Step-by-Step Guide: How To Make Your Book Free on Amazon KDP
At Aspiring Writer Academy, we believe all authors can aspire to take their writing to the next level. If you're a new author or looking to expand your readership, using Amazon KDP's free book promotion tool is a powerful way to gain readers, increase visibility, and boost your book sales. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to make your book free on Amazon KDP, leveraging their promotional tools to help you grow your author career.
What is a KDP Free Book Promotion?
When you self-publish on Amazon, getting your book in front of readers can feel like a big task. That’s where Amazon’s KDP Free Book Promotion comes in, offering a simple but powerful way to boost your book’s visibility. Here’s how it works: if you enroll your book in KDP Select, you agree to keep it exclusive to Amazon for 90 days. In exchange, you gain access to special promotional tools and the opportunity to reach Kindle Unlimited subscribers, earning royalties for each page they read.
Amazon has two cool promotional options you can use when enrolled in KDP Select: the Kindle Countdown Deal and the 5-Day Free Promotion. You can pick one to run during your 90-day exclusivity period, but you can’t do both at the same time.
One of the standout perks of KDP Select is the 5-Day Free Book Promotion. This allows you to offer your book for free on Amazon for up to five days during your 90-day exclusivity period. You pick the dates, and during those days, your book will be available for readers to download at no cost. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can still read it as part of their membership, so you’ll continue to earn royalties from those readers even while your book is free for others.
And here’s a handy tip: you don’t have to run all five days consecutively! You can split them up however you like—maybe run three days at the beginning of the month and then the last two later on. This flexibility allows you to time your promotion for maximum impact!
Why Use KDP Free Book Promotions?
You might be asking yourself, "Why should I offer my book for free on Amazon KDP? Isn’t the goal to make money from my book?" While making money is obviously a priority, offering your book for free can be a game-changer for building visibility and attracting new readers. It’s not just about giving your book away—it’s about using the free promotion as a strategic tool to reach a much larger audience. Many Kindle users actively seek out free books, which means this promotion puts your work in front of readers who might not have discovered it otherwise.
Even better, Amazon’s recommendation system doesn’t distinguish between paid and free downloads. So, the more people who download your book, the more likely it is to climb Amazon’s rankings and appear in recommendation lists, like “Customers Also Bought” or “Recommended For You.” This increased visibility can drive even more downloads during the promotion and keep your book on readers’ radar long after the promo ends.
Free book promotions can be especially powerful if you have a series or a backlist of titles. When readers enjoy a complimentary book, they’re more likely to seek out your other works, which can lead to a significant uptick in sales across your entire catalog. This strategy also builds anticipation for your next release, helping to expand your audience and generate buzz before your new book hits the shelves.
So, is KDP’s free promotion even worth it?
Absolutely! Offering your eBook for free on Amazon KDP is one of the most effective ways to reach a wider audience. Here’s why:
1. Increased Visibility – Running a free book promotion significantly boosts your book’s visibility on Amazon. When your book is available for free, it’s more likely to attract attention from readers who are browsing for their next read. Free books often get downloaded in large numbers, which can lead to a quick rise in Amazon’s free book rankings. This increase in downloads helps your book appear higher in relevant search results and category rankings, making it easier for readers to find your work.
Additionally, during the promotion, your book may be featured in Amazon’s “Top Free” charts, which exposes it to a much wider audience. As a result, even readers who didn’t initially know about your book can discover it organically, leading to more downloads, reviews, and long-term visibility—even after your promotion ends. Many authors experience increased book sales after their free promotion ends because the surge in downloads boosts the book's visibility in Amazon's algorithm, keeping it more prominent to potential readers even once it's back to its regular price.
2. New Readers – Offering your book for free opens the door to readers who might not have discovered your work otherwise. By removing the price barrier, you encourage people to take a chance on your book, especially those who may be hesitant to buy a new author’s work. Free promotions allow you to reach a wider and more diverse audience, including readers who wouldn’t typically purchase books in your genre or who are simply browsing for a new read without a financial commitment.
This can be particularly helpful for newer authors looking to build an audience or for those launching a new series. Readers who enjoy your free book are more likely to follow you, purchase your other works, and even leave reviews, helping you expand your readership and build long-term fans.
3. More Reviews – Free books = more downloads, and more downloads = more chances for reviews! When you run a free promotion, you open the floodgates for new readers to check out your book, and many of them will want to share their thoughts. Since there’s no cost involved, readers are often more willing to try something new and leave honest feedback.
These reviews are like gold when it comes to building social proof. The more reviews you get, the more trust your book builds with future readers. One of the top marketing tips for authors is get more reviews for your book! A bunch of good reviews can help your book stand out from the sea of books, boost your Amazon ranking, and keep the momentum going even after the promotion ends. It’s a win-win!
4. Boost in Sales –Running a successful free promotion can do wonders for your book’s sales once the promotion wraps up. Here’s why: all those free downloads help your book gain traction, boosting its visibility and ranking in the Amazon algorithm. That momentum doesn’t just vanish when the promotion ends—it often carries over, making your book more likely to be seen by paying customers.
But here’s the best part: this boost in visibility doesn’t just help your free book. If your book is part of a series, a free promotion can entice readers to buy the next book (or two) in the series. Or, if you have a backlist of other titles, new readers who enjoyed the free book might check out your previous work as well.
It’s also a great strategy if you’re planning to release a new book soon. A successful free promotion can grow your audience, and they’ll be eager to see what’s coming next. In short, a well-timed free promotion can lead to increased sales across the board!
Now that you know the benefits, let’s dive into the step-by-step guide on how to make your book free on Amazon KDP.
Step 1: Enroll in KDP Select
To make your book free on Amazon, it must be enrolled in KDP Select. KDP Select is a program that gives Amazon exclusive rights to sell your eBook for 90 days. While you won’t be able to distribute your eBook on other platforms during this time, you gain access to promotional tools, including the free book promotion feature.
1. Log in to your Amazon KDP account.
2. Head over to your Bookshelf and find the book you want to enroll. Click on the ellipsis button (“…”) next to the Kindle eBook you want to enroll. This will bring up a drop-down menu. Select “Enroll in KDP Select” from the list, and when a pop-up appears, just hit “Enroll” to complete the process.
Another option is to go to the top of your screen and hover over the Marketing tab. From there, scroll to KDP Select and select the “Enroll an eBook” button. Pick the book you want to enroll, click “Continue,” and then confirm by clicking “Enroll.”
Step 2: Schedule a Free Book Promotion
Once your book is enrolled in KDP Select, you can set up a free promotion.
1. In your Bookshelf, find your book and click on the Promote and Advertise button next to it.
Under the Run a Price Promotion section, choose Free Book Promotion.
Another option is to go to the top of the site and click on the Marketing tab. From there, scroll down to “Run a Price Promotion” and select “Free Book Promotion” under the Kindle Countdown Deals. Finally, click the yellow “Create a Free Book Promotion” button to get started.
Next, you’ll need to choose the start and end dates for your promotion. After selecting your start and end dates, simply click “Save” to finalize your choices.
You can offer your book for free for up to 5 days during each 90-day KDP Select enrollment period. You have the flexibility to use these days consecutively or break them up however you prefer. For example, you could run a 2-day promotion followed by a 3-day promotion later.
If you choose to split the days instead of using all 5 consecutively, first select your initial set of dates, enter your desired start and end dates, and click “Save.” Just be sure to avoid scheduling your promotion to end on the final day of your KDP Select term. After saving your changes, you can then set up a separate free book promotion for the remaining days to total 5 days of free promotion across different time periods.
Step 3: Promote Your Free Book
Now that your book is scheduled for a free promotion, it’s time to spread the word! Here are a few strategies to make the most of your promotion:
- Author Newsletter – If you have an email list, this is the perfect opportunity to send out a special announcement. Highlight the limited-time nature of your free offer and encourage subscribers to grab their copy. Don’t forget to ask them to leave a review! If you're not already using email to reach readers, check out our blog post "Why Authors Need an Email Newsletter" for insights, and be sure to read "What to Include in Your Author Newsletter" to make your emails even more engaging!
- Social Media – Share your promotion across all your social media channels. Be sure to craft engaging posts that invite your followers to download, read, and review your book. Use eye-catching graphics and relevant hashtags to boost visibility.
- Author Website/Blog – If you have a website or blog, this is a great chance to create a dedicated post or announcement about your free promotion. Share your excitement, include a direct link to your book, and encourage visitors to explore your other works. For more insights on how to leverage your site effectively, check out our blog post "An Author Website is Your Ultimate Marketing Tool: Discover Why"—it’s packed with tips to maximize your online presence!
- Cross-Promote with Other Authors – Connect with fellow authors, especially if they write in the same genre, and offer to cross-promote each other’s free book promotions. It’s a win-win for both of you, as you’ll reach new readers through their audience.
- Book Promotion Sites – Submit your book to websites that specialize in promoting free eBooks. Platforms like Freebooksy, BookBub, and Kindle Nation Daily have large audiences eager to discover free reads, helping you reach readers you might not otherwise.
- Book Bloggers – Contact book bloggers who review free books and ask if they’d be interested in reviewing yours. Not only can this increase your reviews, but their followers may also pick up your book and help spread the word.
- Engage in Online Reader Communities – Join forums, Facebook groups, or subreddits where readers discuss books in your genre. Be sure to follow the community’s rules about self-promotion, but when appropriate, share your free book offer with potential readers.
- Paid Advertising – Consider running ads on platforms like Facebook to promote your free book. Even a small budget can help put your book in front of more eyes, particularly in niche reader groups.
- Friends and Family – Don’t forget to ask your inner circle to download your book and share the news with their networks. Word-of-mouth is still a powerful tool!
- Local Community or Library – If relevant, reach out to your local library or community groups to let them know about your free book promotion. Many libraries support local authors and might help promote your book.
By combining these methods, you’ll give your free book promotion the best chance to attract new readers, gather reviews, and increase visibility.
Step 4: Track and Analyze Your Results
Once your promotion is over, it’s important to track the results. You can find detailed information in your KDP Reports section, where you can view the number of downloads, royalties earned (if you have pages read through Kindle Unlimited), and how your book ranks in Amazon’s free categories.
Take note of:
- How many free copies were downloaded.
- Any increase in book reviews after the promotion.
- If there was a sales boost once the book returned to its regular price.
This data will help you understand how effective your free promotion was and whether it’s something you’d like to do again in the future.
Step 5: Leverage Your Results to Boost Future Sales
A well-executed free promotion can lead to long-term success. After your promotion, use the reviews, new readers, and increased visibility to continue promoting your book. Here are some ideas:
- Update your Book Description – Highlight any positive reviews or achievements gained during the promotion.
- Plan a Paid Promotion – After building your audience with a free promotion, consider running a discounted price or a paid promotion to capitalize on the momentum.
- Engage with New Readers – Reach out to readers who left reviews or shared your book, thanking them for their support. Building relationships with your readers can turn them into lifelong fans.
Using Amazon KDP’s free book promotion is a fantastic tool for authors aspiring to take their writing career to the next level. It not only helps you reach more readers but also opens up opportunities to gain reviews, increase sales, and grow your author platform. Giving away free books is an amazing way to gain more book reviews for your published books and help you gain more of a following to help you with your next book release.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the comments section below – we’d love to hear from you!
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Ready to dive deeper into self-publishing and book marketing? Check out our other resources on promoting your book, creating an author platform, and more!
Amazon KDP for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing
How to Write a Subtitle That Sells Your Book: Self-Publishing Success
Biggest Self-Publishing Mistakes New Authors Make
What Authors Need to Know About ISBN Numbers Before Self-Publishing
Pros & Cons of Traditional vs. Self-Publishing Fiction
The Ultimate Guide to Using ChatGPT for Book Title Inspiration
An Author Website is Your Ultimate Marketing Tool: Here’s Why
How To Plan an Amazing Children’s Book Launch Party
What to Include in Your Author Newsletter
Why Authors Need an Email Newsletter
How to Create Bookmarks for GotPrint in Adobe Photoshop
How to Make a YouTube Banner (Adobe Photoshop Channel Art Tutorial with Free Template)
Author Chats: Kate Breslin & Book Launch Promotion
How to Upload and Order Bookmarks on GotPrint
How To Create a YouTube Channel To Promote Your Writing
23 of the Best Free Stock Photo Sites Every Writer Should Be Using
The Ultimate Book Signing Checklist: What to Bring to Your First Book Signing
Fiction Writing: How to Write a Back Cover Blurb that Sells
Samantha Panzera is an adventurous travel blogger, graphic designer, and multi-media business entrepreneur who uses the experience she’s gained over the years to teach aspiring writers the skills they need to build an author platform and take their careers to the next level.
