Self Publishing On Amazon: Is KDP Select Worth It in 2021?

About this video

Dale explains KDP Select as a 90-day exclusivity agreement for ebooks only, not print or audiobooks, that places an ebook in Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can check out upwards of 10 ebooks at a time. He says the December 2020 Global Select Fund was $34 million, divvied out by pages read for a fraction of a cent per page, and that a Kindle Unlimited borrow influences Amazon Best Seller Rank as if it were a sale. Other perks he lists are 70% royalties in Brazil, Mexico, India and Japan (regions that otherwise pay 35% on books priced $2.99 to $9.99), and one promotional option per 90 days: either a five-day free book promotion or a seven-day Kindle Countdown Deal for the U.S. and UK only, with days splittable across the term. He also describes All-Star bonuses for very high page reads. His verdict is that it depends on goals: he recommends new authors try 90 days, says it favors fiction over nonfiction and series over standalones because readers can continue through a backlog, and says authors who want wider reach beyond Amazon or who see no return should opt out and use other distributors he names.

Key takeaways

• KDP Select is 90-day ebook exclusivity for Kindle Unlimited; print and audiobooks are not affected
• Pages read are paid from the Global Select Fund — Dale cites $34 million for December 2020 — and borrows also influence Best Seller Rank
• Select gives 70% royalties in Brazil, Mexico, India and Japan instead of 35% outside the program
• Each 90-day term allows either five-day free promotion days or a Kindle Countdown Deal (U.S. and UK only), not both
• Dale recommends new authors try one term, and says the program favors fiction and series over nonfiction and standalones

Episode details: published February 6, 2021 · 10:56 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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