Comparison
KDP is a free upload tool for one store. AuthorOS is a full publishing service — editing, design, formatting, global distribution, marketing, and monthly intelligence across every platform.
KDP lets you upload files to Amazon. That is all it does. Here is what a real publishing service looks like compared to a self-service upload tool.
| Capability | Amazon KDP | AuthorOS |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Free self-publishing upload tool — you do everything, Amazon sells it | Full publishing service — raw manuscript to market, ongoing |
| Editing | Not offered — you hire and manage your own editors | Four editorial passes included — developmental, line, copy, proofread |
| Cover design | Free cover creator tool (template-based, limited) | Custom cover design (up to unlimited revisions at Empire) |
| Interior formatting | Basic Kindle Create tool — limited layout options | Professional interior formatting — 6"x9" standard, 7"x10" large print |
| Distribution | Amazon only — one store, one ecosystem | Global distribution — Amazon, Apple, Kobo, B&N, Google Play, Scribd, 240K+ libraries |
| Exclusivity | KDP Select locks ebook to Amazon for 90-day periods; heavily promoted | Non-exclusive always — never KDP Select, never locked to one platform |
| Audiobook | Separate platform (ACX) with its own contracts and revenue splits | Professional narration included (Professional+); voice cloning at Empire |
| Marketing | Not offered — you run your own Amazon Ads (self-serve, steep learning curve) | Launch marketing, Amazon ads, social content, email sequences — all included |
| Revenue retention | Author keeps 35–70% of ebook revenue depending on price; print takes larger cut after costs | Author keeps 85–97% of all revenue across every format and channel |
| Post-launch support | No support — dashboard access only, no guidance or optimization | AuthorOS intelligence monthly — performance, market data, ad optimization |
Common questions
Amazon KDP is a free self-publishing upload tool — you format your own book, upload it, and Amazon sells it on their store. AuthorOS from Smart Press Media is a full publishing service. We take your raw manuscript and handle editing, cover design, formatting, distribution across every platform (not just Amazon), marketing, and ongoing monthly intelligence. KDP is one store. AuthorOS is a publishing company working for you.
KDP is free to upload, but you do all the work yourself — editing, cover design, formatting, marketing, advertising. Most authors spend $3,000 to $10,000 hiring freelancers for those services anyway, with no coordination and no quality guarantee. AuthorOS packages everything into one service with professional standards, and distributes to every platform — not just Amazon.
If you enroll in KDP Select (which Amazon heavily promotes), your ebook is exclusive to Amazon for 90-day periods. AuthorOS never uses KDP Select. We distribute non-exclusively to Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Scribd, and 240,000+ libraries — so your book reaches readers everywhere, not just on one platform.
KDP takes 30% of ebook revenue at the 70% royalty tier (only available for $2.99–$9.99 pricing) and 65% at the 35% royalty tier. Print takes an even larger cut after printing costs. With AuthorOS, authors keep 85–97% of all revenue across every format and every distribution channel — ebook, print, audiobook, and screen adaptation royalties.
One manuscript. Full publishing service. Ongoing intelligence. Every format, every channel — handled.
Begin with AuthorOS