The eternal debate! Let's take a closer look at these two option. As always, this is your business decision. However, I can help you make an informed decision. Here's some important info on the Kindle Select Programme:
Kindle Select / Kindle Unlimited (KU)
Known as Kindle Unlimited (KU) from the reader's side, on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) backend, from the author's point of view, it's called Kindle Select.
You can choose which books to enroll in the programme. It automatically renews every 90 days. Unless you untick the box, and remember to check the day after the KU period ends and untick again - unfortunately, this is a known glitch.
Advantages:
- You will get paid after every pageread
- You can advertise your book as "free on Kindle Unlimited!"
- You can schedule promo prices (including countdowns) in the US and UK marketplaces
- This includes 5 free days every KU period
- You can set a higher % of royalties in Japan, Mexico, and India
Disadvantages:
- You have to be exclusive to Amazon with your ebook
- A "full read" of your book by a KU reader might be less than one sale of your ebook (depending on your pricing and the length of your book)
Let's take a closer look at each point.
- You will get paid after every pageread
Last I checked, in 2020, I got 0.07 US cent on average per pageread. Not much. However, if someone starts reading your book and decides in the middle of it that it's not their cup of tea, you will still get paid for the pages they'd already read.
- You can advertise your book as "free on Kindle Unlimited!"
This is a known marketing device; KU is not free, but because it's a subscription service from Amazon, from the readers point of view, it's a great deal and look like it's "free". Again, it's not free... they pay $11.99 per month to read books which are in KU.- You can schedule promo prices (including countdowns) in the US and UK marketplaces
Sounds nice, yeah? Too bad it's a "perk" on Amazon for ebooks exclusive to them. At other platforms, you can schedule promo prices for your books for all marketplaces anytime. You don't have to be exclusive to them. And you don't have to ignore your international readers.- This includes 5 free days every KU period
Again, something that's totally normal at other platforms without going exclusive.- You can set a higher % of royalties in Japan, Mexico, and India
I mean, yes, cool. If you have a big audience in these territories.- You have to be exclusive to Amazon with your ebook
We can argue here that being exclusive to Amazon with your ebook means you will reach less readers. Especially international readers, where Amazon isn't as big as in the US, for example. And you can't offer your book elsewhere, you can't even give ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) to people once the book is in KU.- A "full read" of your book by a KU reader might be less than one sale of your ebook (depending on your pricing and the length of your book)
You might need to experiment with this. I know this was true for me. And while pagereads can accummulate, at the end of the day, you still got to eat, right?
So this was a closer look at Amazon KDP's Kindle Select. Next time, we will take a closer look at wide platforms. Got any questions for me?
- You can schedule promo prices (including countdowns) in the US and UK marketplaces
Sounds nice, yeah? Too bad it's a "perk" on Amazon for ebooks exclusive to them. At other platforms, you can schedule promo prices for your books for all marketplaces anytime. You don't have to be exclusive to them. And you don't have to ignore your international readers.
- This includes 5 free days every KU period
Again, something that's totally normal at other platforms without going exclusive.- You can set a higher % of royalties in Japan, Mexico, and India
I mean, yes, cool. If you have a big audience in these territories.- You have to be exclusive to Amazon with your ebook
We can argue here that being exclusive to Amazon with your ebook means you will reach less readers. Especially international readers, where Amazon isn't as big as in the US, for example. And you can't offer your book elsewhere, you can't even give ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) to people once the book is in KU.- A "full read" of your book by a KU reader might be less than one sale of your ebook (depending on your pricing and the length of your book)
You might need to experiment with this. I know this was true for me. And while pagereads can accummulate, at the end of the day, you still got to eat, right?
So this was a closer look at Amazon KDP's Kindle Select. Next time, we will take a closer look at wide platforms. Got any questions for me?
- You can set a higher % of royalties in Japan, Mexico, and India
I mean, yes, cool. If you have a big audience in these territories.
- You have to be exclusive to Amazon with your ebook
We can argue here that being exclusive to Amazon with your ebook means you will reach less readers. Especially international readers, where Amazon isn't as big as in the US, for example. And you can't offer your book elsewhere, you can't even give ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) to people once the book is in KU.
- A "full read" of your book by a KU reader might be less than one sale of your ebook (depending on your pricing and the length of your book)
You might need to experiment with this. I know this was true for me. And while pagereads can accummulate, at the end of the day, you still got to eat, right?
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