Part 3 of my book marketing series.
To be exclusive, or not to be? It’s an age-old dilemma for the self-publishing world. There are already tons of articles and blogs ruminating over this. Some indie authors are hardcore about that KDP Select hustle. In scrolling through Reddit, some authors claimed that KDP Select makes up 75-95 per cent of their writing income. That’s incredibly tempting.
If you’re focused on short-term income and that instant gratification, then KDP Select can be successful. Some authors make a full-time living on KDP alone, so it’s more than a valid option. Especially when KDP holds 80 per cent of the eBook market in the UK and US.
I am not a believer in exclusivity. Personally, as a reader, I use Kobo and have a Kobo Plus subscription, and rarely buy anything from Amazon. With this pandemic ripping open societal issues that have for many years been swept under the rug, we see more and more a move to shopping local and less support for these ridiculously rich people. Amazon knows us indie authors are hungry for book sales and income. The exclusivity cause really feels a grab for more royalties, snatching that small share away from other stores. I know, I know. Capitalism, blah, blah, blah, competition, blah, blah blah…
My point is, the entire point of self-publishing is to maintain control over your writing career.
Why go exclusive with one company? If Amazon changes anything, you’re at their mercy and your only source of income could change overnight.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
And in breaking down KDP Select, the biggest pros for it are Kindle Unlimited and the Lending Library. However, Amazon is not the only company that offers similar services for readers. Kobo Plus does the same thing, though it has regional restrictions. Scribd is more international. But there are various eBook subscription services out there where you could have your eBook available. The same goes for the Lending Library – other sites do this. It is not purely an Amazon thing. While KDP allows authors to run campaigns and promotions, both Smashwords and Draft2Digital do the same. Smashwords has used digital coupon codes for years. D2D allows scheduled promotions and has an entire tab of the author dashboard dedicated to it.
I guess I never understood why KDP Select is praised when basically the same options are already out there. Going wide with distribution means hitting other audiences, reaching more readers and building a steady following. Maybe it isn’t the quickest way to rocket up sales, but it is still effective. You maintain more control over your career instead of relying on one giant. It means creating reader connection, which means they are likely to continue following you, versus the instant gratification of short-term sales bursts.
So, what are the alternatives to KDP Select?
Your author website is your best tool in book marketing. It is where you have ultimate control. See my full post on it here. But you can have a page for your books and where they are sold, you can have a shop on your site, sell books from there, and run endless promotions. It is your corner of the internet.
Alongside your website, your mailing list will be your best friend. Grow your readership and recruit them to your mailing list to announce new releases, promotions and to build your connection with readers. It gives them something consistent that doesn’t let them forget about you. With over seven million books on Amazon, it is easy to get lost in that ocean. You don’t want readers to buy your book, forget about you, then never come back for more. With a mailing list, you give them reasons to come back. MailChimp is the mailing list service I have seen most recommended.
Draft2Digital is the distributor I am currently using for “Beyond Dark 1: Belladonna”. It was incredibly easy to use and the site has lots of information. It also has a print program! I had no issues with automated formatting for either print or eBook. If you know basics of formatting, it is a breeze. If you don’t, hiring someone is usually affordable. I have also used Smashwords in the past and were equally as happy with them. I chose D2D for “Beyond Dark” because of the print program, but Smashwords is also easy to use for those who are just publishing eBooks.
Targeted ad campaigns are something I have heard mixed reviews about. This includes paid ads on Facebook, Bookbub or elsewhere. Some authors have told me these ads do little to nothing for their sales, while others have said their sales do well after. It comes down to experimenting, I think. It’s hard to stand out in an oversaturated market. Don’t spend your entire savings on ads until you know how they will work for you. Start small. Let it grow. I have yet to experiment with these, as I can’t afford to at this time. It’s in my future plans.
A common tactic for those who write a series is to make the first book permanently free, luring readers into the series so that they’ll buy the books to come after. I know a few authors who do this, though I have never asked how it impacts their sales. But readers love free books, and readers who love a certain book are usually willing to invest in more.
The slow and steady route is the alternative to KDP Select.
It is the route I have chosen in hopes I can build that steady readership and engagement over time, in order to have returning readers. At the end of the day, that’s what one must do when deciding to go wide or exclusive. I’ve also seen the advice to use KDP Select for the first three months of your book’s release then go wide. I read a few comments online that said this worked well for them.
If you choose to go exclusive with KDP Select, you should still have a professional-looking website where readers can sign up for your mailing list. A mix of the two tactics is by no means a terrible thing. You simply cannot make your book available elsewhere, which cuts off many readers outside of Amazon. As a reader, it becomes disheartening to see a book I want to read, but it is only available on Amazon. Don’t limit yourself to just one site. Be free to experiment before or after that 90-day period if you use it. At the end of the day, do what is best for you and your book, and look ahead to the long term.
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
I am purely curious to see if I can make a decent writing career without using KDP Select. Have any indie authors out there done this? What was your experience?
For more details on KDP Select visit this Reedsy post.
Stay tuned for my next post in a couple weeks! I’ll be doing a monthly feature on various serial killers and criminal psychology! Thanks for stopping in, and don’t forget to subscribe!
Comments