[Part 1] Are you really reaching them with just Kindle? ~Things I've realized while supporting production~
“I’ve published on Kindle, so that’s it!”
...or so you think, don't you?
I used to think that way for a long time, too.
If you release it digitally, your book will be lined up on Amazon's massive shelf. No inventory needed. Revisions are instant. It's flawless, right?
But then, I realized something one day.
There are far more 'readers who won't buy if it's only on Kindle' than I imagined.
And these people won't tell you, 'I won't buy it.'
They just quietly walk away.
This isn't a problem with the quality of your book.
It's a problem with the format.
Starting today, over three parts plus a bonus, I will break down the true nature of this 'silent lost opportunity' and why it's better to turn your Kindle book into a physical book using POD (Print on Demand), not based on intuition, but properly using data.
First, Part 1 starts with 'Why do you need paper?'
Conclusion: POD is not about 'replacing digital with paper.' It is about picking up demand that cannot be captured by digital alone, with zero inventory.
Let me give you the essence first.
The most common misunderstanding about POD is that it is
thought of as a 'measure to replace digital with paper.'
That's wrong. The correct way to think about it is this.
“A measure to 'additionally recover' demand that cannot be captured by digital alone, with zero inventory.”
To be clear, publishing an e-book on Kindle itself is an incredibly good choice.
You can place your book in Amazon's massive market with zero inventory risk. That is a strong starting point.
So, releasing it digitally is a great decision. This article is not meant to deny that.
On top of that, because of the way digital works, there are readers you simply cannot reach.
The point is to 'add' paper to cover that gap.
With KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing),
you can publish both e-books and paper books for free.
Moreover, paper books are printed only after an order is placed.
Therefore...
・Upfront printing costs: None
・Inventory storage: None
・Return risk: Almost zero
In the old days of print publishing, there was a weight to it, like 'We're printing X number of copies for the first edition, what if they don't sell?'
With POD, that weight disappears completely.
What used to be 'publishing in print = a heavy decision' has changed into 'just a practical task of adding one more format.'
This is the essence of POD.
Print fans are actually still the majority.
'But isn't the era of digital already here?'
I completely understand that feeling.
In fact, the e-book market is growing.
・Japan's e-book market: 670.3 billion yen in fiscal 2024
・Predicted to grow to nearly 800 billion yen by fiscal 2029
Looking only at this, you'd think, 'Print is already finished, right?'
But there is a paradox.
The publishing market as a whole, including print, is still massive.
・2025 publishing market (print + digital): 1.5462 trillion yen
And when you look into the real opinions of readers, it's even more surprising.
[Survey of 1,000 people in Japan]
・Print fans: 76.5%
・Digital fans: 7.7%
・Both about the same: 15.8%
Even in a survey limited to 200 avid readers, print fans are the majority.
Furthermore, there are even voices saying this:
'I buy both for works I especially like.'
This is important, so I'll repeat it.
POD is not a strategy where digital sales are cannibalized by print.
The more satisfied a reader is, the more they think, 'I read it digitally, but I also want it in print.'
In other words, it's a strategy to expand LTV (customer lifetime value).
By the way, according to a Pew survey in the US, as of 2025, 64% of people read print books, and 31% read digital.
Even now, with digital having grown this much, print remains the majority.
There is a fatal hole in Japanese Kindle: you can't 'gift' books.
Here is another decisive factor that is often overlooked.
In Japan, the Kindle book gifting feature is unavailable. It is not supported.
It is clearly stated in the official Amazon help and on their official X account: "Kindle books cannot be sent as gifts."
For those of us doing promotions, this is quietly, yet incredibly painful.
Because it means all of these use cases are completely wiped out.
・Gifts for someone
・Distribution at seminars or courses
・Thank-you gifts/complimentary copies
・Direct hand-delivery from the author
・Signed copies
Just having a physical book makes all of this possible.
"Gifting, distributing, signing, and handing over"
You absolutely cannot have this flow with digital alone.
5 reasons why readers "won't buy if it's only on Kindle"
So, why do readers actually refuse to buy unless it's in print?
Based on real feedback, let's break it down by use case.
Simply saying "digital is inconvenient" doesn't really hit home, so
I will properly break down the reasons.
[1. I want to read books that require deep reading in print]
Feedback from a survey of 200 book lovers:
・"E-books make my eyes tired"
・"I remember things better with paper"
・"I can get more immersed"
→ There is strong demand for print for practical books, study guides, and long-form non-fiction.
[2. I don't even know how to buy digital books in the first place]
・"I don't know how to buy e-books"
→ For elderly people or those who are not good with devices, the digital operation itself is a barrier to purchase.
Paper serves as an "entrance" for those people.
[③ The text is too small to read]
・"I can't read small print"
・"It's too small, so I can't read the book"
→ This isn't a device issue, but a page design issue.
The strength of paper is that you can use a larger format and improve readability with margins and line spacing.
[④ Want to own/collect]
Voices found on X:
・"Paper is definitely better! It sinks in!"
→ For fans, books with high reference value, and archival content, paper is overwhelmingly stronger.
[⑤ Managing apps is stressful]
Kindle reviews on the App Store have been filled with these complaints for a long time.
・The library is hard to organize
・The app is slow, and page turning is sluggish
・Series don't stay grouped together
→ When the experience of "owning and using" is tied to a device, it creates stress before and after reading.
With paper, it's much easier to manage as a book you keep on hand.
None of these five points mean "your book is bad."
It's just that the format wasn't the right fit.
── Next Episode Preview ──
For those who read this far and are eager to say, "Then I should just release a paper version!"
......Please wait a moment.
Next time (Part 2), I will dare to talk about cold, hard numbers.
It's often said that "POD is free, easy, and requires no inventory," but
if you believe that at face value, you will actually lose money.
I will reveal all the mechanics of KDP pricing with numbers, showing how a difference of just one yen can more than double your take-home pay!
Knowing or not knowing this can completely change your revenue, so
I would be happy if you continued reading.
・‥…━━━━━━━━━…‥・
[Source of this article]
The data and facts in this article are based on the following.
・Paper printing is on-demand / No inventory or prepayment required: Amazon KDP "Paperback Printing Costs"
https://kdp.amazon.co.jp/ja_JP/help/topic/G201834340
・E-book market (670.3 billion yen in FY2024 / 2029 forecast): Impress Research Institute "E-book Business Survey Report 2025"
https://research.impress.co.jp/report/list/ebook/502255
・Publishing market (paper + digital) 1.5462 trillion yen: HON.jp News Blog (Survey by Research Institute for Publications)
https://hon.jp/news/1.0/0/58293
・Paper preference 76.5% (Survey of 1000 people in Japan): Navit "1000-person Questionnaire"
https://www.navit-j.com/media/?p=98474
・Voices of paper-preference majority and both-format buyers (Survey of 200 book lovers): Futaba Co., Ltd. Press Release (PR TIMES)
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000081.000067791.html
・US paper 64% / digital 31% (2025): Pew Research Center
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/09/americans-still-opt-for-print-books-over-digital-or-audio-versions-few-are-in-book-clubs/
・Kindle gift feature is not supported in Japan: Amazon KDP "E-book gifting and purchasing for others (not supported in Japan)"
https://kdp.amazon.co.jp/ja_JP/help/topic/G200652260
・Voices from App Store reviews: Amazon Kindle (App Store Ratings and Reviews)
https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/amazon-kindle/id302584613
*Some survey data is based on corporate/PR research, so there is a bias in the population. Please use it as a reference for "what trends and voices exist" rather than the absolute values themselves.
*Various figures and specifications are subject to change. Please check the official page for the latest information before publishing.
⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩
Thank you for reading until the end!
Emi Kato | Wachako Book Works
As a "Kindle Publishing Creator who designs books that convey," I help with everything from editing, layout, and illustration to Kindle publishing and paperback production.
While working as a mother, I am taking on various challenges every day, helped by AI and new tools, sometimes failing, and sometimes getting very excited.
In this note, I write about the ingenuity of bookmaking, behind-the-scenes production, trial and error with AI, and small daily discoveries.
If there is an article that interests you, I would be happy if you read one or two more.