Monthly Archives: July 2017

Jul 17 2017

Kindle Unlimited KENP Read for June, 2017

Image from ShutterStock.

KINDLE UNLIMITED PER PAGE RATE FOR JUNE, 2017

The per-page rate for KENP pages read for Kindle Unlimited was $0.004223 in June, 2017.

It’s only a couple percent less than the rate for May, 2017, which was $0.00433, but it’s a continued drop from April, 2017’s rate of $0.00457.

On the other hand, the KDP Select Global Fund for June, 2017 was $18M, which is a slight increase over May’s fund of $17.9M.

I don’t just look at the per-page rate only. I look at both numbers, the per-page rate and the KDP Select Global Fund.

The per-page rate goes up and down. When it happens to go down two months in a row, or when it approaches its relative low, it’s easy to panic (and I usually read discussions, comments, and articles of authors who do). But it usually goes up and down. Enjoy the highs, survive the lows. Focus on your current and future writing projects, keep marketing, and let these tasks keep your mind off the per-page rate when it hits a valley.

But even when the per-page rate drops or hits a valley, the KDP Select Global Fund has very steadily risen. Amazon just paid out $18,000,000 in royalties for June, 2017, and that’s ONLY considering pages read through Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime for KDP Select books. That figure doesn’t include traditionally published books like Harry Potter that are included in Kindle Unlimited, it doesn’t include All-Star Bonuses (I have contacted KDP about this very issue), and it doesn’t include royalties for sales. This is a huge amount of royalties for KDP Select authors to receive collectively each month:  That rate reaches over $200M annually.

The steady growth of the KDP Select Global Fund shows me that Kindle Unlimited continues to thrive, that there is a huge active market here. And many of these customers are indeed reading KDP Select books.

Copyright © 2017

Chris McMullen

Jul 11 2017

Amazon Prime Day Deals Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Did you know that you can use select Amazon images if you follow Amazon’s brand guidelines: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_358049922_7?ie=UTF8&docId=1000756321?

AMAZON PRIME DAY, 2017

Tuesday, July 11, 2017 marks Amazon Prime Day this year.

It’s like a summer Black Friday exclusive for Amazon Prime customers.

Check out the deals at Amazon.

It kind of snuck up on me this year. Is July 11 really here so soon? Wait: It’s already July? Didn’t the year just start? I guess that means I’ve been busy writing, which is a good thing.

There has been a banner on Amazon’s home page for a few days mentioning it, but Amazon really didn’t tap into the indie potential. I didn’t see mention of it in the KDP newsletter. Maybe the reason is that Amazon’s emphasis is on other products, but it seems that if they encouraged indie authors to schedule a Countdown Deal on Prime Day, or if they would discount more CreateSpace paperbacks on this day and let authors know about it (rather, CreateSpace paperbacks are more likely to be discounted on other days, it seems), well… surely those authors would really help to spread the word about Prime Day and be excited about it. Imagine the millions of authors who would like to feel “included” in the deal, even if they are small names, and would be excited to let their fans (even if in small numbers) know that they were somehow involved, if only they were directly involved and encouraged to participate. Multiply their fan bases by the huge number of indie authors (many of whom have actually developed great marketing skills), and it could be helpful advertising for Amazon.

I do love Amazon, and Amazon has been great for me as an author (and customer). I’m just thinking that if Amazon could see the potential here, they could make Prime Day even better.

BUT YOU CAN STILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PRIME DAY—EVEN IF YOU MISSED IT

So maybe you’re an author and you weren’t prepared for Amazon Prime Day.

Maybe you weren’t given a heads up. Maybe you didn’t put any of your books on sale.

Or maybe you did have a sale on Prime Day and it was a DUD, considering all the other great deals going on.

If so, it’s not too late to use Amazon Prime Day to YOUR advantage.

Put one of your books on sale AFTER Amazon Prime Day. That’s right: after.

Probably a Kindle e-book that isn’t already at its minimum possible price. That’s the easiest way for an indie author to put a book on sale.

When your sale starts, use your marketing to promote it something like this: “Missed Amazon Prime Day? Don’t worry, you can still catch a great deal.”

(You could do this after Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc.)

Now your book is on sale, but not at the same time as the majority of other items, and not when customers are too busy on other deals to look for indie books.

Sales aren’t easy to come by, even with discounts. Marketing isn’t easy, even when you have a good idea.

But there is an opportunity here. It can be pulled off if done right.

Much of marketing is learned through experience. Come up with ideas, try to find out which of them suit you.

HAPPY PRIME DAY

Maybe you can find some good deals on something you’d like and save some $$$.

Good luck!

Chris McMullen

Copyright © 2017

Chris McMullen, Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers

Click here to view my Goodreads author page.

  • Volume 1 on formatting and publishing
  • Volume 2 on marketability and marketing
  • 4-in-1 Boxed set includes both volumes and more
  • Kindle Formatting Magic (coming soon)

Follow me at WordPress, find my author page on Facebook, or connect with me through Twitter.

Comments

Click here to jump to the comments section.