Estimates: 60% of KU reads self-published; 80% Amazon ebook revenue trad published

[Quantum]

Although this article focuses on traditional publishing, it has some interesting statements about self-publishing and Amazon.

This article seems to indicate that so far in 2017 many people are reading fewer ebooks from traditional publishers (the big 5, small and mid-sized publishers).

Too bad authorearnings.com hasn't published any numbers since February.

Thoughts? If you're self-published, does this info affect your pricing strategy or do you think you should wait until your sales are higher to increase your price? With it's dropping revenue per page payout, might you be inclined to look at KU as spiraling down to become the ghetto of book publishing? Nothing is forever, especially in hi-tech.

Earlier this year, Michael Cader of Publishers Marketplace published a four-part series on the state of the publishing industry as told through various statistics. In that analysis, he offered the following market share analysis for ebook retailers:

Amazon: 71 percent
iBooks: 14 percent
Nook: 9 percent
Google: 2 percent
Other: 4 percent

If you look only at the universe of Amazon ebook sales, Cader believes that self-published work constitutes about 40 percent of unit sales. However, he also estimates that publishers capture about 80 percent of the ebook dollars because of their higher pricing.

Cader also shows that self-published work accounts for about 60 percent of Kindle Unlimited reads and other borrows. The remainder is made up of titles from Amazon Publishing and the Kindle First promotional program (which offers Amazon Publishing titles only). Cader writes of Amazon’s proprietary e-reading programs, “[They] could be moving more units than all of the competitive stores together. It also means that Amazon Publishing … is on its own close to the size of the entire non-Amazon market.”

(https://www.janefriedman.com/publishi...)

[Krazykiwi]

Alex wrote: "Cader also shows that self-published work accounts for about 60 percent of Kindle Unlimited reads and other borrows."

If you discount the Amazon own imprints like 47 North and Montlake.... doesn't self-published work account for about 95% of the content in KU and the Prime lending library? Other than the in house Amazon imprints and the very large publishers who get preferential treatment (e.g., Harry Potter), I don't think many actual trad publishers release their books into KU.

In which case, 60% reads is actually surprisingly low.

[Ian]

When I see the word "estimate" I get a little suspicious. I think it is clear that Amazon has a big hold on the market, and an even bigger one on indie books because the others don't really try to sell them. Listing them on the last few pages of a search does not do much good at all. I still think there is room for them to up their game but I am not holding my breath. Apple and Google merely have the sales because the items exist - they make their money elsewhere, so they don't care that much.

[Eldon]

Ian wrote: "Apple and Google merely have the sales because the items exist - they make their money elsewhere, so they don't care that much. ..."

Does Amazon not make their money elsewhere...?

[Ian]

@ Eldon, yes of course Amazon makes money elsewhere, but in Amazon's case, they do care about books. However, Amazon started only as an internet store; Apple and Google started as something else, and the "store" part is merely a clip-on.