KDP Select Pros & Cons: IS IT WORTH IT?

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KDP Select Pros & Cons: IS IT WORTH IT? // As I've mentioned in past videos, I've talked a lot about switching my books from wide distribution to exclusive distribution through Amazon's KDP Select program. I wanted to take the time to go through the pros and cons to the KDP select program, the rules of being in the program, and whether or not you should choose to add your book to Kindle Unlimited, or if you should do wide distribution for your book. Some of the benefits of KDP select are kindle countdown deals and free book promotions, but what about the cons? We'll be talking about it all today!
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IN THIS VIDEO:
0:00 - Intro
1:37 - Rules of KDP Select
4:42 - Benefits of KDP Select
4:47 - Kindle Countdown Deals
9:14 - Free Book Promotions
11:02 - Enroll in Kindle Unlimited
15:06 - Downsides to KDP Select
17:34 - Should Your Book be on KDP Select?
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Mandi Lynn published her first novel when she was seventeen. The author of multiple books, Mandi spends her days continuing to write and creating KZbin videos to help other writers achieve their dreams of seeing their books published. Mandi is the owner of Stone Ridge Books, a company that works to help authors bring their books to life through cover design and digital book marketing. She is also the creator of The Book Launch Planner, a planner designed to help authors publish and market their books. When she’s not creating, you can find Mandi exploring her backyard or getting lost in the woods.
#kdpselect #kdpunlimited #bookpublishing
• KDP Select Pros & Cons...
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links. By purchasing a linked product or service, Mandi Lynn will receive a small commission at no additional fee to you.

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Read Meet Me at the Summit FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited, or get it for only $0.99 from now until April 23rd: amzn.to/3EuSt4Z

[@Pyotr_Troyan]

Is there an update video for the part at 21:01? ...for the KDP marketing tactic, using just KDP Unlimited/Select?

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

You nailed it when you said it's every author's question to face at some point lol, it's such a big question! I'm glad you made this video and I think it'll help with more awareness of what this program is!

[@GalenMicheal]

Great video as usual, Mandi!

[@worddesignpro3428]

Thank you Mandi, Great video and very productive. 🥰🥰🥰

[@pjalexander_author]

Thank you so much for all this info! ☺👍

[@WordsPictures997]

Thank you so much for doing this Mandi! You've explained everything so well. I've definitely gained clarity around KEPT Select.

[@jojozepofthejungle2655]

I'm a new author, so im making all those mistakes, but remember when someone read the 1st two pages of a book i made a lot of mistakes in and I am bloody grateful someone picked it up.

[@mikecook_author]

Thanks for another great video. I was curious about the pros/cons of KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited.

[@terribuckner3256]

Thank you so much for so clearly stating the pros and cons....I wish someone could make all of these decisions for me!

[@socman002]

Thanks - this just saved me distributing widly, when I suspected the result would be exactly as you metioned - complications with few sales. Very helpful, cheers. :)

[@pj3770]

Thank you for explaining this👍.

[@EmmaBennetAuthor]

Super helpful video, thanks!

[@aimorethanyouaskedfor]

Great video, Mandi.

[@classicalretroback]

I love your comprehensive videos and subscribed. I joined KDP select for my newly published ebook" Pressed But Not Squashed" by Sule Igoche. After 90days, I will opt out of KDP select to market wider on other ebook a promo platforms not exclusive to Amazon 😍👏🏽🎯💙📓💸

[@120paj]

Hi thank you for cleaning this up. Wow makes sense 🙂

[@mlp4apc]

I love your video. It explains in interesting detail the KDP Select system. I placed one book in there, but I am not sure how it will do as being read. It remains to be seen. Great video.

[@elizabethhackford]

Very helpful - thank you

[@destresswithyoga]

Great information as always!

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Thanks again!

[@GoldKingsMan]

Going Select for sure.

[@JCConnet]

Great explanation! Thanks.

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hjkluoijljoiu]

I decided to go wide because I think some of my audience might not want to buy on Amazon and I don’t want to be too dependent one one platform. If Amazon decided made a change that made KU untenable, I don’t want to scramble to get on other platforms. I agree that it should be up to an author and I’m glad we live in a time when self-publishing is accessible.

[@oneiceb5974]

Thank you ❤

[@thewoodsphotography]

Welcome back Mandi! Thanks for providing such great content!

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@amberleonem1]

Thank you! -Author of Can't Keep A Sober Girl Down

[@thefarwestist936]

Some helpful information. However, more clarity on difference and pros/cons between Kindle Direct Publishing and Kindle Select and the Kindle Unlimited option under Kindle Select would be useful. Also more clarity on whether print copies made and widely distributed by presses other than Amazon are permitted when in the Kindle Select agreement. Can self-printed copies be sold alongside an e-book on Amazon when in the Kindle Select contract? Alternatively, if a self-printed second edition of an e-book on Kindle Select was created could it be sold along side the e-book on Amazon?

[@insiteguru5720]

I took your advice and finally put my first book on kindle unlimited. I'm curious to see how it goes

[@Desertphile]

Thank you.

[@jodipatriceshaw314]

Mandi what do you suggest for new authors? I'm new to publishing and there is so much info it's so confusing where to start. Draft2Digital or Kindle like you said someone may not want to buy a first book in a series. I've written 10 in a series not all edited yet but written. So I have no clue where to start. Suggestions would be appreciated. TY for your videos btw. Your one on D2D was excellent with many good points as was this one.

[@AsirAjmal]

I am going for KDP Select for my book of short stories. Lets see what happens.

[@benbeeton]

THANKS!!!!!

[@suzettehopkins5734]

Thanks for the information as I have been confused about this, especially since I just learned about authors get paid via page reads yesterday. My sister and I just finished our third draft so we have not published yet. So does this mean users of kindle can choose to buy books out right or do a sub. Do you know if it also works this way on audible? I am asking as a reader because I have books on tape/cd but the new audible books don't come that way.

[@luvsnursing9946]

Is it best to place your book on kindle select after it’s been out for awhile?

[@annpippin6388]

Just printon demand says use my own copyright.If I don t owny own book, that was not what I was told just having it printed into a book. . Guess I better get back to them.

[@sallyalter6003]

i had a lot of pages read. going back to KDP.

[@bigphilly7345]

What is your genre?

[@Yanaristocrat]

Hi Mandi! Do you have any videos discussing different ways to promote and the best promotional tools?

[@MandiLynnWrites]

I have a marketing playlist, which you can find here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKPTi32AnN6YepY

[@rlverzier1545]

If you withdraw from wide distribution, do you remove all your books from that platform? For example if I'm on Draft2Digital and decide to move to Kindle Select, do I then remove the books or stop distribution there to put them on KS? TIA

[@aakashchotrani]

Can you publish audiobook on Audible if you opt in for KDP Select?

[@aanshikaa]

What if we make our ebook available on other platforms too and not specific to kindle unlimited and then... can we still change the book cost especially on amazon only, like how you said for countdown discount?

[@momo_genX]

I made an option to enroll, because I was baited by my own hurried excitement, also they said I could be in a storyteller contest. (john is sometimes a little full of hisself) We will see how well it does. Two are free on June 30 to celebrate Pride month, because I am proud of my work, not my Sexuality.

[@-Artbyp.smith1]

I think i messed up, can I upload an 8.52"x8.5" book on kindle ebook?

[@annpippin6388]

What s an estimate of how much to self publish on Amazon ,I m wondering

[@sheilalawson5682]

Do you prefer Lulu vs.KDP? Im still confused 😢

[@annpippin6388]

I m reading this 8/12/'23. .

[@lonnb5242]

Hi Mandi, did you stay in KDP Select? I see this vid was shot last April 2022 - thanks

[@rlverzier1545]

If you're on KDP Select, can you still publish to Google?

[@celiaeven878]

Hi Mandi! Regarding ARC and giving away books for promoting it (to librarians, journalists, influencers…), we in France have that little line that says that it is the only exception accepted to the rule of exclusivity (not a grey area, a real "it's okay" situation). Maybe you have it too in the US? It basically says that the tradition of ARCs goes way back and it's okay to continue so even if enrolled.

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Oh that's good to hear! I'll look closer into it! I'd like to assume it's the same way for the US.

[@celiaeven878]

@@MandiLynnWrites I decided to look for it to maybe help you find the place, but I can't find it anymore. My original research was made about 1-2y ago so maybe they changed it to avoid abuse ? The only thing left now is the same exception (ARC) for the "get-a-free-product-in-exchange-of-a-review" rule, which is forbiden on Amazon except for books and their long-lasting traditions of ARC. So… mystery unsolved

[@MandiLynnWrites]

@@celiaeven878 yeah I tried looking again an couldn’t find it either 😅

[@testlink6758]

Can people still buy your e-book when you enroll in KDP select

[@instudios8294]

How’s it going? I’ve watched a few of your videos and I am looking to see if you can publish your e-book on Amazon only, but your paper back and hard cover through Ingram. Do you have any videos that explain how to do a combination of both? And the pros and cons?

[@MandiLynnWrites]

KDP Select is just for ebooks. You can still have wide distribution for your paperback.

[@pj3770]

KDP Select vs Wide Distribution

[@JoeCoxJr]

I am about to launch my book by end of july 2023... question: I want to share copies of the book to reviewers but I dont understad what format is best to send via email to protect it for unlimited sharing.... can anyone guide me on that question?

[@MandiLynnWrites]

I use BookFunnel to share review copies of my books

[@MatildaRabbit]

Unless I'm mistaken, I think you can have some books in Select and some not, so it's per book. If so, you could have the first book in the series for zero and not in Select, but include the others in Select. That way you could offer the first for free to promote the series, right? Or am I mixing it up?

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Correct! You could do it that way!

[@BethanyAtazadeh]

You could do that, but it would probably upset your readers if you did, because readers in the select/unlimited program are in that program for a reason, so they're not going to be happy and most likely will not go on to buy.

[@annpippin6388]

Self publishhing cost you $5,000. To print first book?

[@syedwajahatali2020]

made notes.

[@directajith]

if i enroll in kdp select, and promote the quotes from the books in social media ( to promote the book itself) , is it a violation of terms ?

[@authortommcauliffe3692]

Not that I can find

[@Catharsis-lu5xr]

Hey Mandi! Quick question... If I put my EBook into KDP Select/Unlimited, can I still use my own printing service/distributor for the physical version? Thanks so much, D

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Yes you can! The select program in only for ebooks. Physical books you can still do whatever you'd like

[@Catharsis-lu5xr]

@@MandiLynnWrites Thank you so much!

[@Catharsis-lu5xr]

@@MandiLynnWrites I just got a different response from Amazon. They are saying in order to be enrolled in KDP Select, I have to publish AND print through KDP???? I'm so confused... :(

[@Millicent241]

I have had an initial online chat with a amazon representative and they have given me 2 different costs for publishing, Option 1: Standard Publishing & Distribution - The book will be published on Amazon & Kindle in e-book, paperback and hardcover formats with unlimited print on demand. £765 Option 2: Global Extensive Publishing & Distribution - The book will be published on over 30+ platforms including Barnes & Noble, Amazon US, UK, AUS, Google Books, Apple Books, iUniverse etc in ebook, paperback and hardcover formats with unlimited print on demand. £1445 In the video's I have watched so far, no one has mentioned the cost. Are these figures correct or is there a cheaper way of doing it? I am based in the UK. Many thanks.

[@MandiLynnWrites]

You shouldn’t be paying Amazon anything to publish your book. That honestly sounds like a scam unless it’s some marketing feature they have, in which case, it’s still a cost you don’t need to make.

[@Millicent241]

Thank you so much. I will explore why they were charging that. Thanks again

[@bigphilly7345]

Look at all the authors who lost their KDP accounts. All were in Select. Very risky going all-in with Amazon.

[@calviv1]

What do you mean “lost” their KDP accounts?

[@alexiswhittier7119]

But people can get a refund for the entire book after they read it on Kindle even though they read the entire book.

[@zackjames2381]

You're joking. Hows that allowed

[@NR-rv8rz]

Great advice. But please, please please learn how to pronounce 'button'.

[@VenturesAdventure]

FREE BOOK? Well, just gone through KDP terms & conditions. Kindly get your *facts corrected,* please. KDP SELECT is not worth it! *I cannot think of giving away my hard-written material, just like that, for free!*

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Kindly get your facts correctly. You don’t give your book away for free. You are paid per pages read.

[@SteveJVolk]

Please practice lowering your voice so that it doesn't sound so nasal and irritating.

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Lol thanks for the feedback

[@SteveJVolk]

Love your positive attitude. God Bless.

[@jodipatriceshaw314]

@@MandiLynnWrites I don't find your voice nasally or annoying and that was a rude comment. If you don't want to listen to her and it bothers you don't watch the video. We shouldn't have to practice changing our voices to appease someone. Jeez.