I got done listening to a podcast between two young writers who talked about all things marketing, which happens to be a topic close to my heart.
They were exploring the channels available to authors, the formats worth pursuing, pricing, etc., and it wasn’t long before they stumbled upon the dreaded…
KINDLE UNLIMITED.
I say dreaded because there’s nothing attractive about the $0.004 per page read royalty they dish out to authors, especially ones like me who prefer writing leaner novels. Worse still, you’re ‘locked’ in with Amazon, meaning you cannot flog your ebook elsewhere — not even your own Storehouse — but that’s a topic for another email.
But hey, not all authors consider this a bad deal.
In fact, there are actually quite a few writers making more than just chump change in the KU program, a couple of whom I know of. However, for those authors to make bank, they must do one of three things to make that measly pay-per-page royalty work hard for them:
- Write behemoth books (going as far as dwarfing genre norms)
- Write an endless series of books (we’ve all encountered them)
- Both
This KU “byproduct” is having lasting negative effects on aspiring authors for one simple reason: readers haven’t got an endless well of time. In fact, one of the podcasters said something so interesting that it had me nodding without me even knowing it.
He said (paraphrased):
“I’m fine with 600-pagers, but these 1,000+ tomes are just too much for me. I’ve only got so much time to give to reading that I would rather give to an author I know than one I don’t.”
I couldn’t help but wince when I heard this.
Not for me.
For the hordes of new authors checking that KU box every day.
So long as creators continue to hold up Kindle Unlimited as this god that will grant them their ticket to Royalty Land, the more well-intentioned (but bloated) books will flood the marketplace and squeeze out the good books from the charts.
Which is good for neither reader, writer, nor genre.
So is KU ruining fiction?
Yes and no, though more yes.
This answer will come as no surprise to long-standing Legionnaires, who have long endured my Storehouse-first stance. So long as there is air in my lungs and arthritis in my fingers, I’ll continue to steer clear of the Kindle Unlimited program.
Besides, I’m having way too much fun with my Storehouse.
Not only do I get to keep the lion's share of royalties, I am also able to get creative with my offers.
Like bundling my books (something Amazon doesn’t allow for some inconspicuous reason).
It’s what I have done with The Divided Region, and will continue to do. Call me a binge-reader, but I love me a collection of books to keep me occupied over the coming weeks.
However, if you’re not someone who has buckets of time to devote to a single story like most KU fantasy books will demand of you, then you can rest easy knowing that neither do I!
That’s why TDR comprises of books that will not take you months to get through — but rather just a few weekends.
It’s something I want to see more of in the fantasy marketplace, and if it’s something you’d also like to see more of, then you can vote with your wallet right here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
DJJW