European Alternatives to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Looking for a European alternative to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing? KDP's terms name several Amazon parties, among them Amazon.com Services LLC and Amazon Media EU S.à r.l., and state that the laws of the state of Washington apply, with disputes going to binding arbitration. Its eBook royalty page offers a 35% and a 70% option, and a title enrolled in KDP Select must be exclusive to Amazon in digital form.
The European platforms below cover the same ground in different ways: BoD Books on Demand, epubli and tredition for the German book trade, tolino media for e-books in the tolino shops, Bookmundo and Brave New Books in the Netherlands, and Bookelis and Librinova in France.
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10 European Alternatives to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
BoD Books on Demand
Hamburg print-on-demand house with fixed one-off publishing packages
tolino media
Self-publishing arm of the German tolino bookseller alliance
epubli
Berlin platform that publishes books free and keeps 30% of net
tredition
Family-run German platform with a quality check on every book
Bookmundo
Rotterdam print-on-demand platform without exclusivity or setup fees
Bookelis
French free publishing platform with optional Hachette Livre distribution
Librinova
Paris service with paid publishing packs and a path to publishers
Brave New Books
Dutch self-publishing site with a free platform and optional editing
Publit
Stockholm platform charging commission per sale instead of a package fee
Bookvault
Peterborough book printer with direct-sales store integrations
Key takeaways
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is contracted with several Amazon parties, including Amazon.com Services LLC and Amazon Media EU S.à r.l., and the terms apply the laws of the state of Washington.
- KDP disputes go to binding arbitration, with small claims in the United States as the only court route named in section 10.1.
- A title in KDP Select must be sold digitally through Amazon only, in 90-day periods.
- KDP pays royalties approximately 60 days after the end of the calendar month of the sale, while Bookmundo and Brave New Books pay monthly.
- Bookvault is the only platform on this page outside the EU, printing in Peterborough in the United Kingdom.
Why people leave Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, KDP for short, is the self-publishing service of Amazon, based in Seattle. An author uploads a manuscript and a cover, picks a price, and the book appears in the Kindle store or as a paperback printed after an order. For a first book that is a very short road from file to listing, and the reason most authors never compare it with anything.
The contract behind that road is worth reading once. The KDP terms, last updated on 21 October 2026, are not signed with one company but with "each Amazon party", a list that starts with Amazon.com Services LLC and Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. The terms say the laws of the state of Washington apply and that disputes go to binding arbitration, with small claims in the United States as the only court exception.
For an author in Europe that adds up to a publisher who sells to European readers but whose rules are written and settled elsewhere. Some authors accept that and some look for a platform that is contracted under German, Dutch, French or Swedish law, pays in euros or kroner, and does not ask them to tie a title to a single shop. The platforms below are those platforms.
- The exclusivity attached to KDP Select KDP Select is free to join and runs in periods of 90 days. In return, the digital edition of the enrolled title has to be sold through Amazon alone. An author who enrols the e-book cannot also list it at Tolino shops or at a Dutch webshop during those 90 days. Bookmundo states the opposite promise, no exclusivity on titles, which makes the choice between the two a matter of where your readers actually buy.
- Payment arrives about two months late Section 5.4.2 of the terms says each Amazon party pays royalties approximately 60 days after the end of the calendar month in which the sales were made. A copy sold on 2 March is therefore paid around the start of May. Among the European platforms, tolino media sends monthly statements, Bookmundo and Brave New Books pay monthly, and BoD pays quarterly, so the gap is not unique but the exact wording differs.
- Amazon can close the account at any time The agreement runs until Amazon or the author ends it, and Amazon may terminate or suspend a KDP account "at any time" when it has concerns about the account or its activity. The terms add that an author terminated for breaching the content guidelines forfeits royalties not yet paid. Brave New Books, by contrast, lets an author cancel at any time with rights retained, which is the only thing an author needs to compare.
- The rules can change under your title Changes to most terms take effect on the day Amazon posts or sends them, and an author who disagrees has to withdraw the books and stop using the program. Royalty terms and the grant of rights get a longer notice by two or more channels, but the same exit applies. The licence an author gives Amazon is described as nonexclusive and irrevocable for the term of the agreement.
What you have to replace, not just match
Replacing KDP means replacing three things, not one. The first is the shop: Kindle readers will not find a title on a platform that does not ship to Kindle, and not every European service says it does. Bookmundo names Kobo and Amazon among its channels, Bookelis names Kindle, Kobo and iBooks for e-books, and tolino media feeds the German tolino shops. Check that your target store is on the list before you move.
The second is the print side. KDP prints paperbacks and hardcovers after an order and offers ISBNs. BoD, epubli, tredition, Bookmundo, Brave New Books, Publit and Bookvault all print from a single copy, but their layouts, trim sizes and cover templates differ from the KDP ones, so the cover file for a KDP paperback is rarely accepted as it is. Plan a day for new cover files and a proof copy per title.
The third is the money rule. KDP lets an author choose a 35% or 70% royalty on e-books, with delivery costs deducted on the 70% option and 35% applying in territories outside the 70% list.
The European platforms describe earnings in other ways: an 87% band at tolino media, a 70% share of net revenue at epubli, 15% or 45% commission examples at tredition, commissions of 10% to 20% at Publit. None of these numbers compare one to one, so run your own title through each calculator.
The alternatives compared
| Position | Tool | Headquarters | Pricing | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | BoD Books on Demand | Hamburg, Germany | Print: 0 euro one-off, printing from 2.05 euro per copy; Publish: 39 euro one-off including ISBN; Publish Plus: 299 euro; Publish Premium: 699 euro | EU (Germany) |
| #2 | tolino media | Munich, Germany | E-books free; print book basic fee 18.90 euro per book project; test prints without a basic fee | EU (Germany) |
| #3 | epubli | Berlin, Germany | Publishing free; print example 7.39 euro per copy for a 200-page pocketbook; shipping 2.95 euro in Germany and 9.95 euro abroad | EU (Germany) |
| #4 | tredition | Ahrensburg, Germany | Publishing free over the book's lifetime; paid upgrade services optional; commission example 3.52 euro in bookshops and 10.50 euro in own shop for a 24.99 euro hardcover | EU (Germany) |
| #5 | Bookmundo | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Publishing free of charge, no upfront fees; royalty rates and price calculator on the site | EU (Netherlands) |
| #6 | Bookelis | Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, France | Publication free; author copy discounts from -5% at 5 copies; paperback unit cost from 8.01 euro incl. VAT in the cost example; Hachette packs as paid subscriptions | EU (France) |
| #7 | Librinova | Paris, France | Digital packs from 75 euro; digital and paper packs from 229 euro; free publication for authors under 26 | EU (France) |
| #8 | Brave New Books | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Platform use free; ISBN barcode 12.75 euro one-off for retail channels; paid editing and layout on request | EU (Netherlands) |
| #9 | Publit | Stockholm, Sweden | Print on demand and e-books 0 SEK per month, 10% commission on bookshop distribution, 20% on own online stores; streaming and libraries from 495 SEK per month; warehouse 1,395 SEK per month (prices excl. VAT) | EU (Sweden) |
| #10 | Bookvault | Peterborough, United Kingdom | Paperback from 1.17 GBP; hardback from 3.82 GBP; MyBookvault free with 19.95 GBP title set-up fee; Indie 24.95 GBP per month; Pro 89.95 GBP per month | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
How each alternative compares to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Best for: German-language authors who prefer paying a visible package price to a share taken from every sale.
BoD Books on Demand, based in Hamburg, replaces the uncertain part of KDP, which is what you will keep after each sale, with a price list. Print costs 0 euro to set up with printing from 2.05 euro a copy, Publish costs 39 euro with ISBN, Publish Plus 299 euro and Publish Premium 699 euro. Against KDP, the author knows the entry cost before upload.
The trade-off is that you pay per title, whereas KDP asks nothing to list a book. The page also does not print a royalty percentage, and payments come every quarter, not about two months after each month as at KDP. For a German author who wants shop listings in more than 6,000 outlets named by BoD, those costs buy a lot of reach.
What BoD Books on Demand does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Package prices from 0 to 699 euro are public on one page
- Printing takes place in Germany, not at an Amazon facility
- ISBN and pseudonym imprint are part of the Publish tiers
- Audiobook, coaching and design sit in the same account
Where BoD Books on Demand is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- A one-off fee per book, which KDP does not ask
- Quarterly payouts instead of a monthly cycle
- No Kindle-store audience attached
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. BoD is the only platform here that sells a pseudonym imprint service.
Best for: German authors whose readers use Thalia, Hugendubel and other tolino alliance shops rather than Kindle.
tolino media, from Munich, sets the alliance of German bookshops against the Kindle store. E-book publishing is free, the royalty band is 87% for prices between 3.99 and 24.98 euro, and statements come monthly. On KDP the comparable choice is 70% minus delivery costs, so the tolino band looks higher on paper for a book priced inside its window.
The window matters. Outside the 3.99 to 24.98 euro band, the royalty falls to 67%, and print books cost a flat 18.90 euro per book project with royalties that depend on the format. Support is by email only. An author who sells mostly to Kindle readers loses that audience by choosing tolino media alone, so most authors combine the two.
What tolino media does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Monthly statements against a payout about 60 days after the month closes
- An 87% band inside the price window
- Test prints without a basic fee
- Exclusivity is not tied to a promotional program
Where tolino media is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- No Kindle audience at all
- German-language market focus
- Email-only support
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. tolino media gives access to the alliance shops that KDP does not feed.
Best for: German authors who want a zero-cost start and sometimes order printed copies for events or clients.
epubli, run by Neopubli GmbH in Berlin since 2008, is the closest match to the way KDP works. Publishing is free, printing starts at one copy, and the author gets a stated 70% of net revenue. The platform offers twelve formats and five paper types, plus discounts up to 50% on 1,000 copies, which suits an author who also sells at fairs.
Against KDP the weak point is that earnings are a formula, not a price per sale, so the euro amount shows only in the calculator. Shipping is 2.95 euro in Germany and 9.95 euro abroad. Some details date: the terms page is dated 2008, and the privacy notice says newsletter data goes to a US provider, so a clean break from US vendors is not complete.
What epubli does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Servers in Germany according to the privacy notice
- Bulk discounts up to 50% for 1,000 copies
- German listing in the directory of available books
- Support and legal pages in German under German law
Where epubli is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Earnings visible only in a calculator
- Higher print shipping outside Germany
- A terms page that carries a 2008 date
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. epubli prints from a single copy in twelve formats without a minimum order.
Best for: Authors of non-fiction or illustrated books who mostly sell through their own audience.
tredition, from Ahrensburg, adds something KDP does not describe: a human quality check before release. The team looks for avoidable errors and sends tips, and the author can revise a live book as often as wanted, with changes visible within hours and star ratings kept. Publishing is free over the lifetime of the book, and extras are paid upgrades.
The commission example shows where the money goes. For a 24.99 euro hardcover, the author earns 3.52 euro, or 15%, in the bookshop trade and 10.50 euro, or 45%, in the tredition shop. Booksellers take 50 to 55% of the price. A KDP author selling through Amazon sees a different split, so the tredition model only pays when readers arrive via the author.
What tredition does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- A human check before publication
- Revisions live within hours with ratings kept
- Several editions managed in one project
- Printing at German printers
Where tredition is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- 15% commission on the bookshop route in the example
- The quality check advises but does not edit
- Mostly German-speaking market
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. tredition pays 45% in its own shop in the example, three times its bookshop figure.
Best for: Authors in Dutch, German or English who want to keep every sales channel open.
Bookmundo, operated by Mijnbestseller Nederland B.V. in Rotterdam, answers the KDP Select problem directly: no exclusivity is asked. Publishing carries no upfront fee, royalties are paid monthly, printed copies get a discount from three copies, and the author gets a webshop. The site names bookstores, Kobo and Amazon among its distribution channels.
Several facts could not be read. The pricing page needs JavaScript and the royalty rates were not visible, the English terms quote a payout threshold of 10 pounds, and the owner above the Dutch company was not confirmed. Use the price calculator before you commit, and treat Bookmundo as a way to widen distribution beside KDP, not as proof of better earnings.
What Bookmundo does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- No exclusivity on titles
- Monthly royalty payments
- A webshop of your own for direct sales
- Dutch company registered with KvK
Where Bookmundo is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Royalty rates not readable on the pages checked
- Pricing page only works with JavaScript
- Ultimate owner not confirmed
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Bookmundo lets a title sit in a bookshop, in Kobo and in its own shop at once.
Best for: French-language authors who want to publish first and buy shop distribution later.
Bookelis, a SAS from Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, mirrors the KDP promise of free publication. Print on demand needs no stock, the e-book share in the Bookelis shop is 70%, and author copies get staggered discounts that reach 25%. The website is hosted by OVH in Roubaix, France, which answers where the pages sit, though not where the book files are stored.
The weak spots are specific. E-books sold through partner stores with the Optima option pay only 40%, Hachette Livre distribution for France, francophone countries or worldwide is a paid pack whose price was not on the pages checked, and everything is in French. For a French author it replaces KDP for the first title, but the bookshop reach costs extra.
What Bookelis does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Free publication on a French company with a French host
- 70% e-book share in its own shop
- Hachette Livre packs for French bookshops
- Discounts on author copies up to 25%
Where Bookelis is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- 40% e-book share on partner stores with Optima
- Distribution pack prices not visible
- Site and guides in French only
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Bookelis is the only free platform here with a Hachette Livre distribution option.
Best for: French first-time authors who want feedback and a chance to be noticed by a publisher.
Librinova, a SAS in Paris founded in 2014, sells something KDP does not: guidance. Digital packs start at 75 euro and digital plus paper packs at 229 euro, and the offer lists a reading committee, a literary agent programme, a prize competition and writing coaching. Authors under 26 can publish at no cost.
This is the opposite of the KDP model. You pay before sales, and the pack contents and royalty percentages could not be read on the pages checked. The site is French only, and the ownership above the SAS was not verified in a register. Choose it if feedback and a route to a publisher matter more than keeping every cent of the first sales.
What Librinova does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Reading committee and a literary agent programme
- Coaching and manuscript improvement offered by the platform
- Visible starting prices for the packs
- Free publishing for authors under 26
Where Librinova is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Paid packs where KDP asks nothing
- Royalty percentages not found
- Only French is supported
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Librinova runs a literary agent programme aimed at getting self-published books to publishers.
Best for: Dutch-language authors who want Benelux bookshop and Bol.com listings with no package fee.
Brave New Books, a B.V. in Amsterdam, takes the part of KDP that matters to a Dutch author, getting listed where Dutch readers shop. Platform use is free, an ISBN barcode costs 12.75 euro once, royalties are paid monthly, and Bol.com and Bruna are named as listings. The author can cancel at any time and keep the rights.
The page shows no royalty percentage, only the claim that it is higher than elsewhere, so the figure cannot be compared. The footer reads copyright 2020, and the privacy statement names Mybestseller in Rotterdam as the contact, which suggests shared operations that the site does not explain. Reach beyond the Benelux is limited.
What Brave New Books does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- ISBN at 12.75 euro is the only mandatory cost
- Cancel at any time with rights retained
- Bol.com and Bruna listings named
- Monthly royalty payments
Where Brave New Books is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- No royalty percentage on the pages checked
- Reach focused on the Benelux
- A footer date of 2020 and an unexplained link to another company
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Brave New Books states that an author can cancel at any time and keep the rights.
Best for: Swedish and Norwegian authors and small publishers who pay commission instead of a fixed fee.
Publit Sweden AB, in Stockholm, is the only platform on this page that charges a commission per sale: 10% on bookshop distribution and 20% on its own online stores. Print on demand and e-books cost 0 SEK a month, editions are unlimited on the basic plans, and prices are shown excluding VAT.
Publit goes further than KDP in two directions. Streaming and library distribution, with feeds to Storytel, BookBeat, Nextory and OverDrive, starts at 495 SEK a month, and a warehouse for physical stock costs 1,395 SEK a month. The pricing page mixes publishers and individuals, a first-time author has to work out which plan applies, and hosting location and owners were not stated.
What Publit does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Streaming and library channels in the same account
- A warehouse option for physical stock
- Open price list with a 0 SEK monthly plan
- Swedish company with a register number
Where Publit is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- 10% to 20% commission on every sale
- Streaming needs a paid subscription
- Focused on Sweden and Norway
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Publit offers library distribution through OverDrive, which KDP does not describe.
Best for: Authors and small presses that sell on their own web store and want special editions.
Bookvault, from Peterborough, is a print service first. It connects to Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix and Payhip, offers an API, and prints special finishes such as sprayed edges and foiling from one copy. Paperbacks start at 1.17 GBP and hardbacks at 3.82 GBP, with the MyBookvault tier at 19.95 GBP for title set-up, so the maths is simple.
It is the one exception to the European label here, since the UK left the EU, and the privacy policy mentions transfers outside the UK and EEA. No e-book service is described, the monthly plans cost 24.95 or 89.95 GBP, and a status banner mentioned an outage when the pages were read. Royalties are paid within 90 days, the slowest term on this page.
What Bookvault does better than Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- Special finishes and box sets from one copy
- Store integrations and an API for direct sales
- Public printing prices in pounds
- Single-copy turnaround stated for UK printing
Where Bookvault is a step down from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
- No e-book service on the pages checked
- Paid monthly plans and a set-up fee
- A UK company outside the EU
Standout against Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Bookvault prints sprayed edges and foil finishes from a single copy.
What actually breaks when you switch
The first thing that breaks is the cover and interior file. KDP templates are built around its own trim sizes and bleed rules, and the European services use their own calculators for spine width. Expect to rebuild the cover for each print title, and ask each platform for a proof copy before you remove the KDP listing. A change of ISBN is the second break: if KDP supplied the number, plan for the new edition to carry a new one.
The other costs are less visible. Reviews and ranking sit on the page of each shop, so a book listed on a new platform starts a new page there. If a title was in KDP Select, wait for the 90-day period to end before listing the e-book elsewhere. Payments overlap for a while: KDP still pays about 60 days after the month of sale, so the last KDP payment arrives after the first sale on the new platform.
Can I keep my KDP books on sale while I test a European platform?
Yes, with one condition. KDP lets you publish a book on other platforms as long as the digital edition is not enrolled in KDP Select, because Select asks for digital exclusivity during each 90-day period. The Select help page says an author has three days after enrolment to cancel, and after that has to contact Amazon, so look at the enrolment dates before you list the same e-book elsewhere.
Print is the easier half. A paperback can carry the same ISBN on two platforms only if you own that ISBN yourself, so check whose number sits on the KDP edition before you reuse it. For a test, publish one title with a platform ISBN, such as the 12.75 euro barcode of Brave New Books or the ISBN included in BoD Publish at 39 euro, and compare what arrives in your account.
Which platform replaces KDP for e-books outside the German market?
For Dutch readers, Brave New Books and Bookmundo are the natural pair, and Bookmundo mentions Kobo and Amazon as outlets for its titles. For French, Bookelis and Librinova are the two names, with Bookelis free to publish and Librinova selling packs from 75 euro. Publit covers Sweden and Norway and adds streaming and library feeds to Storytel, BookBeat, Nextory and OverDrive.
The German platforms, tolino media, epubli, tredition and BoD, are strongest for German-language books and weaker elsewhere, and their pages are mostly in German. If your readers sit in several countries, list how many of them use Kindle first. That one number often decides whether you leave KDP, keep it for e-books, or use it only for the print edition.
Which one to pick
Choose by language and by where your readers buy. A German author with a finished manuscript can start with tolino media for e-books and epubli or BoD for print. A Dutch author can pair Brave New Books with Bookmundo, French authors can look at Bookelis before Librinova, and Swedish or Norwegian authors at Publit. tredition fits the author who sells to their own audience, and Bookvault the one who runs a web store.
Leaving KDP altogether is a bigger step than adding a second platform. KDP has the Kindle audience and the 35% and 70% e-book options, and the European services have contracts under local law and, in several cases, no exclusivity. Many authors will keep KDP for the Kindle edition and use a European service for print and other shops, as long as the title is not locked in KDP Select.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the language of the book. BoD Books on Demand, tolino media, epubli and tredition fit German-language authors, Bookmundo and Brave New Books fit Dutch ones, Bookelis and Librinova fit French ones, and Publit fits Sweden and Norway. Bookvault is the print-first choice in the United Kingdom, which sits outside the EU. None of them has the Kindle store as an audience, so the choice is about contract and channel mix.
The KDP terms name several Amazon parties, among them Amazon Media EU S.à r.l., and send notices to that company by email. The same terms state that the Federal Arbitration Act, US federal law and the laws of the state of Washington govern the agreement, and that disputes are resolved by binding arbitration. European platforms such as BoD or Bookelis operate under the law of their own country.
KDP Select is described as a free 90-day program for Kindle e-books and audiobooks. A title in it has to be exclusive to Amazon in digital form during the enrolment, and the book is included in Kindle+, with reading activity paid from the KDP Select Global Fund. An author can cancel within three days of enrolling and afterwards has to contact Amazon.
The terms say about 60 days after the end of the calendar month in which a sale was made. tolino media sends monthly statements, Bookmundo and Brave New Books pay monthly, and BoD pays every quarter. Bookvault says royalties are paid within 90 days. So KDP is not the slowest option, but it is not faster than the monthly European platforms.
Only an ISBN you bought yourself is certain to move. An ISBN supplied by a platform belongs to that platform, so check the terms of each one before you reuse it. BoD includes an ISBN in its Publish tiers, epubli and tredition list free publishing with ISBN handling, and Brave New Books sells the barcode for 12.75 euro. If you plan to switch often, buy your own ISBNs from your national agency.
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