It’s no secret that many indie authors opt to use Amazon KDP to print books on demand. The allure of reaching millions of readers worldwide, the convenience of self-publishing, and the simplicity for first-time authors have made it an appealing choice for many. However, as the publishing landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial to explore alternative paths that offer greater author control, creative freedom, and a fairer distribution of profits. Enter, Bookvault, the next-generation print-on-demand service, designed with the indie author in mind.
Limited print quality and binding options
Amazon KDP offers perfect bound and hardback options for print. These bindings work well for most books but may not be suitable for certain book types, such as notebooks, journals, or books with complex layouts that require alternative binding methods like wiro and spiral. Bookvault strives to meet the needs of all types of authors, so regardless of the genre you operate in, we will have the binding for you!
For indie authors, customisation is key. Why get drowned out in the crowd of generic-looking books when you could have a product that gets people talking?
Bookvault has a plethora of custom options to suit your needs as an alternative to Amazon KDP.
If all of that wasn’t enough to convince you, it’s worth noting that Bookvault allows all standard print sizes in addition to the option to select custom sizes. This is available in both portrait and landscape on all of our bindings. The orientation of your books can communicate a lot to your potential readers, so having sizing that fits your genre is important.
Customer support
Another reason why Bookvault is an alternative to Amazon KDP is their lack of personalized support for authors. While KDP provides basic support resources, such as FAQs, guides, and community forums, some authors may find these resources insufficient to address their specific needs or resolve complex issues.
Unlike traditional publishing houses or dedicated author support teams, KDP operates primarily as a self-service platform. Authors cannot directly access customer services to address their concerns or provide one-on-one guidance. This can be frustrating for authors who prefer or require direct assistance.
KDP’s support resources often provide general information and guidelines about publishing rather than specifically tailored advice for individual situations. While this information can be helpful for basic inquiries, it may not adequately address specific questions or challenges that authors encounter during the publishing process. The support system for Amazon places a large amount of emphasis on the ‘self’ in self-publishing. A glance at the reviews of Amazon KDP tells the story of the general sentiment of the business within the industry. For a system regarded to be the first step into self-publishing for many authors, Amazon’s KDP lack of guidance and slow response time via forms can be off-putting to many authors.
The Bookvault system has a help centre fuelled by the feedback of previous authors, as well as a live chat with a trained expert who can solve any queries you may have. If either of these mediums isn’t right for you for any reason, you can also book a meeting to discuss any issues you are facing. This level of support makes us a great alternative to Amazon KDP.
Discoverability
Authors may favour the likes of KDP given the fact that Amazon is a force in the world of books. Authors often expect that a listing on such a large retailer will lead to a high number of sales.
Unfortunately, the sheer volume of books on Amazon, including those published through KDP, makes it challenging for new or lesser-known authors to gain visibility. Established authors, traditionally published books, and those with strong marketing strategies may dominate search results and top-ranking lists, leaving smaller or independent authors with limited exposure. Certain genres, such as romance and mystery/thriller, are highly saturated on Amazon, with numerous books competing for readers’ attention. Standing out in these crowded genres can be particularly challenging for authors, as the competition is fierce and readers have a vast selection to choose from.
KDP’s promotional opportunities, such as Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotions, can help generate temporary spikes in sales or downloads. However, these promotions are often limited in duration and reach, and authors must rely on the visibility they generate during the promotion period to sustain long-term sales. Without dedicated marketing efforts, sustaining visibility can be difficult.
To break through to customers on Amazon you will need to undertake a considerable marketing effort. With such an investment of time and effort into your book marketing you would likely be better off directing customers to an alternative retailer with higher profit margins, or to your direct store to retain maximum profit.
Scepticism surrounding Amazon
In addition to account closures, KDP has had issues on multiple occasions where huge percentages of their authors failed to receive their royalties on time. For authors who rely on royalties as their primary income, this is a huge issue. Bookvaults very own retailer, The Great British Book Shop pays royalties in as little as 15 days as opposed to Amazon’s 60-90 days.
Conclusion
Amazon’s dominance in the book world means they are often the first choice of self-publishers. While they do offer a range of benefits due to the weight that their name carries and the scale of their operations, they also fall short of what we believe indie authors should expect from their chosen platform. Bookvault serves as a great alternative to Amazon KDP with a complete platform for authors who feel underserved in the industry, through high-quality print and service.
9 thoughts on “Why Bookvault is the ideal alternative to Amazon KDP”
What necessary words… super, a remarkable idea
Since I have published 2 books with another almost there, why have I not known about you up to now?
Bookvault as a stand alone platform has only been recently pushed into the self-publishing market despite our experience of over 28 years of print services, we have made great impact in the past 2 years and look to continue to develop our offering for indie authors.
You missed a vital element…… QUALITY. Amazon just cannot compete with the quality I have seen using Bookvault. Print quality and finish is second to none with you guys. Postage, packaging and all round care and attention to detail. I cannot recommend you highly enough.
Thanks, Sara, we are glad to have impressed 🙂
I think the only real thing bookvault is missing is the preview window, so we can approve what we upload to your specs.
Hi, I’m happy to let you know we now have this 🙂
When will the US arm of Bookvault will be offering the US printing of hardcover versions? To get a book printed in the UK and shipped to the US adds quite a lot to the per-copy cost. Also, when will some of the other special edition options (ribbons, spot UV, etc.) be available with US printing?
Hi, The US facility currently offers hardcover printing. Unfortunately, given the fact it is a print partnership, bespoke options are a way off being printed directl in the US for now. Ideally with our own print facility in the US we would be able to offer this, but allowing it through a partnership will be unlikely.