KDP Publishing Glossary
The ultimate dictionary for self-publishers. Master the language of Amazon KDP.
A+ Content
Enhanced product descriptions available to brand-registered sellers and KDP authors, allowing rich media like comparison charts, images, and formatted text to boost conversion rates.
ABSR (Amazon Best Seller Rank)
A number assigned by Amazon that indicates how well a book is selling relative to other books in the Kindle Store or Print Store. Lower rank = higher sales.
ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sales)
A metric used in Amazon Ads that represents the percentage of attributed sales spent on advertising. Formula: Ad Spend ÷ Sales × 100.
Also-Boughts
The 'Customers who bought this item also bought' section on Amazon product pages. A key discovery mechanism driven by purchase correlation algorithms.
ARC (Advance Review Copy)
A free copy of a book provided to readers before the official launch in exchange for an honest review.
ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number)
A unique 10-character alphanumeric identifier assigned by Amazon for product identification.
Back Matter
Content at the end of a book, typically including: acknowledgments, author bio, other books by the author, and a call-to-action for reviews or mailing list signup.
Bestseller Badge
An orange ribbon displayed on Amazon when a book reaches #1 in any category. Significant social proof that can dramatically increase click-through rates.
BISAC Code
Book Industry Standards and Communications code. A standardized category system used by publishers and retailers to classify books by subject matter.
Bleed
A printing term for when images or elements on a page touch the edge, extending beyond the trim line to ensure no white edges after cutting.
Blurb
The short marketing description on your book's product page. Typically 150-200 words designed to hook readers and drive purchases.
Box Set
A bundle of multiple books (usually a series) sold together at a discounted price. Creates a new ASIN and fresh 'New Release' ranking opportunity.
Category Hub
A collection of related categories on Amazon where books are grouped for discovery.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click on your book after seeing it in search results. Affected by cover, title, and price visibility.
Conversion Rate
The percentage of product page visitors who actually purchase. Industry average for books is 10-15%. Great covers and descriptions push this higher.
Copyright Page
A page near the front of a book containing legal information: copyright notice, ISBN, edition info, and disclaimers.
CPC (Cost Per Click)
The amount you pay each time someone clicks your Amazon ad. Varies by keyword competitiveness, typically $0.15-$1.00+.
Delivery Fee
A charge Amazon deducts from 70% royalty ebooks based on file size ($0.15 per MB). Larger files with images cost more in fees.
DRM (Digital Rights Management)
Copy protection technology that prevents readers from sharing purchased ebooks. Optional on KDP; most indie authors leave it off.
Ebook
A digital book format readable on Kindle devices and apps. KDP ebooks use .mobi or .epub formats internally.
Expanded Distribution
An Amazon program that allows a paperback to be sold by other retailers, libraries, and distributors. Reduces royalty by ~20%.
Front Matter
Content at the beginning of a book before Chapter 1: title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, foreword, etc.
Gutter
The inside margin of a book page, closest to the spine. Needs extra space on thicker books so text isn't hidden in the binding.
Hardcover
A book with a rigid cover, available on KDP in case laminate and dust jacket options. Premium format with higher perceived value.
Impressions
The number of times your book or ad is displayed to potential customers. High impressions with low clicks suggest cover/title issues.
ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
A 13-digit identifier for books. KDP provides free ISBNs, or you can purchase your own for broader distribution.
KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Amazon's self-publishing platform for ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers. Free to use with royalties paid monthly.
KDP Select
A 90-day program that gives Amazon exclusive rights to sell your ebook in exchange for KU participation and marketing tools like Countdown Deals.
KENP (Kindle Edition Normalized Pages)
The standardized page count Amazon uses to calculate Kindle Unlimited (KU) payouts. Different from physical page count.
Keyword
Search terms readers use to find books. KDP allows 7 backend keyword phrases (50 chars each) plus your title and description.
Kindle Countdown Deal
A promotional tool (KDP Select only) that discounts your ebook with a visible 'time remaining' countdown. Maintains 70% royalty during promotion.
Kindle Unlimited (KU)
Amazon's ebook subscription service. Readers pay $11.99/month for unlimited reads; authors are paid per page read from a global fund.
Launch Week
The first 7 days after publishing when Amazon gives new releases extra algorithmic visibility. Critical window for generating sales velocity.
List Price
The retail price you set for your book. Determines royalty calculations and perceived value positioning.
Look Inside
Amazon's preview feature showing the first 10% of a book. Your best sales tool—if the opening doesn't hook, browsers won't buy.
Low-Content Book
Books with minimal written content: journals, planners, coloring books, notebooks. Quick to create but highly competitive on KDP.
LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing)
A search engine concept where related terms and synonyms are used to determine content relevance. Include variations of your keywords.
Metadata
The backend information of your book, including title, subtitle, author name, description, and the 7 search keywords.
Niche
A specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of book.
Page Read
In Kindle Unlimited, a single normalized page read by a subscriber. Authors earn approximately $0.0045-$0.0050 per page read.
Paperback
A book with a flexible paper cover. Most popular print format on KDP. Cream or white paper, various trim sizes available.
PFH (Per Finished Hour)
The pricing model for audiobook narration on ACX. Narrators charge $150-$400+ per finished hour of audio.
Pre-Order
Publishing a book for sale before the release date. Builds anticipation and consolidates launch-day sales for ranking purposes.
Print on Demand (POD)
A manufacturing technology where book copies are not printed until an order is received. No inventory risk for authors.
Quality Notification
An email from KDP alerting you to issues with your book (typos, formatting errors). Must be resolved to maintain good account standing.
Read-Through Rate
The percentage of readers who finish Book 1 and purchase Book 2 in a series. Critical metric for series profitability.
Royalty
The amount of profit an author receives from each book sale after Amazon takes its cut and printing costs.
Sales Rank
See ABSR. A real-time ranking updated hourly based on recent sales velocity compared to other books.
Series Page
An Amazon page grouping all books in a series, showing reading order. Critical for read-through. Created via series metadata.
Spine Width
The thickness of a book's spine, determined by page count and paper type. Minimum 100 pages for readable spine text.
Subtitle
Secondary title text that expands on the main title. Prime keyword real estate—use it for SEO, not just description.
Trim Size
The physical dimensions of a printed book page. Common sizes: 5×8, 5.5×8.5, 6×9, 8.5×11 inches.
TRMS (Trademark)
A recognizable sign, design, or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source.
Wide Distribution
A publishing strategy where an ebook is sold on multiple platforms (Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble) rather than exclusively on Amazon.
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