Whether you’re a seasoned author already racking up sales and new readers, or just dipping your toes into the vast waters of the self-publishing industry, the idea of making your books available through Kindle Unlimited (KU) has no doubts. he crossed your mind.
The real question is, should it or shouldn’t it?
Is there a clear advantage to you, the author, in using this service? Because let’s be honest, your main goals are to gain exposure for your work Y make a living while doing it.
With this in mind, let’s discuss how you can effectively market your books by leveraging the Kindle Unlimited platform, along with the pros and cons of using KU versus a broader distribution strategy.
What is Kindle Unlimited?
If you don’t already know, Kindle Unlimited is a subscription-based service offered by Amazon that allows readers (Prime and others) to access their entire inventory of KU books for one low monthly fee.
For less than $10 a month, it’s easy to see why Kindle Unlimited has earned a reputation as the “Netflix” of books.
But wait a minute… $10 a month for unlimited access to everybody of his books!? If you wonder who makes money from this arrangement other than Amazon, you’d be in good company.
Authors around the world have been scratching their heads and tiptoeing to sign up for Kindle Unlimited because they’re unsure of its long-term benefits or possible drawbacks.
The pros and cons of using KU vs. Using a wider distribution
There are several pros and cons related to the use of KU vs. broader distribution options, or doing the exact opposite.
advantage
- Improve the reach of your books. – Amazon has a market share of at least fifty percent in the US and UK when it comes to digital book sales. That is VERY significant. Its best-selling Kindle e-readers, tablets and apps, as well as Amazon’s incredible e-commerce platform and ability to turn browsers into buyers are driving this phenomenon. And it is increasing every year.
The bottom line? Having your books featured on Amazon increases the likelihood that many people will find and read them.
- You get access to Amazon’s e-commerce tools – The Amazon team is masterful at getting consumers to buy, and it’s no different when they’re marketing digital books.
Through your KU program, you gain access to unique promotional tools like Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotion, which help grow your readership and launch your new titles to success.
- Earn royalties for every page read – Unlike traditional book sales, where a customer buys your book and you receive a one-time payment, with KU authors are paid a small royalty for each page read of each book.
Yeah, you probably won’t make millions, but every penny adds up.
Cons
- Exclusivity of the title of your book with KU – You read well. If you choose to promote a book with Kindle Unlimited, you won’t be able to promote that title anywhere else.
Your title is tied to Amazon’s KU for 90-day periods, after which you have the option to renew your contract.
- Potentially low income -Unless you’re in the top percentile of book publishers in the Kindle Unlimited program, you shouldn’t expect hefty royalty checks.
The vast majority of self-published authors find the earning potential per book to be much higher on other platforms compared to KU.
It seems like there’s more to love about the show than hate it.
But is it smart to put all your eggs in one basket and have exclusive titles for Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited? Does it make sense to even sign up if the chances of getting significant royalties are slim?
The answer: Yes and No, depending on your marketing strategy.
How to use KU to sell more books
We already mentioned that Amazon has the largest share of the digital book market, but one thing you may not know is that their KY customers are not ordinary readers.
The average person who signs up for a subscription service like Kindle Unlimited is best described with one word: Voracious!
Think about it.
Who else would sign up for a unlimited supply of books each month? Someone who can’t get enough of the written word and who has the potential to become a loyal reader, given a good reason!
Marketers around the world have used the “free offer” angle to attract new users to their products and services for decades. Some examples are free samples given away at wholesale clubs, free software trials, and free content given away to get new subscribers to email lists.
It’s so amazing that this strategy also works incredibly well for selling eBooks, especially if you’re new to the game and haven’t made a name for yourself among readers.
If you find Kindle Unlimited a springboard to launch your desktop publishing career, it can be a real bonus. The key is not to make all your books available there, but just some of your best.
And why your best work?
Because, if a reader comes across one of your books, you want them to be so excited, spellbound, and addicted that they have no choice but to go out and buy additional titles if they want more. How about that in the mood?
Even a single exceptionally written and featured book offered on the KU platform has the ability to go from completely unknown to prominent among its target audience literally overnight.
But what if you’re an established self-publisher who already has a huge following?
If you’re already well-known and enjoying lucrative digital book sales, Kindle Unlimited may not be an essential aspect of growing your readership (although it can’t hurt).
On the other hand, by not publishing at least one title on the platform, you may be missing out on significant marketing potential (don’t worry, you can always use a pseudonym).
Lindsay Buroker, an author who earns a full-time income from her work, attributes 85-90% of her income to using the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Kindle Unlimited platforms. By contrast, her other book titles spread across seven alternative platforms collectively contribute the remaining 10-15%.
In his case, the math is undeniable.
But the only way to know how it would work for you is to pick a few titles, sign up for your own Amazon KU account, and see what happens.
The dangers of avoiding wider distribution
No matter how you feel about Amazon, the fact remains that it is one of the leading book distributors in the world. While it can be a serious mistake to leave them out of your self-published title distribution and marketing plans, full exclusivity could be just as problematic.
While it can be very effective, as with most things, there’s a caveat to using Kindle Unlimited exclusively to market your brand.
While Amazon has the most readers, you’re missing out on the millions of readers on other platforms, like Apple’s iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and more.
For that reason alone, it is never recommended to use only one distribution and promotion strategy. Instead, focus on using KU to promote a few of your best books to get the exposure and new readers that only Amazon can offer, and list the rest of your books on any platform and in any format that produces sales and profits for you. its work.
While Kindle Unlimited isn’t a good fit for all authors, it’s worth looking into as part of a multi-strategy book marketing plan.
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