Summary: You’ve heard the rumors: KDP is saturated, AI has ruined everything, and it’s impossible for new sellers to succeed. This article cuts through the noise to give you the honest truth about the state of KDP in 2025 and shows you why it’s still one of the best online business models, if you have the right strategy.

Is Amazon KDP Still Worth It in 2025? (The Honest Truth)

Go to any online business forum, and you’ll see the debate raging. Is Amazon KDP “dead”? Is the market too saturated? Can a new publisher even make a single sale?

It’s a valid question. The KDP landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. The old strategies of uploading hundreds of generic, low-quality books no longer work.

So, here’s the honest truth: KDP is not dead. But the era of easy money is over.

And that’s a good thing.

The changes in the market have pushed out the low-effort spammers and created a massive opportunity for serious entrepreneurs who are willing to focus on one thing: quality.

Let’s break down the biggest challenges facing publishers today and how they actually represent opportunities for you.

Challenge 1: “The Market is Too Saturated!”

The Old Way: In 2020, you could upload a simple lined journal with a generic “Notebook” cover and make sales. Thousands of people did this, flooding the market with millions of nearly identical books.

The New Reality: Yes, the market for generic books is saturated. Trying to compete here is a losing battle. But the market for high-quality, niche-specific books is wide open.

The Opportunity: Saturation is a filter. It forces you to be creative and serve a specific audience. While everyone else is fighting over the keyword “coloring book,” you can thrive by creating “A Vintage Greyscale Coloring Book for Horror Fans.” While they fight over “fitness journal,” you create “The Postpartum Fitness & Recovery Log for New Moms.”

The riches are in the niches. The market isn’t saturated; it’s just more specific. A tool that helps you research these specific niches and create unique products for them is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Challenge 2: “AI Will Replace All the Publishers!”

The Old Way: The fear is that large companies will use AI to generate thousands of books, pushing out human creators.

The New Reality: Amazon has been clear: they require publishers to disclose the use of AI in creating content, and they are cracking down on low-quality, spammy books, whether made by a human or an AI. Simply using an AI to write a book is not a winning strategy.

The Opportunity: The smart publisher doesn’t use AI to replace their creativity but to enhance it. The true power of AI isn’t in writing the book for you; it’s in streamlining your workflow so you can focus on the creative parts.

This is the entire philosophy behind Booksgenie.ai. We don’t write your book. We provide an AI Interior Generator that acts as your personal designer. You have the unique idea for a “Rock Climbing Training Log”; our AI helps you build the complex, custom pages for it in seconds. You’re still the creator; AI is just the most powerful tool in your toolbox.

Challenge 3: “The Royalty Changes Make it Unprofitable!”

The Old Way: Publishers could price books very low (e.g., $5.99) to attract buyers and still receive a 60% royalty.

The New Reality: In mid-2025, Amazon adjusted its royalty structure. For books priced below a certain threshold (e.g., $9.98 in the US), the royalty rate is now lower.

The Opportunity: This change forces publishers to stop competing on price and start competing on value. You can no longer succeed by being the cheapest. You must succeed by being the best.

If you create a generic, 100-page lined journal, you can’t justify a $10.99 price point. But if you create a comprehensive, 150-page “Wedding Planner” with 20 unique, custom-designed interior pages for tracking vendors, guests, and budgets, a $15.99 price point is an easy sell. The customer isn’t just buying paper; they’re buying a solution to their problem.

This shift directly benefits quality publishers and penalizes those who create low-value products.

The Verdict: KDP is More Worth It Than Ever, for the Right People

So, is KDP still worth it in 2025? Absolutely.

It’s for the publisher who is willing to:

Research a specific niche and understand their customer’s needs.
Create a high-quality, unique book that provides real value.
Leverage modern tools to work smarter, not harder.

The game has changed. It’s no longer about quantity. It’s about quality, uniqueness, and value. And for the entrepreneurs who embrace this shift, the rewards are greater than ever.

Ready to build a quality KDP business? Try Booksgenie.ai and see how our tools give you the competitive edge.