Does a new cover or a linked table of contents count as differentiation?

No. Amazon lists a linked table of contents, formatting improvements, collections, sales rank, price and freely available internet content as features it does not treat as differentiation.

Can a public domain-based book ever get the 70% royalty?

Yes, if you add enough substantial original content or an original translation that the book is no longer primarily public domain.

Who do I credit for a translation?

The translator and the original author go in the contributor field. If it is not a new translation and the translator is unknown, list the translator as Anonymous.

Can Amazon ask me to prove a work is in the public domain?

Yes. KDP may ask for proof, and it may refuse public domain content that is already available through Amazon or other sites.

Publishing public domain books on KDP: differentiation and royalties

Checked against Amazon’s pages on 2026-11-09. Not affiliated with Amazon.

Can I publish public domain books on Amazon KDP, and what rules apply?

Yes, but if a free version is already in the Kindle Store, KDP only accepts a differentiated edition: an original translation, original annotations, or 10 or more original illustrations, labeled (Translated), (Annotated) or (Illustrated) in the title. Ebooks that are primarily public domain content only qualify for the 35% royalty and cannot be enrolled in KDP Select.

Key facts
Accepted differentiation	Translated, Annotated, or Illustrated (10+ original illustrations)
Title label	(Translated), (Annotated) or (Illustrated)
Ebook royalty	35% only
KDP Select	Not eligible
Pre-orders	Not eligible
Series pages	Not eligible
Contributors	All contributors must be listed

Terms on this page: Public domain content

When differentiation is required

A public domain book is one no longer covered by copyright, usually because the rights expired. KDP allows these books, but if a free version of the title is already available in the store, it only accepts a differentiated version. Amazon recognizes three kinds:

Translated: an original translation.
Annotated: original annotations such as study guides, literary critiques, detailed biographies or historical context.
Illustrated: 10 or more original illustrations relevant to the book.

How to label the edition

The title field must include (Translated), (Annotated) or (Illustrated). “Pride and Prejudice (Annotated)” is acceptable; “Pride and Prejudice (with an Introduction by Tiffany Gordon)” is not. The description must open with a bullet-point summary of what is original, and Amazon’s page attaches a maximum of 80 characters to that summary. In the Publishing Rights step, choose “This is a public domain work.” Copyright terms vary by country, so a work may be public domain in one market but not another.

Program limits

Ebooks that consist primarily of public domain content earn only the 35% royalty, cannot be enrolled in KDP Select, cannot be set up as pre-orders and cannot be used to create a series.

Worked example

A $2.99 annotated classic with a 1 MB file sold to a US buyer earns 35% × $2.99 = $1.05. The same price on the 70% option would have paid about $1.99 after delivery costs, but that option is not available for this book.

Common mistakes

Treating a collection of several free classics as differentiated. Collections are on Amazon’s “not differentiated” list.
Writing “Illustrated” for a handful of images. The threshold is 10 or more original illustrations.

Amazon changes these rules; the linked KDP help pages are the authority.

Questions

Does a new cover or a linked table of contents count as differentiation?: No. Amazon lists a linked table of contents, formatting improvements, collections, sales rank, price and freely available internet content as features it does not treat as differentiation.
Can a public domain-based book ever get the 70% royalty?: Yes, if you add enough substantial original content or an original translation that the book is no longer primarily public domain.
Who do I credit for a translation?: The translator and the original author go in the contributor field. If it is not a new translation and the translator is unknown, list the translator as Anonymous.
Can Amazon ask me to prove a work is in the public domain?: Yes. KDP may ask for proof, and it may refuse public domain content that is already available through Amazon or other sites.

Related tools

U.S. Copyright Office: The U.S. Copyright Office is the government registry where authors register copyrights and look up existing registrations.
Amazon KDP: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is Amazon's free self-publishing platform for Kindle ebooks and print paperbacks and hardcovers.