Can you actually make money self-publishing?

It is possible to make money by self-publishing, but selling books and actually making a profit are not the same. How much you earn depends on your royalties, production and promotion costs, and the time you invest. Even after publishing, your book still needs readers.

I spent three years self-publishing with Amazon KDP. For me, it was hard to sell enough books without paying for ads regularly. Waiting for royalties to arrive in my bank account was another challenge. This is just my experience—other authors may have different results or not need paid ads.

So, what does it really mean to make money from a book?

First, break things down into three numbers: what the reader pays, the royalty you receive, and what is left after your expenses. If a book sells for £10, you do not get to keep all £10.

For KDP paperbacks sold through Amazon, royalties are usually 50% or 60%, depending on the price and marketplace, and printing costs are taken out after that. You can check your own book’s format and price using Amazon’s royalty guidance and calculator. eBooks have a different royalty calculation.

Next, include costs like editing, cover design, proof copies, software, and any promotion you pay for. Keep track of your time too, even if you do not pay yourself by the hour. This helps you see if your project is meeting your financial and personal goals.

A simple profit example

Let’s say you make £3 from each book sold after the platform takes its share. If you sell 100 copies, you’ll earn £300 in royalties. If you spend £180 on ads and £40 on other costs during that time, you’ll have £80 left before tax and before paying back what you spent to produce the book.

If you paid £400 for the cover and editing, the £80 left over hasn’t covered your original costs yet. These numbers are just examples to show how the calculation works—they aren’t typical sales, costs, or earnings.

Each month, keep a simple record of your royalties earned, the money you actually receive, your ad spending, other costs, and the hours you worked. It’s especially helpful with KDP to track what you’ve earned separately from what you’ve received.

Why the wait for KDP payments matters

Amazon pays regular KDP royalties about 60 days after the month when the sale was reported, and 90 days for Expanded Distribution. For example, royalties from January are usually paid at the end of March. Payment thresholds and bank processing times can also affect when the money arrives. Check KDP’s payment schedule for details.

This is why it can feel like you’re waiting three months to get paid for a sale made early in the month. In the meantime, you might already have to pay for ads or other bills. Money listed in your report isn’t available to spend yet.

Set a spending limit you’re comfortable with while you wait for payments. Don’t assume that putting more money into a campaign will always make it profitable.

Can you sell books without paying for ads?

Paid ads are just one way to promote a book, but they are not required. Amazon also suggests using email, websites, and other ways to reach readers. People might find your book through helpful content, recommendations, your existing audience, or events that relate to your topic.

These methods still require effort, and none can promise sales. It helps to first check if your cover, description, and sample fit the readers you want. Getting more visitors will not fix a mismatch between your book and its audience.

The lesson I took from three years of publishing

In my experience, writing made up about 25% of the work, while marketing took the other 75%. This is just how it felt to me, not an official industry number. Finishing the manuscript was a big step, but figuring out how to reach readers turned out to be a much bigger part of the process than I thought.

If you see yourself facing this challenge, try to figure out what you need to learn next before starting another book. Do you need to explain your book’s benefits better, find the right readers, improve your sales page, or choose which promotional activity is worth your time?

Where Passion Over Profits fits

POP may interest a self-publisher who wants to explore broader digital marketing skills and selling digital products. The provider describes training, community support and a product with resale rights. It is not a specialist KDP advertising service, and buying it will not shorten Amazon’s payment schedule or guarantee more book sales.

You can keep writing while considering another model. Our guide explains the distinction between affiliate commissions and resale rights, the listed US$997 price and the practical questions to ask.

Explore Passion Over Profits: what’s included, how the model works and whether it fits your goals

Frequently asked questions

Does self-publishing provide passive income?

A book can continue selling after publication, but production, promotion and maintenance still take work. Whether it earns anything consistently depends on demand and other factors.

Should I stop publishing if one book earns very little?

One result does not answer every question. Review the audience, costs and purpose of the book. Continue, revise or pause because of what you learn, rather than because you have already spent money.

Can affiliate marketing fix a cash-flow problem?

Do not assume so. Affiliate programmes have their own payment schedules, qualification rules and possible reversals. Compare the actual terms before treating a new model as faster income.

Written from Silviya’s three years of KDP experience. Linked Amazon guidance checked on 25 September 2026.

Continue the self-publishing series

Explore the difference between self-publishing and affiliate marketing, with links to all seven articles on choosing a model, managing the workload and making a realistic plan.