The Beginner's Guide to Earning More With KDP Select
Turning your book into a bestseller has never been easier! From first-time authors to seasoned writers, KDP Select can make self-publishing your book on Amazon an easy and lucrative venture. With our tips, tricks, and insider secrets, we'll show you how you can make big money instantly.
If you're unsure of the differences between the KDP and KDP Select platforms or are concerned that you're not adequately trained to self-publish, our easy-to-use guide is guaranteed to get you in front of your audience faster.
Before you publish, take a few minutes to learn before you earn! Grow your bottom dollar and captivate your audience with our fool-proof publishing pearls of wisdom.
Learn Before You Earn: What Is KDP Select?
KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. Operated by Amazon, this platform allows new and expert writers alike to publish their works self-online.
Through self-publishing, authors can publish and sell their books, in both digital and paperback formats, directly to customers on the Amazon site using its KDP platform.
So, what are KDP and KDP Select exactly? The latter is the top-tier Amazon platform for online self-publishers.
Boasting extensive add-ons and increased royalty earnings, this enhanced version of KDP makes users more money through its superior product placement and built-in advertising.
From making you money through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library or including your book title in Kindle Unlimited, KDP Select increases readership and marketing opportunities for digital publications.
When you need to maximize your book's earnings while ensuring that you reach its six-figure potential, KDP Select bolsters profits through its multi-tiered approach to self-publishing. Providing enhanced earning opportunities to all members, KDP Select provides authors with royalties of up to 70%.
Renowned for its unique distribution capabilities, KDP Select's versatile makeup merges entrepreneurship, sales, and publishing into one user-friendly platform.
Making Cents: What Is the Difference Between KDP and KDP Select?
Crossing bestselling author off your bucket list is easier than you think. Launch your book effortlessly with the brand power and simplicity of Amazon.
Whether you're focusing on formatting your book professionally or are marketing it on a shoestring budget, your attention to the little details is what will set your book apart from the competition.
So, where should you start? This simple chart will help you determine which KDP platform to use to self-publish your project.
If you're not concerned about exclusivity, KDP Select is guaranteed to make an impact with its increased royalty structure and promotional assistance built right into its user model.
Since KDP Select focuses solely on digital distribution, no matter what program you choose, you'll be able to sell and distribute physical copies of your book without interference from Amazon.
Amazon's exclusivity conditions expire after 90 days, which means you'll have the option to remain in the program or to opt-out of it once the period is up. This is good news for first-time writers who are learning the ropes and are just starting to become familiar with self-publishing online.
Finding Your Financial Footing: Is KDP Select a Good Idea?
Amazon makes it easy to sell, distribute, and manage your book's success with easy-to-navigate programs and short-term contracts.
From advertising opportunities to multifaceted marketplaces built right into its distribution model, KDP ensures a seamless and successful launch for any author.
Since KDP Select markets your book by including it in places like Kindle Unlimited, authors make money faster by having their books available to consumers on different platforms.
KDP Select authors are paid based on the number of pages read, rather than on the sale of an entire book. This translates into big money, as readers are often more likely to read a portion of your book rather than purchase it in its entirety.
Before you publish, here are some questions to take into consideration:
- Do you care if the book is available only on Amazon?
- Are you targeting a geographic area where Amazon pays higher royalties?
- Do you need promotional assistance?
Identifying the selling conditions that are most important to you will help you strategize and market your book effectively.
Whether you're publishing your memoirs or writing a groundbreaking story, knowing what you want before you publish will help you achieve long-term success.
How Amazon Self-Publishing on KDP Can Make You Money
Self-publishing is a rewarding experience, but ensuring that it's profitable can be difficult to accomplish. Amazon has cornered the self-publishing market by providing simple tools that are so user-friendly, virtually anyone can use them.
KDP Select is essentially a marketing device. It leverages different Amazon products to market your book and garner readership.
From selling your book in its entirety using the Amazon Marketplace to allowing consumers to borrow your book through its Kindle Owners' Lending Library, you'll be paid based on borrows, complete reads, and single-page views.
Unlike other digital publishing platforms that operate based on book sales only, Amazon's KDP Select incentivizes members to join its program by paying them for different readership styles and interactions.
Capitalizing on Your Budget: How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book on KDP?
Getting paid by the page probably sounds pretty good, but how much will it cost to publish your works initially?
The good news is that Amazon isn't going to charge you anything; the bad news is that they're going to keep portions of your profit and charge you for Amazon ads, delivery, and printing.
KDP and KDP Select are free to enroll in and publish through. Costs are taken directly out of your royalty payments, and depending on which medium you're using, your market price can be affected by the potential charges your book might incur.
From bestselling Kindle covers to printing costs, this chart provides a light breakdown of Amazon self-publishing costs using KDP.
KDP Select royalty payments vary greatly and are dependent upon a ton of different factors like competitors' pricing and geographic location. Amazon has a detailed royalty breakdown on their website.
When you're trying to decide on which platform to use, Amazon's estimation calculator is a great way to determine which program makes the best sense for you by allowing the user to view earnings in different circumstances and environments.
Estimate your printing costs, royalty payments, and optimize your distribution to create a better budget. Build a solid campaign by calculating your costs and earnings with Amazon's estimates calculator.
Getting Down to Brass Tacks: How Much Does KDP Select Cost?
Like KDP, KDP Select is free to join and allows you to digitally publish your book at no cost. However, KDP Select does charge delivery costs for digital purchases. These costs are directly correlated to your location and the size of your book. Even though this platform offers much higher royalty payments, it's important to remember to factor in these delivery costs into your budget and analysis.
Since no two books are the same, Amazon allows you to choose different publishing programs for different books at no cost to you. This is especially helpful for writers who are seeking to market multiple books independently of one another.
Utilizing both platforms is completely free and helps users increase profits through strategic positioning.
Making Money Matter: Is KDP Select Worth It in 2020?
Is KDP Select worth it? That depends on the person. If you think you have a bestselling novel on your hands but are feeling confused about how to publish it, our simple answer is yes; it is worth it.
With more than $30 million in the KDP Global Fund as of June 2020 (which is where KDP Select authors get paid out from), Amazon is showing continued growth and an increasing customer base.
For authors who write books like cookbooks, how-to books, and instruction-style ebooks, KDP Select enrollment can boost profits.
Since this program pays based on each page that's read, books that provide instruction and situational reference material can easily become top performers as customers access them based on specific needs rather than cover-to-cover reads.
Customers who borrow, buy, or download your book might not read it right away, leaving you to wonder if you'll still get paid?
KDP Select monitors users' reading habits. The minute they crack open your book and complete a page of reading, your account will be immediately credited.
From growing your audience base to accessing one-off readers, KDP Select has become the digital publishing equivalent of Amazon Prime.
KDP Select has championed our unquenchable thirst for content by bringing authors and readers together through unlimited content access provided by Kindle Unlimited.
Think of Kindle Unlimited as 'Kindle and Chill': A vast, unlimited-access portal where members can access books at a flat-fee rate from anywhere in the world.
Not sold on KDP Select? Need some inspiration to help get you motivated? Watch how this self-publisher started earning six figures a year publishing info books on KDP Select.
One Step Closer to Success: What Is KDP Select Enrollment?
KDP Select enrollment allows authors to list one or all of their books through their online publishing platform. It creates an author account and provides access to a dashboard that helps users navigate the back-end of the program.
From marketing assistance to sales and royalty payouts, the enrollment package puts everything at the author's fingertips.
Ready to Bolster Your Bestseller: How to Enroll in KDP
Once you've decided to enroll in KDP Select, setting up your account should be your next step. Amazon has made enrolling in KDP or KDP Select an incredibly easy process. Here's how to do it:
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Create an Account (If you already have an account and want to upgrade to KDP Select, you won't need a new account. You can log in and make the change directly from your dashboard)
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Navigate to the KDP Select program option
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Select Enroll an eBook
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Select the book you want to enroll in the program (you will have to repeat this step for each book you want to enroll)
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Press Continue
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Finalize your membership, and confirm your enrollment, by clicking enroll
It takes less than 10 minutes to enroll and you'll be able to self-publish immediately. With straightforward instruction and a simple dashboard, KDP Select makes self-publishing your book as easy as sending a text message.
Big Money Made Easy: Make Money on Amazon
Historically, it's been difficult for consumers to access the tools and apps they want to because of competing mobile technologies. In the race of Android versus iOS, consumers got used to only being able to access certain applications on certain devices. Thankfully, times have changed.
While Kindle does have its own tablet type, Kindle book purchases are not restricted to just Kindle tablets.
Kindle books can be read on Apple products, Android products, and even on PCs, which means that when you self-publish with Amazon, you won't be restricting yourself to one device, software, or market segment.
When you're looking to break into the world of self-publishing profitably, KDP Select is guaranteed to strengthen your efforts by selling your works on one of the world's largest online marketplaces.
Get your book published today, and start making money tomorrow, with KDP Select's robust authorship services.