The Kindle Direct Publishing Platform (KDP) is a powerful tool that enables any independent author or publisher to compete with New York’s largest publishers in Kindle e-book sales. Gaining equal access to the market is no longer an obstacle to successful publication. The main challenge is to get the attention of potential readers. And that’s where the KDP Select program comes in.

What is the KDP Select program?

KDP Select is an exclusive publishing agreement between Amazon and authors who publish their eBooks through the Kindle Direct Publishing platform. When an author joins the program, they can take advantage of various marketing tools not available to non-members.

Enrolling in the program is easy. Whenever an author adds a new eBook to their KDP account, Amazon will ask if they want to enroll the book in the Select program. If they decline at that time, the author can submit a book to the program later through a link in the KDP library. Registration is established separately for each published electronic book. So an author may have some registered e-books and some unregistered ones.

By submitting an e-book to the KDP Select program, an author agrees to sell the digital version of their book exclusively through Amazon’s KDP program. The e-book may not be sold in any other digital format (including PDF files sold from the author’s website) during the term of the agreement.

The Select program runs for a period of 90 days. By default, your enrollment is set to automatically renew for another term at the end of 90 days.

If an author decides to unenroll from the program, they must still abide by the exclusivity agreement until the end of the current 90-day enrollment period. Failure to do so could jeopardize the status of your account.

Benefits of the KDP Select Program

So, you may be wondering, what benefits does an author get from giving exclusive publishing rights to their e-book to Amazon? Basically, you get more exposure on Amazon’s website, your book is included in the Kindle Lending Library, and you’re allowed 5 promotional giveaway days for your eBook during each sign-up period.

Amazon’s website and Kindle readers make up an amazing sales ecosystem. In every facet of the Amazon marketplace there are cross-promotional opportunities that can help sell more copies of your book. There are best-seller lists (for both free and paid ebooks). When you view an eBook’s promotional page, Amazon generates and displays a list of other eBooks that “may be of interest to you.” On the order pages, Amazon tells you what other products the people who bought what you just paid for bought. In short, there are several places where Amazon sneaks in a quick sales message. As a member of the select program, you get better exposure in this ecosystem.

Kindle Lending Library is a benefit for people who join the Amazon Prime program. Those members can borrow one book per month from the library at no charge. Amazon sets aside a block of money each month to be divided among all the people whose books have been borrowed. Each loan can generate several dollars in income for the author. Your book appears in all areas that list available library books (plus exposure). Plus, when people view your book’s sales page, they’ll see the price highlighted as Free, for Amazon Prime members. The asking price for all others is listed below in subtler text.

Finally, Select members can give away their books for free for up to 5 days per enrollment period. These days off can generate massive exposure for your ebook. Amazon generates best-seller lists for free and paid Kindle books in each category. The lists are displayed side by side on the website. So if you make it to the top of the free chart, you can be seen right next to the highest paying book – more exposure.

Disadvantages of the KDP Select program

The biggest downside to signing up for the KDP Select program is that your eBook cannot be sold on any other eBook platform. No sales to Nook owners or iPad users, or sale of PDF versions directly through their website. Amazon dominates the ebook market, but there are plenty of other places to sell your ebook. Many people don’t realize that you can read Kindle books using free apps, so they skip the Kindle Marketplace because they think they need to have a Kindle device.

Days off, as many authors have discovered, are not a marketing magic bullet. Just because you give away your book doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly become popular and make sales once the giveaway ends. And the benefits may not outweigh the restrictions that your ebook is only sold through Amazon.

Just as days off aren’t magical, Kindle Lending Library isn’t a guarantee of wealth either. Since Amazon Prime members are restricted to one eBook loan per month, they often save it for an expensive title. As I write this, Amazon has set aside $600,000 for Kindle Lending Library payments (a figure that has been constant for several months). The promise is enticing, but the results are not guaranteed.

Should I enroll in the KDP Select program?

The decision to enroll depends on many factors. If you only have one title, you’re better off publishing on multiple platforms and also selling directly from your website.

If you have multiple eBook titles, you may choose to enroll some of your eBooks in the program as a way to expose new readers to your work and guide them to your other eBooks.

Your goals for publishing may be to establish your expertise and reach new customers for your business rather than profit from book sales. In that case you would benefit from being able to reach a wide audience through the free days.

Ultimately, you need to weigh the pros and cons of enrollment and decide what makes the most sense for you. Oh, and make sure you turn off the auto-renew option, in case you change your mind later.