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.
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, franchise, or high-demand nonfiction? DRM may be worth applying.
- Publishing as an indie author or small press? You’ll likely benefit more from skipping it.
- Want your readers to move files freely 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