Well, I got my issue with KDP select solved… kinda. In a
panic over the email I received, I quickly unpublished all my books from
Smashwords, including my six that are in the premium catalog. I figured the
trade-off was worth it considering I sell about five times as many books
through Amazon. I also de-selected the automatic renewal for KDP select just in
case any heat came down about my books being on Smashwords. Here’s the kicker.
I got an email earlier today from KDP informing me that they are sorry to see
me leave the program and I can join back up anytime. I checked, and I’m still
enrolled, I guess until the ninety days are up. So, I re-published all my books
back on Smashwords with the letter as proof that I tried to cancel. I still
find it strange that Amazon would even offer me KDP select for books that have
been out in e-form for almost two years. They had to know they’d be available
in other outlets and that I would have no control over their distribution. Here’s
the kicker. I’m having second thoughts about being on Smashwords at all. I know
that I am eliminating possibly millions of readers but the honest truth is that
Amazon is being very good to me. In fact, my recent free promo for INSECTLAND
has resulted in many paid sales whereas before I had none for the month. Now, I
am conflicted again. Should I unpublish on Smashwords again and then keep
renewing the Amazon select program? I believe once the ninety days are up you
can publish anywhere. I need to think about it for a few days and see how sale
continue. Here’s the letter Amazon sent me.
Hello,
We’re sorry to hear you’d like to cancel your content’s
participation in KDP Select. If you don’t want to renew, simply go to the
book’s “Edit book details” page anytime during the current term and uncheck the
box next to “automatically renew this book’s enrollment in KDP Select for
another 90 days.”
If you have additional questions about KDP Select, be sure
to check out our Help pages. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Amazon KDP.
Neil,
ReplyDeleteYou might want to read your contract more thoroughly.
You had a three day grace period after enrollment to pull from the KDP Select program. After that you legally agreed to give Amazon exclusivity.
By breaking this contract by having books available on Smashwords etc, they have the right to suspend or permanently cancel your KDP account.
They have done so before and will do so again...
The KDP Select contract for my book is up tomorrow and I don't intend to renew it. I do want to explore more publication options, and the program really didn't do anything for sales one way or the other. The free promotions, as I have come to understand through other writers on forums, are mainly uploaded by book hoarders, rarely read and even more rarely reviewed. The gamble did not pay off for me, but I don't regret having participated this one time. Just make sure you opt out of the automatic renewal on the KDP bookshelf, if you find it is not something you wish to pursue in future.
ReplyDeleteI have very much enjoyed visiting and reading your blog here.
:)
If you ever get your Kindle account banned, check out Kindle Ghost
ReplyDeleteThis guide helped get me back on KDP...http://store.payloadz.com/go/?id=1041260
ReplyDelete