KDP Select Review: Worth It in 2024?

[@rwgpublishing929]

I put all of our books set to select for a year and lost hundreds of dollars. It used to be fantastic but something changed in the last few years

[@DaleLRoberts]

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

[@kevchilton908]

Outstanding information again, Dale. For the past few weeks, I've been trawling through the myriad of online data, searching for the exact up-to-date facts and figures you've produced here in one video. I've picked up bits and pieces here and there (mostly from your previous videos and podcasts), but it's great to see it all here in one slik, professional delivery. Thank you so much! 🙏👏🏻👏🏻

[@DaleLRoberts]

Glad it was helpful!

[@theresamcevoy6120]

I had one book in KDP Select and it was not worth it, so when I redid my first book and then my second book I refused to do KDP Select. I refuse to do that but I did found that Kobo has the same idea, but authors are not limited, so no Select for me. The 5-day promotion for 30 days is not worth it.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@theresamcevoy6120]

Just Note: For your book to be put in a library, ensure you get an LCC # from the Library of Congress. Also, note this number is free for the US.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks for the tip!

[@AuthorNationLive]

Wow! What great research and breaking down how KDP works and why authors may be seeing page reads going up while revenues are dropping. Keep up the good work.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks so much for the kudos!

[@teramigon]

Canceled. Honest, reasonable and useful. Thank you, Mr Roberts!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Bestactiongames001]

I just love how the people subscribed are engaged with the videos

[@DaleLRoberts]

I’m very fortunate. It’d feel weird not having engagement.

[@Bestactiongames001]

@@DaleLRoberts true.. and by the way i just logged into my Kobo account I abandoned nearly 2 years now... Amazon's been acting weird like they're censoring stuff now..

[@DaleLRoberts]

You’re in great hands with Kobo Writing Life. They’re an excellent company that was founded by an indie author with the goal to give indie authors a place to distribute their books. Love me some KWL!

[@vikkiwalton6229]

This last month I made more wide than I did on Amazon. I'm thankful I went wide.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Nice! Congrats!

[@ScullyPop]

Thanks for bringing us this interesting news.

[@DaleLRoberts]

You bet!

[@gabriellenunez.motherhoodbliss]

Excellent video!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks for watching!

[@CarrLuke]

Crabs in a bucket! 😂 Great stuff as always, Dale

[@DaleLRoberts]

Haha well, it’s true. 🤷‍♂️🤣

[@mindmatters3826]

Very helpful and enlightening...thank you so much

[@DaleLRoberts]

You are so welcome

[@guillaumemaurice3503]

Thank you Dale for the video & the in-depth information about KDP Select, that was brilliant. Last year in 2023 I did enroll some of my e-books on KDP just to test the waters but had no success. So what I did when the 90-day period ended I decided to go wide instead and uploaded them onto D2D and had some success with them. Yes it does seem there's issues with KDP (even though they are that good) and yes it has caused authors some problems. I very recently conversed with a friend of mine in the USA (but, she's Canadian) and she suggested to me that I should AI but, I responded that Amazon KDP tend to frown on the use of AI (& very recently they added that question on their platforms). My friend told me that if I don't use it I could get left behind; so the question I have to ask myself is what would happen to me if I use AI? Very mind-boggling.

[@DaleLRoberts]

KDP isn't anti-AI. They just ask you disclose it. In fact, they have a rather pro-AI stance.

[@alohafamily1]

Clear thinking! Thumbs up!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks!

[@JesicaJacksonWriteAgainstAbuse]

Love every single video you make! My books are in KU and they do okay (I've had the All-Star bonus for the last 4 months - I think it's a lot easier to achieve in the UK than the US). But I have a question about changing the price manually after running either of the KU Deals. I seem to remember that your price is locked in for a certain period (30 or 60 days?) after the Deal. As a bona fide control freak, I like the opportunity to change the price myself, if and when I want to.

[@DaleLRoberts]

I believe it’s 30 days, but that’s just based on memory so you should double check. BIG congrats on getting the All-Star Bonus! In instances like yours, I think it’s a wise decision to stay with them.

[@JesicaJacksonWriteAgainstAbuse]

@@DaleLRoberts Thank you, Dale. As I've sold more than 2 books and am now a complete expert 😂 I'm writing a book celebrating self publishing and how I did it at no cost, by using info from people such as you. I'd like to mention you and post a link to your stuff. If that's okay with you, what link would be the most helpful, do you think?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Hey, thanks so much! Feel free to share a link to this channel. That’s so incredibly kind of you: www.KZbin.com/@dalelroberts. I appreciate the kind words and the sweet gesture. Thank you!

[@JesicaJacksonWriteAgainstAbuse]

@@DaleLRoberts Fabulous! Thank you, Dale, and it's my pleasure.

[@barbaramartinez7871]

Great information as usual. I'm on a loooooong learning curve. I've been exclusive on KDP Select. Have an ebook, paperback and just set up audiobook through the audio Beta on Amazon/Audible. I've been advertising in US, UK and Canada. I'm probably more in the hobby category but I'd like to at least consider expanding. I'm interested in what you think about book aggregators for those of us who don't want to be bothered. I think a new video of yours popped up this morning that might address that. Do you have any other videos that address this and do you have any thoughts on aggregators that are good to work with and ones to avoid.

[@DaleLRoberts]

You’ll want to watch my video about KDP Select then: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5jaqKCbhbt2gpI

[@MargaretPinard]

Yes! Celebrate any bestseller status accolades! Love the crabs in a bucket reference. 🤣

[@DaleLRoberts]

Indeed! It gets so silly with some authors, almost like they're too busy getting high on the fumes of their own flatulence. I honestly dislike when authors punch down on other authors for celebrating those victories. A victory is a victory, even if it's not New York Times Bestseller status or the Pulitzer Prize. Some folks need to do better. haha

[@merrybryana2107]

It seems nobody gets to talk about publishing a poetry book on Amazon, the kinds of Keywords to use base on the themes, if or not to enroll it on Kindle Select, or what tips or option is best to keep readers engaged to buy the books along with reviews. Pls i will really appreciate Dale, if you get to talk about this specifically, cos it's rare to find a video for it on KZbin. And i just published my poetry book 'Red or White?(What will be our fate tomorrow?) I'm stuck don't know what to do, seems there is something I'm definitely not doing right. Pls i will really appreciate this if you do. Thank you!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Hmmm, I need to tap into someone with experience there. Have you ever caught Orna Ross’s podcast with the Alliance of Independent Authors? She’s a prolific author who covered poetry a lot a few years ago. I’m forgetting the name of the segment since ALLi did more than just podcasts about poetry. Look Orna up and you might be able to get concrete answers. I’m gonna see about reaching out to her and see if she’s be up for a video collab. You and I would be learning together. Haha Slightly off topic: Have you heard of the indie publishing company, Two Dollar Radio? They’re a local company who publish a LOT of poetry. I’m not sure if they’re accepting submissions, but based on how much they actively promote their signed authors, it might be something worth looking into. Not to be confused, Two Dollar Radio isn’t a vanity press, more of a trad pub company. They have a killer stock of books at their brick and mortar location. They even host launch parties and poetry readings. Just a random thought. 🤔

[@theresamcevoy6120]

Lol, correcting a manuscript can be a pain. I know I found a stupid mistake, a section was repeated twice and I was so angry with myself for not catching that and it was hell to correct all my books in all locations

[@DaleLRoberts]

I feel your pain all too well. Hahah been there!

[@K0MRDRadioPrepper]

just registered on Kobo based on this video.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Oh nice!

[@theresamcevoy6120]

I have a question for you, that is off this topic, have you ever been asked by another author, to do a review, and when you state that you haven't read the book they give you what you should say and a special link to do the review. (I didn't do it because I refuse to do reviews if I haven't read the book)

[@DaleLRoberts]

You’re right to feel that way. Pass! Don’t leave a fake review, no matter how much pressure they put on you.

[@MargaretPinard]

Yes! A cog in the machine of global domination, and they don't care about giving us a fair shake, ebooks are just their loss leader. Sighhhh. Why'd ya have to be so right, Dale?? Also, love a good boiling frog reference! 👏

[@DaleLRoberts]

Hey, thanks! This piece took me quite some time to put together, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.