Amazon Kindle Unlimited -- Cost to Authors
Like many people, I like to read. I do it in a number of ways: Physical books I buy; books I borrow from friends; those I buy online; and in the past via Kindle Unlimited.
I've made a conscious effort to move away from main stream services like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, and attempted to engage with independent sellers.
In terms of what I consume, I don't like reading mainstream -- you know, the top ten books. They are often written by very popular authors, and to a formula, or by comedians or celebrities.
Don't get me started on celebs publishing books. There are thousands of authors desperately looking for a break into publishing, and they are awesome. But along comes a celeb with a pretty(!) face and, bang, the publishers are falling over themselves to get it out there. And the general public are tripping over their feet desperate to buy it.
I, on the other hand, really enjoy reading (and supporting) fresh, independent authors. I've discovered some great penmanship over the years and have been delighted to watch these newcomers grow and continue to publish awesome novels.
Back to the theme of the blog post!
Kindle Unlimited (KU)
This is one of the most popular methods for people to feed their reading habits. Run by Amazon, anyone with a Kindle device can pay a monthly subscription to read as many books as they wish 1 -- those books within the KU license agreement with authors!.
How much does the author make?
Amazon have a Global Fund for KU. They have a set pot of money each month to support their initiative. Authors are then paid on a per-page-read basis for any of their KU books.
Amazon keep relatively quiet about the exact detail, however it is generally accepted that a page is 187 words for their calculations.
In terms of the price per page, that varies but is usually around $0.004. Therefore, for an author to receive $4 requires 1,000 pages to be read. This can be by a small number of people, or many people only reading a few pages of the book.
Checking the last several books I have read, it would seem that 240 pages is a rough average. Let's say $1 for an entire book read.
It's not a lot, but equally it can quickly add up. KU is massive. Although Amazon do not publish the stats, there are a guesstimated 2 four-million subscribers to KU.
If an author puts their book on KU, makes it a decent length, and more importantly markets it well to get people reading it, the cash can mount up gradually.
Should all books be on KU?
That's the choice for the author, or publisher -- depending on the contract with the author. It sounds like there is no negative to listing it on KU!
One major downside to having a book on KU is that the book can only be on KU, and NOT sold as an e-book anywhere else. The author can remove their books at any time, but this exclusive license continues for 90 days after de-listing.
A bit of a bind if you want to spread your readership across platforms.
Avoiding KU
Me, personally, I am struggling to avoid going to KU. Lots of independent authors are now placing their books on KU. I'm not criticising this in any way. It's a very attractive offer -- they can leave Amazon to do all the work -- they do as much publicity as they want/or not, and hopefully they get a regular payout.
It's the exclusivity rule that is frustrating me. I like to e-read but getting my choice of e-book is becoming challenging as they are exclusively on Amazon.
Libraries
Are authors paid when you loan an e-book from the library?
Simple answer is yes -- they get a small payment under a scheme called Public Lending Rights here in the UK. Similar agreements exist around the world.
Each time you borrow a book, e-book, or audio book, the PLR scheme tracks this. The author will regularly receive a small top-up to any deal they have with their publisher. Typically £0.10 in the UK ($0.15 US). Slightly less for audio books as the narrator also receives an allocation.
In conclusion
There's no easy answer here. I assume authors will be attracted to the KU deal. As a reader, I am being funneled down one channel to get my e-books.
All I want, is to ensure I use the best possible method to allow the author a good return on their effort.
Comments?
