This is the single most consequential distribution decision you'll make as a self-published author. It determines where readers can find you, how you earn money, and how much control you have over your author business.
There's no universally right answer. It depends on your genre, catalogue size, and long-term goals. This guide breaks down every factor with real data, income scenarios, and an interactive calculator so you can make an informed decision.
1. What Is KDP Select?
KDP Select is Amazon's exclusivity programme for ebooks. When you enrol a book, you agree to sell the ebook only on Amazon for a 90-day renewable period. In return, you get:
- Kindle Unlimited (KU) inclusion: Your book is available to KU subscribers (estimated 4+ million globally) who can read it at no additional cost. You're paid per page read.
- Kindle Owners' Lending Library: Prime members can borrow one book per month. You earn a share of the KDP Select Global Fund.
- Promotional tools: Kindle Countdown Deals (timed price drops with a "was/now" badge) and Free Book Promotions (make your book free for up to 5 days per 90-day period).
How KU Revenue Works
Kindle Unlimited doesn't pay per book. It pays per page read from a shared global fund. Here's the mechanics:
- Amazon sets a monthly fund — typically $500–550 million globally (as of 2025).
- Pages are standardised using KENPC (Kindle Edition Normalized Page Count), not your book's actual page count. A 70,000-word novel is roughly 450–500 KENPC pages.
- Rate per page fluctuates — historically $0.004–$0.005 per page, or roughly $0.0045 average. This means a 480-KENPC novel fully read earns about $2.16.
- Partial reads count — you're paid for every page actually read, not just completions. If a reader stops at 50%, you earn 50%.
70,000-word romance novel = ~480 KENPC pages × $0.0045/page = $2.16 per full read
Compare to a $4.99 sale at 70% royalty = $3.44 per sale
KU pays ~63% of what a direct sale pays — but many KU readers would never have purchased the book at full price.
2. What Does "Going Wide" Mean?
"Going wide" means distributing your ebook across multiple retailers and platforms simultaneously. Instead of being exclusive to Amazon, your book is available everywhere readers shop:
| Platform | Market Share | Royalty Rate | Key Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | ~65–70% | 35–70% | Largest ebook market globally |
| Apple Books | ~10–12% | 70% | iOS/Mac users, international |
| Kobo | ~5–8% | 70% | Canada, international, Kobo Plus |
| Barnes & Noble | ~4–6% | 65% | US Nook users |
| Google Play | ~3–5% | 52% | Android users, international |
| Books.by (Direct) | Your audience | 100% | Your readers, your relationship |
Going wide also includes selling direct to readers through your own website using a platform like Books.by. More than 70% of Books.by authors also sell on Amazon — going wide doesn't mean abandoning Amazon, it means not being dependent on it. Direct sales are the highest-margin option in self-publishing — you keep 100% of the retail price with no middleman taking 30–70%.
Aggregators vs Direct Upload
Wide authors use two strategies to get on multiple platforms:
- Draft2Digital, Smashwords, PublishDrive
- Upload once, distribute to 10+ retailers
- Take 10–15% of the retail price
- Less control over pricing/promotions
- Best for: authors who want simplicity
- Upload directly to each retailer + Books.by
- More work but no aggregator fee
- Full control over pricing, promotions, metadata
- Higher royalties on every platform
- Best for: authors who want maximum earnings
3. Revenue Models Compared
The core question is: will you earn more from KU page reads (exclusive) or from sales across multiple platforms (wide)?
KDP Select Revenue Formula
Example: 200 sales at $4.99 (70% = $3.44) + 150,000 KU pages × $0.0045
= $688 + $675 = $1,363/month
Wide Revenue Formula
Example: 200 Amazon ($688) + 60 Apple ($209) + 30 Kobo ($105) + 20 B&N ($65) + 15 Google ($39) + 40 Books.by ($200)
= $1,306/month
In this example, exclusive narrowly wins — but the wide author owns their reader relationships and isn't dependent on a single platform. And that Books.by revenue? 100% royalties, no algorithm changes, no KU page rate fluctuations.
The Hidden Cost of Exclusivity
What KDP Select's revenue numbers don't show (and what Amazon will never tell you):
- Platform risk: Amazon can change KU payout rates, algorithms, or terms at any time — and they do. In 2023, they reduced page rates by ~8% with zero notice. Your entire business income can shift overnight based on decisions made in a boardroom you'll never enter.
- No reader data: Amazon doesn't share email addresses. You can't contact your KU readers directly.
- Audience lock-in: Readers who find you on KU expect to read you on KU. If you leave, they may not follow.
- Lost international revenue: Apple Books and Kobo are dominant in many non-US markets.
4. Real Income Scenarios
Let's model three realistic author profiles to see how exclusive vs wide plays out:
Scenario 1: Romance Author, 5-Book Series
| Metric | KDP Select | Going Wide |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon ebook sales | 800/month | 500/month |
| KU page reads | 600,000 pages | N/A |
| Apple/Kobo/B&N sales | N/A | 180/month |
| Books.by direct sales | N/A | 80/month |
| Amazon revenue | $2,752 | $1,720 |
| KU revenue | $2,700 | $0 |
| Other retailer revenue | $0 | $630 |
| Books.by revenue | $0 | $400 |
| Total monthly | $5,452 | $2,750 |
Verdict: KDP Select wins for voracious-reader genres like romance. KU subscribers read 8–12 books/month and rarely buy. The page read revenue is massive.
Scenario 2: Non-Fiction Author, Single Book
| Metric | KDP Select | Going Wide |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon ebook sales | 120/month | 90/month |
| KU page reads | 25,000 pages | N/A |
| Apple/Kobo/B&N sales | N/A | 50/month |
| Books.by direct sales | N/A | 35/month |
| Ebook price | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Amazon revenue | $827 | $620 |
| KU revenue | $113 | $0 |
| Other retailer revenue | $0 | $350 |
| Books.by revenue | $0 | $350 |
| Total monthly | $940 | $1,320 |
Verdict: Going wide wins for non-fiction. Non-fiction readers buy selectively, rarely subscribe to KU, and the higher price point makes each sale more valuable. Direct sales through Books.by add significant margin.
Scenario 3: Literary Fiction, 2 Books
| Metric | KDP Select | Going Wide |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon ebook sales | 60/month | 40/month |
| KU page reads | 15,000 pages | N/A |
| Apple/Kobo/B&N sales | N/A | 35/month |
| Books.by direct sales | N/A | 20/month |
| Amazon revenue | $354 | $236 |
| KU revenue | $68 | $0 |
| Other retailer revenue | $0 | $183 |
| Books.by revenue | $0 | $139 |
| Total monthly | $422 | $558 |
Verdict: Going wide wins for literary fiction. LitFic readers browse bookstores, use Apple Books, and are more likely to buy directly from an author they admire.
5. Income Comparison Calculator
Model your own scenario. Adjust your ebook price, estimated sales, and KU reads to see how exclusive vs wide compares for your situation.
📊 Exclusive vs Wide Income Calculator
Enter your numbers to compare estimated monthly revenue
KU rate: $0.0045/page. KDP: 70% ($2.99–$9.99), 35% otherwise. Apple/Kobo: 70%. Books.by: 100%. B&N: 65%. Google: 52%.
Going wide? Keep 100% of direct sales
Books.by gives wide authors their highest-margin sales channel. Sell ebooks and print books direct to your readers — no commissions, no royalty share, no algorithms to fight.
Start Your Books.by Store — $99/yr →From our team: "In 2023, Amazon reduced KU page rates by ~8% with no notice. Authors in KDP Select had no recourse — their income just dropped. Wide authors with direct sales channels barely noticed. That single event convinced more authors to go wide than anything we could have said." — Ash Davies, Founder
6. Genre-by-Genre Advice
Your genre is the single biggest factor in this decision. Here's data-driven advice for the major genres:
7. Decision Flowchart
Answer these questions in order to find your recommended strategy:
🔀 Should You Go Exclusive or Wide?
8. Pros & Cons at a Glance
- Access to 4+ million KU subscribers
- Higher visibility in Amazon's algorithm
- Kindle Countdown Deals & Free Promos
- Simpler to manage (one platform)
- Can be very profitable for fast-release series
- Multiple revenue streams reduce risk
- Access to Apple, Kobo, B&N, Google audiences
- Sell direct & own reader relationships
- No dependence on Amazon's algorithm or rates
- International reach (Kobo, Apple dominate outside US)
- 100% dependent on Amazon
- KU page rate can drop without warning
- No reader email addresses or data
- Locked in for 90-day terms
- Miss out on 30–40% of the ebook market
- Takes 6–18 months to build non-Amazon income
- More platforms to manage and optimise
- Lower Amazon visibility without KU boost
- Requires more active marketing
- Initial revenue dip when leaving KDP Select
9. How to Transition from KDP Select to Wide
Leaving KDP Select is scary. Your KU income will drop and it takes time to build revenue on other platforms. Here's a step-by-step transition plan:
Set up accounts & build your foundation
Create accounts on Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play. Set up your Books.by store. Prepare your book files for each platform. Start building an email list if you haven't already — this is critical for wide success.
Take your first book wide as a test
Uncheck auto-renewal on your oldest or first-in-series book. When the 90-day term expires, upload to all wide platforms. Keep your other books in KDP Select for now. This limits risk while you learn the wide ecosystem.
Drive traffic to your wide listings
Use your email list, social media, and BookBub to promote your wide book. Create a Books.by landing page. Use universal book links (Books2Read) so readers find their preferred store. Run promotions on Apple and Kobo — both have their own promotion systems.
Measure results and move more books wide
Compare your wide revenue against what the book earned in KDP Select. If it's within 70–80%, you're on track — wide revenue grows over time. Start transitioning additional books as their terms expire. Focus on building your Books.by direct sales.
Complete the transition
By now you should have most or all books wide. Your Amazon sales will have stabilised (usually 60–70% of what they were in KDP Select), but your total revenue from all platforms combined should be approaching or exceeding your exclusive-only income.
Frequently Asked Questions
KDP Select is Amazon's exclusivity programme. You agree to sell your ebook only on Amazon for 90-day terms. In return, your book is in Kindle Unlimited and you get promotional tools like Countdown Deals.
Going wide means selling your ebook on multiple platforms — Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and your own website via Books.by — rather than being exclusive to Amazon.
The KU page rate fluctuates monthly but averages about $0.004–$0.005 per KENPC page. A 300-page novel fully read earns roughly $1.20–$1.50.
Yes. Uncheck auto-renewal before your current 90-day term expires. Your book stays in KU until the term ends, then you're free to distribute elsewhere.
Romance, thriller, LitRPG, space opera, and fantasy series perform best in KU. Non-fiction, literary fiction, memoir, and children's books generally do better wide.
Own your reader relationships
Going wide with Books.by means 100% royalties on direct sales, daily payouts, and a bookstore you control. No algorithms, no exclusivity — just your books and your readers.
Start Your Books.by Store — $99/yr →Daily payouts · Cancel anytime
