KDP categories · Top KDP authors
Reference (New, Used & Rental Textbooks, Books): Amazon KDP category data
Amazon Books Best Sellers data for Reference (New, Used & Rental Textbooks, Books), updated Nov 3, 2026: median price $19.66, median 610 reviews, average rating 4.6 and a KDPTop opportunity score of 29/100 (highly competitive).
| Price range (middle 50%) | $11.89 – $29.95 |
|---|---|
| Average rating | 4.6 |
| New releases (90 days) | 1% |
| Books on the list | 100 |
| Store | Books |
What stands out
- Only 1% of its best sellers are under 90 days old, fewer than in 97% of Books categories: established titles hold the list.
- Its median reviews are 26% of the parent category New, Used & Rental Textbooks (2,358), one of the easier corners under it.
- Its review barrier is higher than in 79% of Books categories: the median best seller has 610 reviews, so new books need time to build up.
Top 10 Reference best sellers
-
The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Help is NOT on the Way
by Joseph Alton MD
- List rank#1
- Price$30.44
- Rating4.8
- Reviews4,090
-
Merriam-Webster’s Elementary Dictionary - Features 37,000+ words, 900+ full-color illustrations, photos, & more
- List rank#2
- Price$19.97
- Rating4.8
- Reviews1,359
-
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary - America's Best-Selling Dictionary - Mass Market Paperback
- List rank#3
- Price$8.38
- Rating4.6
- Reviews14,559
-
Merriam-Webster’s Everyday Language Reference Set: Includes: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, and The Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Builder
- List rank#4
- Price$18.93
- Rating4.7
- Reviews10,434
-
ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 6th Edition – Complete Study Guide with Question Pool to Pass the Technician Class Amateur Radio Exam
by ARRL Inc.
- List rank#5
- Price$32.95
- Rating4.4
- Reviews83
-
Merriam-Webster's Word-for-Word Spanish-English Dictionary
- List rank#6
- Price$5.59
- Rating4.7
- Reviews2,907
-
Merriam-Webster's Pocket Dictionary
- List rank#7
- Price$5.53
- Rating4.6
- Reviews9,345
-
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition
- List rank#8
- Price$20.58
- Rating4.7
- Reviews397
-
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus, Newest Edition, Trade Paperback
- List rank#9
- Price$10.07
- Rating4.6
- Reviews5,347
-
Merriam-Webster’s Vocabulary Builder - Perfect for prepping for SAT, ACT, TOEFL, & TOEIC
- List rank#10
- Price$6.50
- Rating4.7
- Reviews3,375
Subcategories
FAQ
Is Reference a good niche for Amazon KDP?
Its KDPTop opportunity score is 29/100, which makes it highly competitive. The median best seller has 610 reviews and sells for $19.66.
How many reviews do you need to rank in Reference?
The median best seller has 610 reviews, and 19% of them have fewer than 100.
What do Reference best sellers cost?
The median price is $19.66; half of the best sellers are priced between $11.89 and $29.95.
Can new books break into Reference?
1% of the current best sellers were released in the last 90 days.
About this data
Data comes from KDPTop's daily crawl of Amazon's public Best Sellers pages; medians use the latest list. The opportunity score (0–100, higher is easier to enter) combines the review barrier, the share of low-review books, list turnover, new-release share and price.