC — Kindle Edition Normalized Page Count). You do not receive the standard per-sale royalty for KU reads; you receive a per-page-read rate instead.
Amazon's KDP Select terms do not specify an exact word-count or percentage limit for excerpts. The operative phrase in the KDP Select terms is:
"…we ask that you not make the content available in digital format anywhere else during the term of your enrolment."
This means the full text must not be available digitally elsewhere. However, short excerpts for promotional purposes are generally accepted under the principle of fair use and Amazon's own promotional guidance. The commonly applied industry guideline:
| Content type | Generally safe | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short excerpt (up to ~10%) | ✓ Yes | For promotion, review, or editorial purposes. Not a free substitute for the full book. |
| Sample chapter (1–3 chapters) | ✓ Yes (with caution) | Amazon itself provides a Kindle sample of ~10–15% of the book. Sharing a similar sample on your own site is generally accepted. Do not make this freely downloadable as an ebook file. |
| Full book free on your site | ✗ No | Direct violation of KDP Select exclusivity. |
| Full book on another retailer (Apple, Kobo) | ✗ No | Direct violation. Amazon has terminated accounts for this. |
| Serialised partial content (ongoing) | ⚠ Use caution | Posting chapters serially on a blog or platform like Wattpad/Royal Road may violate exclusivity if the total approaches or exceeds the full text. |
| Print edition on other platforms | ✓ Yes | Exclusivity applies to digital only. IngramSpark paperback alongside KDP Select Kindle is fine. |
| Reading the book on your own YouTube/video | ✓ Limited | Short passages for review/commentary are fine. Full read-along videos likely violate the spirit of exclusivity. |
Even with a title in KDP Select, you can:
If your title is on KDP but not enrolled in KDP Select, you have full distribution freedom for the digital edition. You can:
You retain copyright regardless of Select status. KDP only licences Amazon the right to distribute — it does not transfer ownership of your work.
You can link directly to your Amazon book page (amazon.com/dp/ASIN) from anywhere without joining the Amazon Associates programme. No affiliate tag is required to link to your own books.
If you want to earn a commission on purchases made through your links, you can join Amazon Associates. Key rules:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Disclosure required | US law (FTC) and Amazon's own programme terms require you to disclose that links are affiliate links. Use text like: 'As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.' |
| No affiliate links in email | Amazon Associates prohibits affiliate links in email newsletters. Use a standard direct link in emails; only use affiliate tags on web pages. |
| No affiliate links in paid ads | You cannot use affiliate links in paid advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.). |
| No purchasing through your own link | You cannot use your own affiliate links to buy products. This includes gift cards. |
| Linking to your own books is permitted | Authors can use affiliate links to link to their own books — this is explicitly allowed. |
Set up your Author Central profile (separate from KDP). This gives you a consolidated author page on Amazon with your bio, photo, blog feed, and all your books listed together. It does not affect your KDP Select status.
When you import a KDP book into NotaeLibrary, we store the book's metadata (title, description, cover image, ASIN, Amazon URL) — not the book's content. Readers who discover your book here are directed to Amazon to purchase or borrow via Kindle Unlimited.
| Field | Stored by NotaeLibrary |
|---|---|
| Title | ✓ Yes |
| Author name | ✓ Yes |
| Description / blurb | ✓ Yes |
| Cover image URL | ✓ Yes (linked, not re-hosted by default) |
| ASIN | ✓ Yes |
| Amazon product URL | ✓ Yes |
| Price (if provided) | ✓ Yes |
| KDP Select status | ✓ Yes (informational only) |
| Kindle Unlimited status | ✓ Yes (displayed to readers) |
| Full book text | ✗ Never |
NotaeLibrary supports uploading sample chapters for your Amazon books — a non-downloadable reading preview. This is consistent with the promotional excerpt allowance described in Section 3. Samples should not exceed approximately 10% of the full text, and the sample experience drives readers to purchase on Amazon rather than substituting for it.
Before importing a KDP book or sharing content externally, run through this checklist:
Is your book in KDP Select?
Check your KDP bookshelf. If yes, read the Select rules before sharing digital content anywhere.
Are you sharing more than ~10% of the text externally?
If yes — and the book is in Select — you may be violating exclusivity. Reduce to an excerpt.
Is the full ebook available on another retailer?
If yes and the book is in Select, remove it immediately or opt out of Select before the next 90-day term.
Are you using affiliate links on a web page?
Add your FTC disclosure statement. Do not use affiliate links in email or paid ads.
Are you linking your book from NotaeLibrary?
Safe. NotaeLibrary stores metadata only — no content hosting, no exclusivity issue.
Are you uploading a sample chapter to NotaeLibrary?
Safe if ≤ 10% of the book and non-downloadable. Drives readers to Amazon.
Are you distributing ARCs?
Safe. One-to-one reviewer distribution is not retail distribution.
Selling print edition on IngramSpark?
Safe. KDP Select exclusivity applies to digital editions only.
Amazon, Kindle Direct Publishing, and Kindle Unlimited are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. This guide is informational and does not constitute legal advice. Consult Amazon's official KDP help centre and a qualified attorney for specific publishing decisions.