Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Via Smashwords: Is Kindle Unlimited Bad for Authors?

 Full Disclosure---My work is not in the KDP Select program as I have been trying to reach as many readers as possible. My sales are fairly equal between all the platforms so the business decison for me is to stay the course. Others will feel differently .......

mashwords: Is Kindle Unlimited Bad for Authors?: Amazon today unveiled Kindle Unlimited, following in the footsteps of Smashwords partners Scribd and Oyster. When I first heard of Kindl...

3 comments:

Terry W. Ervin II said...

I believe it's too early to tell how this will affect authors, and readers/readership.

There are too many unknowns, in reimbursement and how man actual subscribers there will be after the free 30 day trial, reactions by some self-published and small presses, and even the larger presses.

For me as an author, I am guessing it might not be so beneficial to be a part of Kindle Unlimited, but also not so beneficial not being a part of. I think overall, while it might increase 'readership' it'll decrease income, even from an expanded readership.

How will this adversely affect the reader? In the long run it'll reduce the number of authors willing to put in the time and effort to write good novels. If the payoff for the time and labor isn't there, why not do something else instead?

Of course, this is all just speculation on my part. Say, in November through January, when numbers of actual Kindle Unlimited paid membership shakes out and their reading habits begin to take shape (number they read in the KU realm and purchase outside of it), and the number participating authors/publishers.

Whatever the results, change is something that will always occur. May make some happy while making others not so much.

Kevin R. Tipple said...

I think it is too early as well.

Publishers marketplace has an interesting story this morning how the lends are being counted as "sales" by Amazon and how this has massively scewed the kindle bestselling lists. I'm not surprised as I figured this deal was designed to tilt things in Amazon's favor.

adan said...

Have tried Select three times, each time with decreasing results.

Am in 3rd day with one (new) title in Kindle Unlimited - sales have flat-lined, even my one free title is barely bubbling.

Reads on Scribd continuing to do well. May pull my title from KU and return it to being non-exclusive.

Exclusive doesn't appear to pay for a writer at my level.

Discovery would be to only one title, rather to all of them at each location.