Let’s take a moment to talk honestly about what you can really earn from publishing on Amazon KDP.
You’ve probably seen the YouTube videos or TikToks where people claim to make six figures a month from KDP. And yes, there are people out there doing that — but it’s not the norm. What you don’t usually see are the thousands of creators quietly earning smaller, steady amounts in the background. That’s where I see myself — the “average” publisher who creates books, uploads them, and lets Amazon do the selling.
I started publishing in April 2025. As of mid-February 2026, I’ve sold 752 books in total and earned £1,446.57 in royalties from both direct sales and Kindle Unlimited page reads.
That works out at roughly £140–£150 per month on average so far, and what I love most is that the numbers have continued to grow steadily over time.
Now, that’s not a full-time income, and it’s certainly not six figures — but it is proof that this works. And the best part? It’s passive.
Once a book is created and uploaded, it can continue earning money for you indefinitely. Some of my books sell regularly. Some barely sell at all. That’s completely normal. You won’t hit it out of the park with every title. But as your catalogue grows, those small trickles start adding up.
What’s really encouraging is seeing the upward trend. My earnings in Q4 were noticeably stronger as we got closer to Christmas, and overall the trajectory has been positive. That’s the power of stacking books over time.
So if you’re coming into KDP hoping for overnight success, this probably isn’t that. But if you like the idea of building a growing back catalogue of books that quietly earn in the background — and potentially snowball over time — then this is a genuinely exciting side hustle to explore.
My goal for 2026 is to grow these earnings to £10 per day, or an average of £300 per month.
