Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Sweetens the Select Deal

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But are they just making the rich, richer?

If you haven’t seen this post from Amazon about the new Select All-Stars program, I suggest you head over and take a look, especially if your books are in KDP Select. Essentially, Amazon needed an additional $2.7 million (on top of the standard $2 million), just to get August’s KU/KOLL borrows payout to $1.54. They had to more than double the pot, and it still came out almost $0.50 below the average for the last two years!

In addition, they’ve installed an All-Star program for the Top 100 books and authors per month who are in the Select program. The numbers look amazing, but when it comes down to it, Amazon is simply rewarding those who are already successful. And, if these top authors are then further thrust into additional spotlight, what chance does it give to anyone else wanting to break into the top? Are they just making it better for those who already have it good?

As always, the folks over at kboards are already heatedly debating the possible issues. 😉

What do you think? Good for the author or bad for the author?

Happy Book Birthday!

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Mulraney_PENDRAGON_BOOK1_EbookEdition

It’s been a long time coming, but Danny Dirks and the Heir of Pendragon is now live and available for purchase through Amazon. It’s a fun story that I’ve really been excited to work on and refine for publication. If you’ve been following along this summer, I’m sure you’ve heard me ramble on about it. I hope it’s the first of many good books I want to produce in the YA for boys vein (though I think girls will enjoy this story as well). I look forward to getting it out into the wild and continuing my work on its sequel… the next book you get to hear me ramble on about… Danny Dirks and the Heir of Mordred. Thanks for all of your past and continued support.

P.S. Sharing this news with your friends and colleagues would be the greatest gift you could give my book on its birthday. Thanks! 😉

Kindle Unlimited is live!

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Check out the new Kindle Unlimited. Readers get unlimited books for $9.99 a month from a pool of qualified books (639,674 books as of this writing). Authors whose books are enrolled in KDP’s Select program are automatically enrolled. Royalties will work as they do with the Global Fund for borrows, so long as the reader gets past the 10% mark of your book. In fact, it’s all coming out of the same pool.

Not sure yet what to think, but it sounds like this might be a good discovery tool for the first book in a series, but have negative affects on folks with books priced much more than $2.99. I have two books in Select at the moment and I wasseriously debating pulling them. Now, I’m not so sure. I might keep them in for another 90 days just to see what happens. Thoughts and comments welcome!

Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Unlimited for $9.99/month

Kindle Unlimited is coming. Will you sign on?

/ samulraney / 4 Comments

Do/Would you use a subscription service for books?

Amazon just accidentally previewed a new subscription service called Kindle Unlimited today. Built in direct competition to Oyster and Scribd’s subscription services, I’m curious to see what happens with this new venture. Personally, I don’t read enough books (shame on me!) to warrant a monthly service at $9.99 a month. I’m lucky to clear 12 books a year. By the looks of it, so far they only have a few publishers signed on in addition to their indie authors’ books already signed up for Kindle Select.

Some authors are already worried that this could lead to a drastic reduction in royalties. Others are worried that they won’t have the option to opt in or out of the service, separate from being in Select. Of course, this is all just speculation as Amazon has not officially announced (or launched for that matter) the Kindle Unlimited service.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you use a subscription service? Will this make you want to sign up for one, or switch from the one you have? Comments welcome!