Is KDP Select The Right Choice?
Most authors will tell you “I can only share my own experience.” Nobody wants to say anything bad about Amazon
. It is the number one place to self-publish your book.
However, there are some facts to keep in mind, especially if you are a first-time author.
There are two main reasons people self-publish:
They could not or did not want to go through the maze of getting a traditional publisherThey wanted to maintain control of their literary product.
With that in mind, realize that when you sign up with KDP Select, you cannot offer the e-book version to anyone else–-not a reviewer, not a contest, not a friend. The penalties for doing so are quite strong.
KDP Select puts you on Kindle Unlimited with a free version, but you’re competing with over a million other authors. Divide that almost $20 million by over a million. Even if every author was equal, which they aren’t, you’d get $20. Top well known authors are the ones pulling the cash. If you’re a brand new author, your chances of making good money are not great. It’s just a fact.
Another point to consider is building your readership. You can’t promote to Kindle Unlimited users; only Amazon knows who they are. Ads to gain more readers via Facebook are a shot in the dark. I tried using “Kindle Unlimited” as a target audience category for Facebook and got Kindle users or people who have mentioned Kindle. In other words, I couldn’t advertise to Kindle Unlimited subscribers. That audience is unknown to you, nameless, and you can’t contact them.
The above is my experience and may not be yours. The contract is short so if you think you can pull enough readership, by all means, try it out. However, I can tell you this for certain — an author needs to promote their books whether they are published traditionally or otherwise, I take my stand with offering a self-published book on every outlet possible.
The way to maintain control of your publication is easy.
Build a list of readers. I have learned the best thing to do is write minimally TWO books. One is free and the others are your income. The free book could be the first in a series, an e-book about your writing journey or a collection of deleted scenes. Or, you can offer participation in writing your book with beta reading, title contests, etc. The point is to offer your audience something fun and valuable to build your own mailing list of readers and fans.
The tried and true way is to accumulate names of people who want what you’re offering is to use a landing page (a page where someone gets something of value in exchange for their email address) and an email service such as Mailchimp (funny name, great service). Podcasts, YouTube, hangouts and other media-based efforts are all good, especially if it gets more names onto a list that is under your control.
When I did network marketing, the phrase was always “the money’s in the list.” A customer base that belongs to you is as important as the literary product that belongs to you. Every time you turn over control to someone else, you put your income at risk.
Help others be successful.
Getting something for nothing never works in the long run. This universe seeks balance. For example, if you need reviews, help others with reviews. Buy and read books from your favorite authors. Read articles and subscribe to author websites. Connect with them on social media. At the very least, you’ll learn something.
Authors like Mark Dawson, Joanna Penn, Nick Stephenson, Dave Chesson, Joe Nassise, Dave Farland, Jane Friedman and many, many more, have awesome advice on writing and publishing.
If you have other tips and tricks of the trade, feel free to share them in the comments.
