Kindle Direct Publishing vs Zazzle

Kindle Direct Publishing lets authors self-publish eBooks, paperbacks, and hardcover books and make them available through Amazon. Authors retain full rights to their books. eBook royalty choices are 35% and 70%; the 70% option is limited to certain territories and subject to delivery costs. Print books can earn up to 60% royalties and are printed on demand, with printing costs deducted from royalties when an order ships. Manuscript formats include DOC/DOCX, KPF, EPUB, HTML, RTF, TXT, and PDF. Kindle Create for Windows and Mac can prepare manuscripts exported from Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, or Google Docs. Authors can promote eBooks and paperbacks with Amazon Advertising, and share Instant Book Previews or sample chapters. KDP Select is a free 90-day program for Kindle eBooks that includes Kindle Unlimited and eligibility for certain promotions; enrolled eBooks must remain exclusive to the Kindle Store during that period. Publishing is free, but KDP does not accept magazines, periodicals, calendars, or spiral-bound books. New title creation and first-time submission are limited to two titles per format each week.

Zazzle is an on-demand marketplace where customers can shop for products featuring artists’ designs and personalize them. When the creator permits it, customers can change text, reposition or resize images, rearrange design layers, and add text or images. Creators can use the Maker Platform without joining, setup, or listing fees; Zazzle takes a commission when a sale is made, and makers may sell their products elsewhere too. Store options include Zazzle storefronts, RSS feeds, and a URL linkover-based Create-a-Product API for dynamic images and text. API users can choose products and lock design elements against customer edits on Zazzle. The iOS and Android apps support shopping, designing, collaboration, uploading phone photos, and shipment tracking. Zazzle says its marketplace has over 50 million unique designs and a community of over 900,000 independent creators. The free plan is available. Optional Zazzle Plus costs $19.95 a year, billed annually, while Zazzle Plus Premium costs $49.95 a year, billed annually. Their shipping benefits are limited to qualifying products and eligible U.S. addresses.