If you publish through Kindle Direct Publishing, you’ll have to make this decision: Do you want to enable Digital Rights Management for your eBook? The option shows up during the upload process, and it often makes new authors hesitate. Amazon frames it as a way to “protect your rights”, but other authors warn that it can actually frustrate readers. And once you choose, the decision is locked in.
January 2025 Update: Amazon has announced a forthcoming change to how DRM-free Kindle ebooks can be downloaded by readers, including new EPUB and PDF access beginning in 2026. A detailed explanation of what this means for authors appears at the bottom of this article.
I hope to clear up any confusion. DRM is nothing more than a restriction on how readers can use the file they purchase. It doesn’t change who owns the book. It doesn’t affect your royalties. It doesn’t stop you from publishing your work on other platforms. It simply changes the way the Kindle version of your book behaves once it’s in someone’s library.
Understanding that difference is the first step to making a choice with no hesitation.
What Digital Rights Management Actually Does
When DRM is enabled, Amazon ties your book file to the buyer’s account. They can read it on their Kindle app or device, but they can’t easily back it up, transfer it to another eReader, or share it with a friend. The book is locked inside Amazon’s ecosystem.
When DRM is not enabled, the file is more flexible. A reader who owns multiple devices can move it around. They can make a backup copy. They can still only download it through Amazon, but once it’s on their device, they have more control. That’s really all DRM changes. It’s not a matter of whether your copyright exists or whether you keep control of your book. It’s just a question of how much freedom readers have with their purchased file.
Why Some Authors Choose DRM
For some, the appeal is straightforward. DRM creates a barrier against casual sharing. If a reader wanted to pass along your book file to ten of their friends, DRM would make that difficult. Large traditional publishers apply it by default because they see it as part of protecting intellectual property.
There’s also a certain reassurance that comes with choosing it. To an author worried about piracy, clicking “yes” on DRM feels like putting a lock on the door.
Take a popular thriller writer, for example. Their latest release is in high demand, and within hours someone could upload it to a free download site. With DRM applied, that process is slowed down. It doesn’t make piracy impossible, but it adds a layer of friction.
Why Many Indie Authors Skip DRM
The counterpoint is that DRM rarely stops the people it’s meant to stop. Anyone determined to pirate a book can usually strip the restrictions with free software. What it does succeed in doing is making life harder for paying readers.
Imagine someone buys your Kindle eBook but prefers reading on a Kobo. With DRM, they may not be able to make the transfer. Another reader might want to back up their Kindle library in case of account issues, but DRM blocks that. Those inconveniences don’t hit pirates. They hit your real customers. And then there’s the permanence of the decision. Once you choose DRM for a book on Amazon, you can’t change it later. If you publish without it, you also can’t add it later. That one click follows the book for as long as it’s live.
The Bigger Picture: Piracy vs. Visibility
Here’s the reality for most independent authors: the problem isn’t piracy, it’s obscurity. Your book is far more likely to struggle because readers don’t know it exists than because pirates are stealing it.
In that context, DRM can feel like energy spent in the wrong place. It’s a padlock on a garden gate. A determined intruder can still climb the fence, but now your neighbors need a key just to visit. The trade-off isn’t always worth it.
A Simple Way to Decide
If you’re weighing the choice, here are a few practical guidelines:
- Representing a big brand or high-demand nonfiction? Might be worth it.
- Publishing as an indie author? You’ll likely benefit more from skipping it.
- Want readers to move files between devices? DRM will get in their way.
- Prefer to align with how large publishers operate? Applying DRM does that.
The important thing to remember is that DRM doesn’t touch your ownership. You own your rights and control your royalties regardless. The choice is really about how your readers interact with the Kindle edition.
Picture two writers making this choice.
Author A publishes a cozy mystery series. Her main challenge is getting more readers to discover her work. She skips DRM so her fans can read on whatever device they like.
Author B writes a technical guide filled with proprietary methods. He’s more concerned about people copying sections into their own material. He applies DRM, hoping it at least slows casual theft.
Both authors still fully control their books. Both can publish on other platforms. The only difference is how their Amazon file behaves once it’s purchased.
My Recommendation
For most indie authors and small publishers, I recommend leaving DRM off. It doesn’t offer meaningful protection against piracy, but it does add friction for real readers. The energy you’d spend worrying about DRM is better invested in building your audience, improving your book’s visibility, and creating the kind of reading experience that people will happily pay for.
DRM can look like a safeguard, but in practice it’s more of a distraction. Don’t let it pull your focus away from the bigger work of publishing.
Final Thoughts
When you come across the Digital Rights Management question in KDP, don’t overthink it. Know what it does, weigh the trade-offs, and then move forward. For most authors, leaving DRM off is the friendlier and more strategic choice.
That checkbox is just one small decision in a much larger journey. What will matter more than anything else is whether your book connects with readers, earns their trust, and leaves them wanting more.
If you’re weighing decisions like DRM, you don’t have to figure out every detail alone. Visit our publishing page to see how we guide authors through the whole process, or head to our contact page if you’d like to talk through your project directly.
With care,
WestSky Team
January 2025 Update: Amazon DRM and EPUB/PDF Downloads
Amazon has announced an upcoming change to how DRM-free Kindle ebooks will work for readers.
Starting January 20, 2026, new Kindle ebooks published without Digital Rights Management (DRM) will be eligible for reader downloads in EPUB and PDF formats. This marks a shift from Amazon’s previous approach, where Kindle purchases largely remained locked inside the Amazon ecosystem even when DRM was disabled.
A few important clarifications:
• This change applies only to DRM-free titles.
• Amazon will not automatically update existing ebooks.
• Existing DRM-free books will not allow EPUB or PDF downloads unless the author explicitly confirms that setting in KDP.
What authors need to do
Authors can review or change DRM settings at any time inside the KDP dashboard under the Kindle ebook’s Manuscript section.
To allow EPUB and PDF downloads, select “No, do not apply Digital Rights Management” and confirm that the choice applies to all past and future purchases. Amazon notes that updates may take up to 72 hours to go live.
To prevent EPUB and PDF downloads, DRM must be applied and the ebook republished.
What this means for authors
This update gives authors more flexibility, but also makes the tradeoff clearer. Publishing without DRM now means greater reader access and portability, while applying DRM maintains tighter control within Amazon’s ecosystem.
There is no universal right choice. DRM remains a strategic decision based on your audience, goals, and comfort with redistribution.
We recommend reviewing your existing Kindle catalog and making intentional choices rather than relying on default settings.