Brief
KDP extends ebook preorders to 18 months
New preorders created from 2 September can sit live for a year and a half. Two postponements are now allowed without the old penalty.
Why it matters. Launch calendars just got a longer runway — and the missed-file penalty is still severe.
Amazon’s own help page now states that ebook preorders created on or after 2 September 2026 may carry a release date up to 18 months out. Preorders created before that date stay on the old 12-month cap. Preorders remain ebook-only, capped at ten active titles, and still require the final file at least 72 hours before release. Miss that deadline and KDP says the preorder is cancelled and the account loses ebook preorders for a year.
The Self-Publishing Show also reported that authors may now postpone a live preorder twice without penalty, which is the operational change many series writers will actually use. Treat the KDP help article as the rulebook and the podcast as field notes — do not plan a paperback preorder; KDP still does not offer one.