Exploring the Possibilities of Selling KDP Books on Etsy

Can You Sell KDP Books on Etsy?

KDP is an Amazon service, and as part of its terms, books printed through KDP are meant to be sold on Amazon if you are using their ISBN-provided barcode. It’s a bit like having an exclusive contract—they’re tied to the Amazon platform for distribution. If you provide your own ISBN barcode which you upload onto your book in the book-making process then you can also sell these books elsewhere. So, can you sell your KDP books on Etsy? The short answer is yes but not directly through the KDP platform. One would have to order Author copies of their books from Amazon and then ship them out individually to their customers who buy them on Etsy or other platforms.

Workarounds and Creative Solutions

There are also other ways to bring your books to Etsy without breaking any rules:

1. Use an Alternative Printer: Instead of KDP, you can work with other self-publishing services like Lulu, Blurb, or even local print shops. These platforms don’t restrict where you can sell your books, so you’re free to list them on Etsy.
2. Sell Digital Products: Etsy is a hub for digital downloads, so why not create and sell digital versions of your books? Just be sure the files weren’t created using KDP’s platform to avoid conflicts with their terms.
3. Offer Signed Copies: If you buy author copies of your book from KDP, you could personalize and sell them as signed editions on Etsy. This approach adds a unique, collectible value to your product.
4. Create Book-Related Merchandise: Expand your reach by designing and selling items inspired by your book, such as journals, bookmarks, or art prints.

Other Platforms to Explore

If you’re determined to stick with KDP, you’re not limited to Amazon alone. KDP lets you distribute your books widely to other online retailers like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo using their expanded distribution option which they do all the work for distributing it. But if Etsy is where you want to sell, using a non-KDP printer gives you that flexibility, or ordering author copies from KDP with your own ISBN barcode can also work.

The Bottom Line

While KDP doesn’t integrate with other selling platforms directly like Etsy, books can be sold on Etsy if one uses their own ISBN barcodes and sell their author copies or by exploring other printing options or selling digital products and merchandise, you can still carve out your niche on Etsy.

The world of self-publishing is full of opportunities—whether on Amazon, Etsy, or beyond.