KDP does not allow authors to directly set their eBook price to $0.00. The standard method to achieve permafree on Amazon is the price-match technique: publish the book for free on at least one other platform (Smashwords, Draft2Digital, or your own website), then use the "Report lower price" button on the Amazon listing or contact KDP support to ask them to match the free price. Amazon may or may not honour the price match — it's at their discretion and can take days or weeks. Once matched, the book typically stays permafree unless Amazon periodically resets it.
Permafree is most effective when: your series has at least 3 books published (so new readers have immediate paid content to buy after finishing book one), book one has a compelling ending that makes readers want book two, and your series is in a genre with high read-through rates (romance and fantasy series see the strongest permafree performance). Permafree works poorly for standalones (no series to sell into) and for genres where readers don't binge-read series quickly.
Does a permafree book hurt my book's perceived value?
There's some evidence that permafree can commoditise a book in readers' minds — it's downloaded but not read as often as a purchased book. However, for series strategy, the goal is reader acquisition, not immediate revenue from book one. Even a 10–15% read-through from free to paid book two can generate significant income if thousands of readers download the free book monthly.
Can I make a permafree book on KDP Select?
No. KDP Select requires Amazon exclusivity, which means you can't publish the book free on competing platforms — the price-match technique won't work. If you want permafree, you need to keep the book outside of KDP Select. You can still use KDP Free Days for temporary free promotions for your KDP Select books.
How many downloads should a permafree book get?
This varies enormously by genre, cover quality, and description. Popular romance permafrees in competitive genres can receive hundreds of downloads per day. A well-optimised permafree in a mid-size niche might average 5–20 downloads per day. The key metric is not downloads but paid read-through — how many of those readers buy book two.
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