The Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform is a powerful tool that allows any independent author or publisher to compete with New York’s largest publishers in the sale of Kindle eBooks. Gaining fair market access is no longer an obstacle to a successful publication. The main challenge is to get the attention of potential readers. And that’s where the KDP Select program comes into play.
What is the KDP Select program?
KDP Select is an exclusive publishing agreement between Amazon and authors who publish their eBooks through the Kindle Direct Publishing platform. When an author enrolls in the program, they can take advantage of various marketing tools not available to non-members.
Enrolling in the program is easy. Whenever an author adds a new ebook to their KDP account, Amazon will ask if they want to enroll the book in the Select program. If declined at that time, the author can enroll a book in the program later through a link in the KDP library. Enrollment is set separately for each published eBook. So an author may have some eBooks registered and some unregistered.
By enrolling an ebook in the KDP Select program, an author agrees to sell the digital version of their book exclusively through Amazon’s KDP program. The eBook may not be sold in any other digital format (including PDF files sold from the author’s website) during the term of the agreement.
The Select program runs for a period of 90 days. By default, the enrollment is set to automatically renew for another period at the end of the 90 days.
If an author chooses to disenroll from the program, they must still abide by the exclusivity agreement through the end of the current 90-day enrollment period. Failure to do so could jeopardize the status of your account.
KDP Select Program Benefits
So, you may be wondering, what benefits does an author gain from granting exclusive publishing rights to their eBook to Amazon? Basically, you get more exposure on the Amazon website, your book is included in the Kindle Lending Library, and you are allowed 5 promotional giveaway days for your eBook during each enrollment period.
Amazon’s website and Kindle readers make for an amazing sales ecosystem. In every facet of the Amazon marketplace there are cross-promotion opportunities that can help sell more copies of your book. There are bestseller lists (for both free and paid eBooks). When you view the promotional page for an eBook, Amazon generates and displays a list of other eBooks that “may be of interest to you.” On the order pages, Amazon tells you what other products were bought by the people who bought what you just paid for. In short, there are several places where Amazon sneaks in on a quick sales message. As a member of the select program, you get better exposure in this ecosystem.
Kindle Lending Library is a benefit for people who join the Amazon Prime program. Those members can borrow one book per month from the library at no charge. Amazon sets aside a block of money each month to divide among all the people whose books have been borrowed. Each loan can generate several dollars in income for the author. Your book appears in all areas that list available library books (plus exposure). Also, when people view your book’s sales page, they’ll see the price highlighted as free, for Amazon Prime members. The asking price for everyone else is listed below in more subtle text.
Finally, Select members can gift their books for free for up to 5 days per enrollment period. These days off can generate massive exposure for your eBook. Amazon generates best-seller lists for free and paid Kindle books in each category. The lists are displayed side by side on the website. So if you make it to the top of the free chart, you can be seen right next to the highest paying book – more exposure.
Disadvantages of the KDP Select Program
The biggest downside to signing up for the KDP Select program is that your ebook cannot be sold on any other ebook platform. No sales to Nook owners or iPad users, and no sale of PDF versions directly through their website. Amazon dominates the eBook market, but there are plenty of other places to sell your eBook. Many people don’t realize that you can read Kindle books using free apps, so they skip the Kindle Marketplace because they think they need to have a Kindle device.
Days off, as many authors have discovered, are not a marketing magic wand. Just because you give away your book doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly become popular and make sales after the giveaway ends. And the benefits may not be worth the restrictions that your ebook only sells through Amazon.
Just as days off aren’t magic, the Kindle Lending Library isn’t a guarantee of wealth, either. Since Amazon Prime members are restricted to one eBook loan per month, they often save it for a pricey title. As I write this, Amazon has set aside $600,000 for Kindle Lending Library payments (a figure that has been consistent for several months). The promise is enticing, but the results are not guaranteed.
Should I enroll in the KDP Select program?
The decision to enroll depends on many factors. If you only have one title, you are better off publishing on multiple platforms and also selling directly from your website.
If you have multiple eBook titles, you may choose to enroll some of your eBooks in the program as a way to expose new readers to your work and guide them to your other eBooks.
Your goals for the publication may be to establish your expertise and reach new customers for your business rather than to profit from book sales. In that case you would benefit from being able to reach a wide audience through the free days.
Ultimately, you need to weigh the pros and cons of enrollment and decide what makes the most sense for you. Oh, and make sure you turn off the automatic renewal option, in case you change your mind later.