KDP or Kindle Direct Publishing provides excellent flexibility for small-time writers who are just starting out. Because with KDP, anyone can publish on Amazon, without having to worry about other hassles that come with publishing a book.
One such obligation is to acquire an LLC (Limited Liability Company) for your brand name if you want to publish it yourself. That begs the question, do I need a business license for KDP?
The answer is no. To publish your book on KDP, you don’t need to acquire any sort of license. You just complete the manuscript and publish your book, it’s as simple as that.
Why You Don’t Need a Business License for KDP
To understand why you don’t need a business license for KDS, you first need to understand why you need an LLC for publishing books in the first place. You see when you are publishing under a publishing house, the house has acquired its own LLC for publishing rights. So, a writer who is publishing his or her book under a publisher’s name or publishing house, or doesn’t need to get a license.
They do have to get an LLC if they want to publish their book independently.
Similarly, when you are publishing under Kindle Direct Publishing, you are not the publisher. Amazon is the publisher and the seller of your book. So, you don’t need any licensing, rather Amazon does.
How KDP Pays You
So KDP doesn’t pay you as the sole author of the book, which you are of course. Rather they pay you as an independent contractor.
That applies to the paperback and hardback options too, when selling via Amazon. As you don’t need a license to sell most things online, including books, you will be paid as you would when selling digital copies of your books.
Should You Get a Business License for KDP?
So, we’ve established that you don’t need a license for KDP. But you should consider getting it if you want to sell hard copies yourself, and not via Amazon. This can come particularly handy when you are carrying stacks of books to sell personally.
The same goes for your own websites as well. If you want to sell your books, be they digital or printed copies, on your own website or eCommerce store, you need to get a license.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Do I need a business to self publish a book?
If by self-publish you mean you want to publish your book on your own and sell it on your personal platform, then yes, you need to have a registered business. However, for publishing on popular publishing platforms, you don’t need one.
Is KDP considered self publishing?
KDP is considered self-publishing in a non-business sense. However, you are actually publishing under Amazon KDP.
Can I sell products without registering as a company?
Yes, you can sell products without registering as a company. But you can do it only on eCommerce platforms.
Do I need to copyright my book before publishing it on Kindle?
As soon as you publish your book on Kindle, your book is protected by the intellectual property law. So no, you don’t need to copyright it separately.
Conclusion
Enjoy your publishing journey on KDP. It is a great platform to publish your books without worrying about licensing your brand name. Do remember that, you still need to file your taxes. But without a license, you’ll need to show your profit as you do with regular bank interests. Hope we were able to help. Good luck with your publishing ventures.