KDP Select or Go Wide? Royalties, Reach, and Strategy

Self-Publishing
## Quick Answer **KDP Select or Go Wide? Royalties, Reach, and Strategy** comes down to your genre, goals, and launch plan. If your readers live on Kindle Unlimited and you want fast visibility, start exclusive. If you need global reach, libraries, or non-Amazon credibility, go wide. Decide by data, not vibes. ## Overview **Amazon KDP Select** trades 90-day ebook exclusivity for access to **Kindle Unlimited** page-read income, Free Days, and Countdown Deals. Going wide opens Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Press, Google Play Books, libraries, and retailers via Draft2Digital and Kobo Writing Life. Authors like **David Gaughran**, **Joanna Penn**, and **Ricardo Fayet** all agree: the right path depends on your audience and marketing stamina. - **Fast visibility:** KDP Select + KU can spike rank quickly. - **Global footprint:** Wide wins in Canada, Germany, Australia, and libraries. - **Royalties:** KU pays per page read; wide earns per sale across stores. - **Control:** Wide diversifies risk beyond Amazon algorithms. - **Promotions:** Select gives Free/Countdown tools; wide uses permafree and store promos. ## Should you choose KDP Select or go wide in 2025? **Rule of thumb:** If your subgenre is KU-heavy and you’ll run Amazon Ads plus promos, start exclusive. If you write nonfiction, picture books, literary, or want libraries and international stores, plan a wide strategy from day one. ****Quick test:** Check your Kindle category’s Top 100. If 60%+ are in KU, exclusivity likely boosts your launch. If under 40%, wide is viable. ## Step-by-Step Strategy ### 1) Map your goals, audience, and genre fit List your top goals: quick rank, steady income, library reach, bestseller list eligibility, or foreign growth. Goals shape your channel choice. KU can deliver bursts of visibility fast. Wide excels at steady, diversified sales. Audit your genre. [Romance, urban fantasy, and litRPG](/post/reading-checklist-ten-royal-road-litrpgs-worth-starting-this-month) thrive in KU. Many nonfiction niches, [children’s picture books](/post/create-childrens-books-with-ai-a-step-by-step-guide-for-parents-teachers-and-creators), and literary fiction lean wide. Scan Amazon’s Top 100 in your categories. Count KU badges to gauge reader behavior. ### 2) Forecast revenue the simple way KU typically pays about $0.004 to $0.005 per KENP page. A 300-page novel read cover-to-cover earns roughly $1.20 to $1.50. A $4.99 sale at 70% nets about $3.49 minus delivery costs. Short books earn less in KU unless read-through across a series is strong. Model both paths: projected KU reads, sales price, and series read-through versus wide sales split across stores. Include ad costs. Keep forecasts conservative and compare 30-, 60-, and 90-day outcomes. ### 3) Choose distribution and set it up cleanly If you pick **KDP Select**, remember exclusivity is ebook-only for 90 days. Print and audio can distribute anywhere. A sample up to 10% is fine outside Amazon. Mark your calendar for renewal windows and promo slots. If you go **wide**, use Draft2Digital for Apple Books, Kobo, B&N, libraries like OverDrive and BorrowBox, or publish direct where you can. Standardize metadata per store but tailor keywords and categories to each retailer’s ecosystem. ### 4) Align your marketing to the path **Exclusive game plan:** Stack Launch Day with Amazon Ads, then use 5 Free Days or a 7-day Countdown Deal in week 2 or 3. Aim for rank pops that feed KU discovery. Series? Push Book 1 free or cheap during promos to drive reads for later books. **Wide game plan:** Use permafree or price pulsing on Book 1. Schedule Kobo promos and Apple features if eligible. Run Facebook/BookBub Ads to retailer-specific links. Build an email list and lean on newsletter swaps to grow across stores. ### 5) Price and position for each retailer US and most markets: price $3.99 to $5.99 for genre fiction, higher for long epics or premium nonfiction. Consider lower pricing in price-sensitive regions. On Apple, preorders with longer runways help. On Kobo, localization and promos matter. Use 7 precise keywords on Amazon. On Apple and Kobo, placement and curation can trump keywords. Keep covers and blurbs on-genre. Test one variable at a time so you know what moved the needle. ### 6) Measure, decide, and iterate Exclusive KPIs: KU reads, conversion to later-in-series, rank stability, ad ROAS. Wide KPIs: store-by-store sales spread, library borrows, newsletter growth, ad CPC and conversion per retailer. Commit 90 days to exclusive or 4-6 months wide before calling it. If KU momentum stalls, plan a wide pivot. If wide stalls, reset with series packaging, better hook, or stronger promo cadence. ## Done Looks Like You launch a 90,000-word fantasy in KU with a strong series hook, stack ads, and run a Countdown Deal in week 3. KENP climbs, rank stabilizes, and Book 2 preorders flow. Or, you launch wide with a permafree Book 1, secure Kobo promos, grow Apple preorders, and see steady sales plus library borrows by month three. ## Common Mistakes and Fixes - **Drifting without data:** Fix by weekly dashboards for KU reads, sales, and ad metrics. - **Short books in KU without a series:** Fix by bundling or rapid-releasing follow-ups to boost read-through. - **Jumping in and out:** Fix by committing to a clear 90-day or 6-month window before switching. - **One-size-blurb:** Fix by tailoring blurbs and keywords per retailer culture. - **No promos wide:** Fix by applying for Kobo promos, using permafree, and planning monthly pulses. ## Advanced Tips - **Hybrid release:** Drop KU for the first 90 days to capture launch velocity, then go wide with a fresh promo plan and permafree Book 1. - **[Box sets and read-through](/post/box-set-strategy-make-omnibus-editions-that-supercharge-readthrough):** KU pays on pages, so omnibus editions can boost KENP. Wide readers love value-priced bundles too. - **Libraries and subscriptions:** Go wide to OverDrive, BorrowBox, and Hoopla via aggregators. Great for nonfiction and kids’ books. - **Translations and regions:** Wide gains more in Germany via Tolino and in Canada via Kobo. Localize metadata and pricing. - **Preorders as marketing:** On Apple and Kobo, long preorders accumulate rank; use cover reveals and excerpt drops to feed them. ## Implementation Checklist - Check your top categories and record KU percentage in the Top 100. - Build a simple revenue model for KU reads vs storewide sales. - Choose exclusive or wide and calendar your next 90 to 180 days. - Prepare retailer-tailored metadata, pricing, and keywords. - Design promo assets for Free/Countdown or permafree/price pulses. - Apply for Kobo promos and set Apple preorders if wide. - Set up ads with retailer-specific links and track ROAS. - Measure weekly and adjust one variable at a time. ## FAQs ### Can I keep one series in KU and publish another series wide? Yes. Many authors run split strategies by series. Keep each ebook exclusive status clean: a KU series stays exclusive; a wide series distributes everywhere. Use your website and email list to segment links so readers find the right storefronts fast. ### How long should I stay exclusive before moving wide? Plan for at least one 90-day term, often two, to test promos and ads. If KU reads plateau and reviews are in, consider a wide pivot with a permafree Book 1 and a fresh promo push. Wide usually needs 4-6 months to gain traction. ### Does going wide help with bestseller lists outside Amazon? Yes. Many industry lists prioritize multi-retailer sales. Going wide also builds credibility with bookstores and libraries. It won’t guarantee a list hit, but it opens doors that exclusivity can close. ### Is KU a bad fit for nonfiction or children’s picture books? Often, yes. [nonfiction completion rates can be lower, reducing KENP income, and picture books are short](/post/create-childrens-books-with-ai-a-step-by-step-guide-for-parents-teachers-and-creators). Wide plus libraries and print can outperform KU for these categories, though long narrative nonfiction or memoir can still succeed in KU. ### Can I use print and audio widely while my ebook is in KDP Select? Yes. KDP Select exclusivity only covers the ebook file. You can distribute print anywhere and choose your own path for audio. That’s a common hybrid strategy to diversify revenue while testing KU.