Category Kindle Unlimited

Jun 22 2020

What Is the Kindle Unlimited Per-Page Rate? A Current Month-by-Month Breakdown

Image from ShutterStock.

HOW MUCH DID KINDLE UNLIMITED PAY PER PAGE?

Following is a monthly breakdown of the KENP per-page rates for Kindle eBooks enrolled in KDP Select, for pages read through Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime borrows. (For the Global Fund, scroll down past the list of Kindle Unlimited per-page rates.)

  • February, 2023: $0.00443
  • January, 2023: $0.00424
  • December, 2022: $0.00456
  • November, 2022: $0.00458
  • October, 2022: $0.00450
  • September, 2022: $0.00471
  • August, 2022: $0.00426
  • July, 2022: $0.004293
  • June, 2022: $0.00458
  • May, 2022: $0.00456
  • April, 2022: $0.00447
  • March, 2022: $0.00434
  • February, 2022: $0.0045
  • January, 2022: $0.00429
  • December, 2021: $0.00475
  • November, 2021: $0.00476
  • October, 2021: $0.00448
  • September, 2021: $0.00452
  • August, 2021: $0.00426
  • July, 2021: $0.00430
  • June, 2021: $0.00444
  • May, 2021: $0.00441
  • April, 2021: $0.00450
  • March, 2021: $0.00444
  • February, 2021: $0.00455
  • January, 2021: $0.00422
  • December, 2020: $0.00451
  • November, 2020: $0.00464
  • October, 2020: $0.00454
  • September, 2020: $0.00459
  • August, 2020: $0.00432
  • July, 2020: $0.00429
  • June, 2020: $0.00455
  • May, 2020: $0.0042
  • April, 2020: $0.00423
  • March, 2020: $0.00426
  • February, 2020: $0.00455
  • January, 2020: $0.00441
  • December, 2019: $0.00466
  • November, 2019: $0.00493
  • October, 2019: $0.0047
  • September, 2019: $0.0047
  • August, 2019: $0.00439
  • July, 2019: $0.00439
  • June, 2019: $0.00464
  • May, 2019: $0.00466
  • April, 2019: $0.00467
  • March, 2019: $0.00451
  • February, 2019: $0.00478
  • January, 2019: $0.00442
  • December, 2018: $0.00487
  • November, 2018: $0.0052
  • October, 2018: $0.00484
  • September, 2018: $0.00488
  • August, 2018: $0.00449
  • July, 2018: $0.00449
  • June, 2018: $0.0046
  • May, 2018: $0.00454
  • April, 2018: $0.00456
  • March, 2018: $0.00449
  • February, 2018: $0.00466
  • January, 2018: $0.00448
  • December, 2017: $0.00506
  • November, 2017: $0.00463
  • October, 2017: $0.00456
  • September, 2017: $0.00443
  • August, 2017: $0.00419
  • July, 2017: $0.00403
  • June, 2017: $0.00422
  • May, 2017: $0.00433
  • April, 2017: $0.00457
  • March, 2017: $0.0046
  • February, 2017: $0.00497
  • January, 2017: $0.00475
  • December, 2016: $0.00524
  • November, 2016: $0.00538
  • October, 2016: $0.00519
  • September, 2016: $0.00497
  • August, 2016: $0.00458
  • July, 2016: $0.00481
  • June, 2016: $0.00493
  • May, 2016: $0.00469
  • April, 2016: $0.00496
  • March, 2016: $0.00478
  • February, 2016: $0.00479
  • January, 2016: $0.00411
  • December, 2015: $0.00461
  • November, 2015: $0.00492
  • October, 2015: $0.0048
  • September, 2015: $0.0051
  • August, 2015: $0.0051
  • July, 2015: $0.00578

The list below is for the KDP Select Global Fund.

  • February, 2023: $44.6 million
  • January, 2023: $47.9 million
  • December, 2022: $45.3 million
  • November, 2022: $45.2 million
  • October, 2022: $45.2 million
  • September, 2022: $45.1 million
  • August, 2022: $45.1 million
  • July, 2022: $44.5 million
  • June, 2022: $43.4 million
  • May, 2022: $43.3 million
  • April, 2022: $41.5 million
  • March, 2022: $41.4 million
  • February, 2022: $39.4 million
  • January, 2022: $42.9 million
  • December, 2021: $40.2 million
  • November, 2021: $39.9 million
  • October, 2021: $39.8 million
  • September, 2021: $39.7 million
  • August, 2021: $39.6 million
  • July, 2021: $38.1 million
  • June, 2021: $36.5 million
  • May, 2021: $35.9 million
  • April, 2021: $35.5 million
  • March, 2021: $35.4 million
  • February, 2021: $33.5 million
  • January, 2021: $36 million
  • December, 2020: $34 million
  • November, 2020: $33.2 million
  • October, 2020: $32.9 million
  • September, 2020: $32.7 million
  • August, 2020: $32.6 million
  • July, 2020: $32.4 million
  • June, 2020: $32.3 million
  • May, 2020: $32.2 million
  • April, 2020: $30.3 million
  • March, 2020: $29 million
  • February, 2020: $27.2 million
  • January, 2020: $28.2 million
  • December, 2019: $26.2 million
  • November, 2019: $26.1 million
  • October, 2019: $26 million
  • September, 2019: $25.9 million
  • August, 2019: $25.8 million
  • July, 2019: $25.6 million
  • June, 2019: $24.9 million
  • May, 2019: $24.6 million
  • April, 2019: $24.1 million
  • March, 2019: $24 million
  • February, 2019: $23.5 million
  • January, 2019: $24.7 million
  • December, 2018: $23.7 million
  • November, 2018: $23.6 million
  • October, 2018: $23.5 million
  • September, 2018: $23.4 million
  • August, 2018: $23.3 million
  • July, 2018: $23.1 million
  • June, 2018: $22.6 million
  • May, 2018: $22.5 million
  • April, 2018: $21.2 million
  • March, 2018: $21 million
  • February, 2018: $20 million
  • January, 2018: $20.9 million
  • December, 2017: $19.9 million
  • November, 2017: $19.8 million
  • October, 2017: $19.7 million
  • September, 2017: $19.5 million
  • August, 2017: $19.4 million
  • July, 2017: $19 million
  • June, 2017: $18 million
  • May, 2017: $17.9 million
  • April, 2017: $17.8 million
  • March, 2017: $17.7 million
  • February, 2017: $16.8 million
  • January, 2017: $17.8 million
  • December, 2016: $16.8 million
  • November, 2016: $16.3 million
  • October, 2016: $16.2 million
  • September, 2016: $15.9 million
  • August, 2016: $15.8 million
  • July, 2016: $15.5 million
  • June, 2016: $15.4 million
  • May, 2016: $15.3 million
  • April, 2016: $14.9 million
  • March, 2016: $14.9 million
  • February, 2016: $14 million
  • January, 2016: $15 million
  • December, 2015: $13.5 million
  • November, 2015: $12.7 million
  • October, 2015: $12.4 million
  • September, 2015: $12 million
  • August, 2015: $11.8 million
  • July, 2015: $11.5 million

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

Sep 14 2019

Kindle Unlimited: How Much Did Amazon Pay Per Page Read in August, 2019?

THE KINDLE UNLIMITED PAGE-READ RATE FOR AUGUST, 2019

In August, 2019, Amazon paid $0.00439 per Kindle Unlimited normalized page read (KENP), virtually identical to what they paid in July (you have to go to another decimal place to see a difference).

The KDP Select Global Fund rose slightly from $25.6 million to $25.8 million.

(Keeping it concise, not blogging too much right now. Working on some cool projects, like Fun with Roman Numerals, about to go live, and Test Your General Science Knowledge, coming soon. Time to get back to writing.)

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

Jul 15 2019

How much did Amazon pay for Kindle Unlimited pages read in June, 2019?

KINDLE UNLIMITED PAGES READ FOR JUNE, 2019

The rate was $0.00464 per page for pages read through Kindle Unlimited in June, 2019.

The per-page rate has been very stable from March thru June. For example, it was $0.00466 in May.

The KDP Select Global Fund rose to $24.9 million for June. It continues to climb. The Global Fund was $24.6 million in May.

Happy Amazon Prime Days (July 15 thru July 16, 2019)!

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

Mar 16 2019

The Kindle Unlimited per-page rate for February, 2019

FEBRUARY, 2019: HOW MUCH DID KINDLE UNLIMITED PAY FOR PAGES READ?

The per-page rate climbed up to $0.00478 for February, 2019, compared to $0.00442 for January, 2019.

This is a nice rebound. As usual, there was a dip for January, but the month after and the months before have been at a relative high.

The KDP Select Global Fund dropped a bit down to $23.5 million. The global fund rarely drops, but this drop probably reflects that there was much more activity in Kindle Unlimited during January than usual following to the holidays. It had been $23.7 million in December, and February is on par with that. The record high of $24.7 million for January had been a big jump.

The per-page rate rose significantly in February, and that’s far more significant than the global fund. My guess is that there were extra free-month trials in January with new Kindles purchased during the holidays, causing January’s figures to be (as usual) an outlier compared to the month before and after.

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

Feb 15 2019

January, 2019: What Did Kindle Unlimited Pay Per KENP Page Read?

WHAT DID KINDLE UNLIMITED PAY PER PAGE FOR JANUARY, 2019?

In January 2019, Kindle Unlimited paid $0.00442 for each KENP page read through KDP Select.

This is down 9% compared to December, but it isn’t unusual.

It’s fairly common for Amazon to pay more for Kindle Unlimited pages read before and during the holidays, and then to take a dip when the new year starts.

The royalties for pages read varies from $0.004 to $0.005 (and rarely a little over $0.005) per page.

When it’s near (or above) $0.005 per page read, you have to realize that it’s better than usual and enjoy it while it lasts.

When it’s around $0.0045 per page, this is roughly normal. Actually, most of 2018 was significantly above $0.0045, which shows that the per-page rate has been better than usual for several months, but if you go back a few years and examine all the data, you’ll see a few periods where it dropped down close to $0.004 per page.

You can count on it to fluctuate a bit. You can’t expect it to be the same every month.

However, you can count on the KDP Select Global Fund. It hit a new record high of $24.7 million, a clear million above December’s payout of $23.7.

The global fund steadily rises (and the very few times it hasn’t, it was only a very slight drop).

When Amazon switched to paying per page read for Kindle Unlimited borrows (and to a much lesser extent, borrows through Amazon Prime), the KDP Select Global Fund was around $10 million. Over the past few years since the change, the global fund has steadily risen to nearly $25 million.

This shows that the Kindle Unlimited audience is significant and is growing, and that there is enough content worth reading to sustain the program (and the amount of content continues to increase, except for a few specific subcategories).

Amazon is paying nearly $25 million per month (a pace for $300 million per year) just for pages read through Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime for KDP Select. That’s a huge chunk of royalties for a huge audience. There are also a million authors and millions of books participating in the program, and the most popular books are drawing a larger share of these royalties. But the potential is there if you can successfully engage the Kindle Unlimited audience.

That’s what I like about the pages read system. Maybe it doesn’t seem like much per page, and if you don’t have many pages read it won’t add up to much. But if you see significant pages read data for your book, you know that you’re successfully engaging customers. You want people to read your book, not just buy it. When you see those pages read, you know that your book is being read. That’s why we write books, after all. So that people will read them.

And for the books that really engage Kindle Unlimited readers well, the authors and publishers can be well-rewarded for their reader engagement.

There are a few cases where this program might not seem quite equitable, and if you think hard enough about it you might find something you don’t like. It does provide a good value to avid readers, and it does revolve around the idea of reader engagement, which are a couple of pluses that I do like. (No matter what Amazon does, it’s not going to please everyone. But with the payout rising from $10 million to nearly $25 million since the change, it seems to be working well enough to draw in many more readers as well as authors.)

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

Sep 15 2018

What Did Kindle Unlimited Pay for Pages Read in August, 2018?

KINDLE UNLIMITED PER-PAGE RATE FOR AUGUST, 2018:

Kindle Unlimited paid $0.00449 per KENP page read for August, 2018, the same (to three significant figures) as for July, 2018.

The per-page rate has been very steady throughout 2018.

The KDP Select Global Fund continues to rise, reaching $23.3 million for August, 2018.

Compare with July ($23.1M), June ($22.6M), and May ($22.5M).

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

Aug 16 2018

Kindle Unlimited Pages Read KENP per-page Rate for July, 2018

JULY, 2018 KINDLE UNLIMITED PAGES READ:

For July, 2018 the Kindle Unlimited per-page rate was $0.00449.

Compared to June ($0.0046), May ($0.00454), and April ($0.00456), it is just slightly less for July. The last few months show that the KENP rate is holding fairly steady.

While the per-page rate has been steady, the KDP Select Global Fund has risen steadily for years.

In July, 2018, it hit another record high, coming in at $23.1 million.

Compare with June ($22.6M), May ($22.5M), and April ($21.2M).

In just 3 months, Amazon has paid out an extra 9% in royalties for Kindle Unlimited borrows through KDP Select.

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

Jul 16 2018

What did Amazon pay for Kindle Unlimited pages read in June, 2018?

JUNE, 2018 KINDLE UNLIMITED PAGES READ:

$0.0046 per page is how much Amazon paid for Kindle Unlimited pages read in June, 2018.

This is a slight improvement over May ($0.00454) and April ($0.00456). It has been fairly steady this year.

$22.6 million is the KDP Select Global Fund for June, 2018.

This is a slight improvement over May ($22.5 million) and April ($21.2 million).

Write Happy, Be Happy

Chris McMullen

Author of the Improve Your Math Fluency series of math workbooks and self-publishing guides

May 15 2018

KDP Select Global Fund and Per-page Rate for April, 2018

Image from ShutterStock.

WHAT DID KINDLE UNLIMITED PAY FOR PAGES READ IN APRIL, 2018?

The Kindle Unlimited per-page rate increased slightly to $0.00456 for April, 2018 (compared to $0.00449 for March, 2018).

KENP read has been fairly stable in 2018, varying between $0.00448 (January) and $0.00466 (February) per normalized page read.

The KDP Select Global Fund continues to rise, reaching $21.2 million for April, 2018.

Write happy, be happy. 🙂

Copyright © 2018

Chris McMullen

Dec 15 2017

Kindle Unlimited Per-Page Rate Continues to Rise (November, 2017)

KINDLE UNLIMITED PER-PAGE RATE, NOVEMBER, 2017

Through July, 2017, the Kindle Unlimited per-page rate had been spiraling downward.

But Amazon introduced KENPC v3.0 before it could drop below $0.004 per page.

The per-page rate has steadily climbed since.

  • November: $0.00463 per page
  • October: $0.00456 per page
  • September: $0.00443 per page
  • August: $0.00419 per page
  • July: $0.00403 per page

The KDP Select Global Fund also hit a new record high.

  • November: $19.8 million
  • October: $19.7 million
  • September: $19.5 million
  • August: $19.4 million
  • July: $19.0 million
  • June: $18.0 million

It’s nice to see the per-page rate rising alongside the KDP Select Global Fund.

However, at some point the per-page rate will reach a plateau, whereas the KDP Select Global Fund has risen steadily for years.

I remember the days when the KDP Select Global Fund was below $10M. I remember the people who claimed that $10M would just be the gravy to entice authors into KDP Select, and that it would surely drop once it got settled. But it’s since doubled, continuing to rise.

I also remember every time the Kindle Unlimited rate dropped to near $0.004 per page several people crying the end of the world, that it would drop below $o.004 and never return. But yet again it has bounced back.

The Kindle Unlimited per-page rate is a bit of a roller coaster ride with peaks and valleys. After it peaks and drops a bit, try not to panic. 🙂

Overall, the KDP Select per-page rate has experienced relative stability between $0.004 and $0.005 (occasionally rising slightly over $0.005).

Copyright © 2017

Chris McMullen