Worldwide Rights vs. Individual Territories – What You Need to Know

Understanding Rights & Territories

Self-publishing on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is an exciting and accessible way to share your book with the world. Whether you're publishing your first book or adding another to your collection, it's essential to understand the platform's options. One key decision you will make during the setup process is selecting your book's distribution rights: Worldwide Rights or Individual Territories. This guide will help you navigate this step and ensure your book reaches the right audience.

Choosing your distribution rights is one of the most crucial steps in the publishing process. This decision determines where Amazon can sell your book.

Worldwide Rights vs. Individual Territories

Worldwide Rights: Choose this option if you own the full rights to your book, meaning it has not been sold or licensed to any publisher in any country. This will allow your book to be available in all Amazon marketplaces worldwide.

Individual Territories: If you have sold the rights to your book in specific countries or regions, you should only select the territories where you still have the right to distribute your book. This is common for authors with existing publishing agreements in some countries but wish to self-publish in others.

Which Option Should You Choose?

Worldwide Rights: Choose this option if you own the full rights to your book, meaning it has not been sold or licensed to any publisher in any country. This will allow your book to be available in all Amazon marketplaces worldwide.

For most self-published authors, choosing Worldwide Rights is the best option. This allows your book to be available globally, which enhances its visibility and sales potential. Only select Individual Territories if you have contractual restrictions that prevent you from distributing your book in certain countries.

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