Amazon announced Kindle Unlimited today for readers in the United States. While it sounds like a great deal for readers – unlimited books for $9.99 per month – what does it mean to you as an author?
First, if your book is already in KDP Select, it will automatically be included in the Kindle Unlimited program. So if you want to be included just be sure any titles you want to include are enrolled in the KDP Select program.
On the other hand, if you do NOT want to be included in the Kindle Unlimited program, you have the option to immediately remove your book(s) from Kindle Select. (Typically you have to fulfill the 90 days, but this seems to be an exception.) Just include your ASIN on the contact form here.
Second, you will be paid much as you are for titles that are loaned – that is, you will be paid a percentage of the “Global Fund” set aside for this purpose. I generally assume about $2 per book for a loan – and it will be the same for a book “bought” through the Kindle Unlimited program.
Will this help or hurt your book sales? It all depends…If your book is currently earning more than $2 per copy, then it could hurt your profits. However, initially you should anticipate seeing an increase in the number of people reading your books.
One important note: you are only paid for a book “sale” through the Kindle Unlimited program when the reader reads more than 10% of the book. This is the equivalent of reading the “Look Inside” portion – but they must do it after they “buy” the book.
As an author you want to look again at each of your titles and see how you can encourage them to read beyond that 10% mark. Otherwise you won’t get paid! Here are a couple of ideas…
1. Tell them to keep reading. It sounds simplistic, but many times they just need some encouragement. Particularly if you give them a reason to keep reading, such as “keep reading to discover the five secrets of…”
2. Put an incentive further into your book, then remind them about it early in the book. For example, “Be sure to download your checklist. Details are here (with link to later section of the book.)
What other ideas do YOU have for keeping them engaged for at least the first 20% of your book and profiting from the new Kindle Unlimited? Share your ideas in the comments.
Kindle Unlimited certainly puts a new spin on Kindle publishing and opens up new opportunities for us to investigate and create.
I think the move forward links is the way to go. Like you suggested they could be to check lists. I came up with product recommendations, Did You Know trivia, diagrams and maybe a link or two to that pesky information that really didn’t fit into your book, but was too good to throw away. This would also be a great time to dig into the public domain for some “remember when” information that would keep them reading. Time to put our creative hats on!
Talk about creative! Good ideas, Holly! These are items we may want to consider adding to existing books as well, just because they’re good content.
I agree, good idea. Amazon has been successful with its ideas so far, so may as well embark on this new venture with them. Thanks Jeanette for letting us know!
Another idea I saw is to move all of your details to the front of the book.
Traditionally I have recommended you move it all to the back of the book to provide as much content as possible in the Look Inside preview. But needing for them to read the first 10% puts a new spin on that. I may rethink it and go back to the traditional front matter that is more like a print book. I’ll wait and see how many “sales” I make through the Kindle Unlimited program. If sales are escalating, I probably won’t rework the books. But if I think I could “sell” more with this approach, I’ll upload new versions of the books.
How do they tally 10%. Does every page need to be turned? Or will a single jump to page 20 of a 100 page book (20%) count?
Like your idea, Jeanette, of new version to up-sell from loaners.
If you’re paid on loaner, will author get paid again if reader cancels that loaner, then buys it? Or will author have to update new version with title modified and new AISN #?
These are all great questions, Jeff. I don’t have answers to any of them! So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s an ongoing learning experience, all the time!
Interesting proposition that to the list of things we “have” to do as authors, we get to add seducing the reader to read more than the first 10% of the book.
How many books have we all purchased in the past and not made it that far in – after buying the book and having the best intentions. I wonder if there is a statute of limitations on this?
Say, they reader “buys” the book according to their unlimited appetite – then it languishes around on their Kindle Fire for 13 months and then they magically rediscover it and sally forth into that heady 11%-tile.
Would Amazon remember such a thing? Or will their terms of service or Unlimited program change by then?
I’m not being cynical – it’s sometimes just interesting to look back at how much has happened so fast since 2010 when ebooks began to outsell print books and Facebook began to teem with life.
Rick, you’re always full of new ideas. I think the jury is still out on all of these. I have found out that you can “buy” 10 books at a time under the Unlimited program, then you somehow have to “return” one in order to “buy” the next one. So you won’t have a hard drive full of unread books forever. It will be a rotating list of unread. We’ll just have to keep relearning our craft.
Dr. Cates, your article is interesting and informative. I am curious about how Amazon pays with regards to Kindle Unlimited. I get the impression that there are a number (i.e. N) of authors enrolled in this program. Each of their books can be purchased or downloaded. As a book, for example, is read (e.g., great than 10%) there is a count that increases. Well, the count, per book, increases with each download and read. I am guessing that each book, enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program, and count is used to send out payments (higher payment for a higher book count). This is great, if authors can get their book into a readers hands!
With respect to enrolling in the program, Dr. Cates, you bring up some good points. For example, why add a book to the Kindle Unlimited program if sales will be higher without enrollment? My guess is that, authors should try this idea out, “first, get your foot in the door”. Basically, add one book from your collection and let this book show how valuable your product line really is.
“Get your foot in the door!”
Now that your readers know about you, they will be more willing to take a look at your other products. Also, I am thinking that Dr. Cates would write that, links from one book to others can aid in increasing sales with exposure.
Thank you for your work and advice, Dr. Cates!
And thank YOU, Gabriel, for your kind comments.
For August, Kindle Unlimited books paid out at $1.81 each. For September it went down a bit.
September also marked the time when the initial subscribers had to decide whether or not to continue with the program. So we may see differences as a result of that.
On the other hand, KU was just opened in the UK, so we’ll see an increase from that part of the world.
Always something new!