OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
Should you self-publish exclusively on Amazon? That is the question many authors consider whenever they put a book out.
The benefits of exclusivity
Here are my thoughts as to why you should consider exclusivity with Amazon, which basically means that you cannot publish a particular work anywhere else BUT Amazon for a 90 day period when you opt in with the checkbox on the KDP publishing page.
KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited
The KDP Select help page describes the benefits to opting in as:
- Earn your share of the KDP Select Global Fund amount when readers choose and read more than 10% of your book from Kindle Unlimited, or borrow your book from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Plus, earn 70% royalty for sales to customers in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico.
- Choose between two great promotional tools: Kindle Countdown Deals, time-bound promotional discounting for your book while earning royalties; or scheduled Free Book Promotion where readers worldwide can get your book free for a limited time. [Note: you can still make your book permafree if you publish on multiple platforms, pricing free and then reporting the cheaper price to Amazon.]
Help readers discover your books by making them available through Kindle Unlimited in the U.S. and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL) in the U.S, U.K., Germany, France, and Japan. Kindle Unlimited is a subscription program for readers that allows them to read as many books as they want. The Kindle Owners' Lending Library is a collection of books that Amazon Prime members who own a Kindle can choose one book from each month with no due dates. When you enroll in KDP Select, your books are automatically included in both programs.
Help readers discover your books by making them available through Kindle Unlimited in the U.S. and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL) in the U.S, U.K., Germany, France, and Japan. Ease of changes
One of the big pains when you go direct to all platforms is the timing of price changes for sales. You can schedule a price change on Kobo and iBooks, but Nook can take a few days and Amazon's speed of change vary between 4 – 72 hours. Similarly, if you want to change back matter or fix a typo, you have to do it multiple times. Of course, you can use services like Smashwords, BookBaby or Draft2Digital and update once for all platforms, but I prefer to publish directly for the extra metadata fields I get on the various platforms.
If you are exclusive to Amazon, you only have to manage one site and one set of changes.
The drawbacks to exclusivity
There are several reasons why you shouldn't be exclusive to Amazon.
Global growth of digital markets. Don't miss out!
Amazon may be the biggest player in the US and the UK, but there are other retail stores and devices that dominate in other countries.
Germany, for example, is possibly the next big market for ebooks, and Amazon has 40% of the market. Apple iBooks and Tolino, an ebook reader and associated stores that are run by a group of German publishers, have the rest. I have found that my sales on the other German platforms match Amazon almost exactly.
My sales in Canada primarily come from Kobo, and both Kobo and iBooks break sales down into 50+ countries. We haven't even got started in the massive Asian markets yet!
The Compound Effect
I've found that by going direct to iBooks, Kobo and Nook, I have started to grow an audience there, and my income ticks up every month as their 
ecosystems discover my books. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy is a fantastic book that describes how little actions taken every day can add up over time to massive change, or massive impact over years. You can't expect to load your books up on Kobo and expect them to sell straight away, you need time in that market.
Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, says in his post on exclusivity that,
“It can take years to build readership at a retailer. Authors who cycle their books in and out of KDP Select will have a more difficult time building readership at Amazon's competitors.”
I have seen the Compound Effect on my blog, my online platform and my book sales over the last six years. I know things take time to build, and a few hundred dollars a month now may grow if I stay my course.
Independence and possibility of disruption
I'm an independent author, so I don't want to be dependent on any single income stream.
I love Amazon as much as the next indie author, as much as the next Amazon Prime junkie and happy customer, but in early 2008, I was laid off, along with 400 other people in one day from my department.
My one source of income disappeared very fast.
Few people saw the Global Financial Crisis coming, and we all had to adapt. Change is inevitable, so I choose to spread my bets amongst the retailers as well as selling directly from my own site.
In Jeff Bezos' interview with Charlie Rose in Dec 2013, Jeff said that at some point, Amazon itself would be disrupted. He just hopes it happens after he is dead!
I think about the future of this business a lot.
I'm 39, and I am not just building for the next year, I'm building for the rest of my life and hopefully leaving something for my family when I'm gone. As Amazon continues to rise and rise, we see the push back of many different industries against their domination. Who knows what the next 5 years will hold?
Conclusion: My personal choices around exclusivity
One of the best things about being an indie is personal choice, but of course, this can make it harder as well. I can't tell you what to do with your books, I can only say what I do myself.
- For anyone with one book and no platform, exclusivity seems to be the best way to get your book moving, at least in the initial period. I helped my Dad self-publish his historical thriller, Nada, last year, and put that in KDP Select. There was no point in going with the other platforms when the majority of his sales would be Amazon, and he had no intention of doing any ongoing marketing for the book. Free books allowed us to get the sales started and get some reviews.
- For translations, in a new market, with little ability to do other forms of marketing, exclusivity is also a good idea. I'm using KDP Select for my Spanish and Italian books, and the free promo days have enabled us to get the algorithms moving and get some reviews.
- For an established series that you are building over time, using more than one site is my personal choice. The compound effect will mean that over time, as I add books onto the platforms, and reach readers one by one, my sales will grow on the other sites. I also like spreading my income streams so I am not dependent on one platform for my livelihood. That's why the vast majority of my English language fiction and non-fiction is on all the major platforms.
- Trying new things is important! For this year's NaNoWriMo, I'll be writing a stand-alone novella that I will put on KDP Select in order to try out Kindle Unlimited. As a reader, I love the idea of KU. I already utilize borrows on Prime and I consume a lot of books. I also love to play with the available options we have.
So basically, when you have multiple books, you can adopt multiple strategies. Fantastic!
What are your feelings around exclusivity? Do you keep all your books on Amazon only, or do you spread your books on multiple sites? Have you started selling direct, and why? Please leave a comment and join the conversation below.
Top image: Flickr Creative Commons fence by John Curley, solving the GFC by Cathrin Idsoe
I have been exclusive with Amazon for almost a year and a half. With the recent changes the KDP Select where we now rely on normalized page counts I am branching out to other platforms as my enrollment periods end. I have had months with only 1k KNEPs and months with 10k KNEPs and seen very little difference in the payout. I believe Amazon to be honest and love their platform, both as a writer and a reader, but I need to be able to understand the payout structure and be able to predict my earning based on it. I can’t do that with the new KNEP structure. I am not a huge author and my work is flawed, but I still like to understand what is going on. I will be surprised if more indies don’t move away from exclusively being with Amazon because the changes they made in July to the global fund.
Hi Joanna,
I’ve written a book for 10-13 year olds and it is the first in a series of five books planned….thinking big. I started writing book 2. There will be illustrations in the book.
I’m in beta reader mode now and hope to publish the first book in late Jan ’16 here in US.
Is it possible to go KDP route and still get the book published in hard cover. Libraries will be great channel for this book and think this will be the type of book they’d want in hard cover.
Any insight on publishing routes as well as when to put out book 2….would be very helpful.
TK
Yes, Amazon KDP (and Select if you want to go that route) is for ebooks – so you publish print books separately. For hardbacks, check out IngramSpark.com. Also, check out these interviews http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/01/14/books-for-children-karen-inglis/ and http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2015/01/19/kindle-kids-book-creator/
I’m angry with KDP. I published a book last week. My first review was taken down because the reviewer was a friend of mine and somehow they claimed his account was connected with mine. Last night I saw a review from a stranger. I was excited because this was my first book. Today the review is gone. Try contacting the cowards. The won’t get on the phone with you. All they do is send a report and then send you and email. I called the main amazon number today and they’re supposed to email me regarding the second review which was online last night but now has magically disappeared. They’ll gladly accept payment from your book sales but won’t get on the phone with you. I highly don’t recommend KDP!
We have had reviews disappear as well. Reviews are what sells books! It’s so hard to get people to write reviews in the first place.
I wrote a thriller, mystery novel and spy trilogy i 6 ebooks in french langage, in this case I never accept excusivity and I’m happy to be free and to propose many online merchands (amazon and kobo and lulu for my trilogy).
http://www.timotheeribeiro.com/marchands-trilogie-aidez/
I have a novel who will be translated in english, I’m sure to not use exclusivity in english langage because you have many markets (australia, US, europeen, Asia, south américa… and many online ebooks merchands)
Thanks for a great summary, Joanna. I used KDP for three months and it did help my book get some traction on the UK site (not sure why), and now I’ve opened up to other channels. I see lost income KU read pages, but I’ve also already sold some copies on Nook and iTunes. It’s too early to tell which will be better long-term.
May I ask a question , though. If I put a non-KDP book free on Amazon (by means of putting it free on other sites and notifying Amazon’s price match), then does it have to stay free permanently on Amazon and/or other sites? Or Can I do it for a set period and then crank up the price again?
Thanks!
Amazon price matches so if you move the price up and down on the book at other stores, Amazon will price match. So you can ‘price pulse’ but it’s not entirely in your control when Amazon matches. All the best!
I told Amazon on Thursday that my latest book is free on kobo, and have sent further links to them since. How long does it take for them to get round to matching?
Best to email through Amazon Author Central and they do it quite quickly
Thanks ever so much Joanna. I did what you said and the book was free in less than 24 hours. And it’s going well.
Hi Joanna!
I’ve just started listening to your podcasts and I’d like to thank you for all the really useful information.
This article answers a lot of my questions about exclusivity and it has helped me to decide what I’m going to do! it’s good to be able to read the opinions of somebody who has tried both ways of doing things.
Hey Joanna, I just came across your website. I am looking into signing with a publisher for my first book to be published. My husband is concerned that I might be getting scammed. Is it normal for small publishing companies to want money up front to publish unknown authors. I don’t have a lot of time to self promote, and the publishing house I am talking to would also act as my agent. Feedback from any or all would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Jules, any company that asks for payment is an “author services” company, NOT a publisher. They make money on sales of services, not sales of books. Save yourself money, time and heartache and read ‘Choosing a self-publishing service’ by the Alliance of Independent Authors as that will help you determine who you want to pay. http://amzn.to/1m7Sv8X “There are sharks out there in the literary waters …”
hello.. i published my first book and i enrolled for kdp select
will my book be available on all stores, all over the world?
It will be available on all AMAZON online stores, all over the world 🙂
I am a published author (Lovers’ Rock – a romantic thriller – by Rupa Publications – India). I’ve received excellent reviews on Amazon/Flipkart. The book is not selling because: I don’t have a pretty face (which helps a great deal in India), I have no ‘Uncle’ or ‘Aunty’ in the media, and I am not a good salesman. My publisher rejected five of my submissions in a row! Why should they bet on a losing horse?
So I’ve decided on KDP, and am lost between KDP and KDP Select. Frankly, writing is my passion. Royalties don’t bother me at all. All I want is my stories to be read by as many readers as possible. What would you like to do, considering the situation.
Thank you for your time.
If you elect to not have your in KDP is there any change in the royalty schedule.
If you mean KDP Select, the exclusivity program, then no, it doesn’t affect your usual sale royalties.
Hi Joanna, long time listener, first time caller.
I’m a few weeks out from publishing my first young ads novel & I’m torn on whether KDP select is best for us. We’re in a bit of a unique position in that we have an established audience on YouTube (2.3M subscribers, about 50% teen girls) so I’m just trying to work out whether we would be smart to go as wide as possible with Kobo, ibooks, Nook etc. Any thoughts in our situation? Also is there any data on age of kindle vs iphone users & whether that should come into our equation?
Thanks so much, love your podcast by the way.
Dave
If you have an audience already, then going wide would be fine for you – but for YA, I’ve heard that print books often sell more than ebooks as teens don’t necessary have ebook accounts, or may have through parent’s accounts. But print books are less complicated – so make sure you have print on demand sorted 🙂 as for data on age and phones etc, you’d have to google for that 🙂 have fun!
PS. I presume you know all about John Green vlogbrothers YA author and YouTuber – I’d model his marketing 🙂
Hi Joanna,
I am putting my first children’s picture book on KDP Kids. I do want to promote it for a free period so when I am ready do I then set up on Kindle Select. I realize I have to stay with their for 90 day exclusive period but after that time expires can I go back to KDP Kids? Is it possible to jump in and out of Kindle Select for promotional reasons?
Thank you,
Sarah
Hullo Joanna,
I have e-published a book on KDP. I have since made changes, which have uploaded in the Kindle edition. However, the Paperback edition does not reflect the changes – it remains as the original text, without the changes. Is this correct? I have posed the question to KDP but have received no reply.
Thank you
Yes, they are separate. If you want to change the paper copy, you have to change that and upload the print files to Createspace.
Hi Joanna,
Thanks for providing this information.
I have just finished an adventure, fantasy book. I am planning to publish it with Kindle. But I also want to go for major publications, so I can generate more revenue and can reach to stores as well.
So my question is : Will the major publications accept my submission of the book which is available on Kindle?
This question is pinching me a big… Please help me with this.
Thanks & Regards,
Pankaj
Publishers will generally be interested if you sell a lot of books on your own first – see successes like Hugh Howey, Andy Weir, Meredith Wild and others.
JP…
Thanks for being there… you’re a treasured resource.
My initial plan was to give away my first novel (ebook) in an attempt to attract readers to my follow-on works. Can you point out the possible pitfalls of putting my soon-to-be-released novel in KDP Select for 90 days (free when possible… 99 cents otherwise) while publishing my three follow-on novels on Amazon and other ebook major venues at their regular prices?
Thanks again,
John
If you go exclusive, you will only get 5 free days, whereas if you go wide, you can use book 1 as a permafree. But many new authors start with KDP Select until they have more books, as it gives them more discovery on Amazon. As ever, there are pros and cons!
Great discussion – I would love to know which one you started with when you published Pentecost 🙂
I have 3 non fiction books in Kindle Select for many months and should have moved them a long time ago. I am in the process of compiling them inot a box set with Scrivener (drag and drop which I hope works out) and would like to know if it’s best to take them all out of KS and put the indiviudal books and the box set on other platforms including Kindle?
Thanks
Carole
– shall I take them all out of Kindle Select
Only you can make that decision Carole. Everyone has to decide what they want for their business. When I published my first books, there was no Kindle … so I did print only, and then KDP arrived along with Smashwords … and then Kobo and iBooks and other platforms … and then KDP Select … so basically, it changes so often that you can’t compare what I did back in 2008 or 2011 with what can be done in 2016 … it’s just not comparable. There are so many more options now. Luckily, we can always change our minds later!
On a similar road of life, I was laid off in August 2015. Like many adults, I had put aside my passion for writing when I became a parent. I chose the theoretical “be a good provider” as opposed to “follow your heart”.
So – now at 52, with 20 years experience in a field that will be flat for a year or forever, I find myself reevaluating the road that lies before me. I really would like to get at least ONE “word baby” out of my heart and head. An author that my wife follows mentioned KDP as an outlet and it certainly sounds promising. I really do appreciate your gifts to new or even mildly interested writers. Seriously, we’re all afraid that the water is cold……so we are made braver by the words of a swimmer such as yourself.
The water is cold, Douglas 🙂 but as per swimming in the ocean, once you’re in, you love it 🙂 All the best with your creative project – it’s certainly never too late to start.
Thanks Joanna – yes, everything changes so quickly and only I can decide. I will definitely put my new fiction book in KDP select – it will give me 90 days to write the following two which I have planned in my head, then I will make the first book free and take them out of KDP select and make a boxset – then onto the next book. I also have a non-fiction book, stashed away in a drawer, which I wrote about 10 years ago. I was told it was too controversial to publish, so now may be a good time for it to see the light of the day – maybe turn it into fiction 🙂
The following article is another great success story in self publishing which I love!
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/30/self-publish-and-be-damned-rachel-abbott-kindle?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Bookmarks+base&utm_term=164620&subid=6251294&CMP=EMCBKSEML3964