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Should I Use Up The KDP Promotion Days Before They Expire?

Monday, August 20, 2012
... some decisions are easier to make than others because you don't have all the facts...
I
I have a decision to make. Two of my novels on Amazon are part of the KDP select program and the 90-day period expires in a week. I have some free promotion days left to use. Do I use them or let them expire? Do I re-enlist for another 90 days? How to decide?

Overview of the KDP Select Program:
  • Applies to e-books only.
  • 90-day period.
  • Book becomes exclusive to Amazon.
  • No non-Amazon sales allowed.
  • 5 free promotion days.
  • Unused promo days expire. No roll over.
  • No royalty for promo day downloads.
  • Lending program for Select members.
  • 1 new lend per month per member.
  • Royalty for lending, around $2 per lend.

The Benefits.
  • People love free and will download.
  • Increased visibility from:
    • Amazon’s list of books currently in free promo.
    • Web sites and tweets of your free promo.
    • Hitting bestseller list on Amazon.
  • More clicks on the LIKE button for the book.
  • Reviews posted on Amazon and elsewhere.
  • Increased sales after the promotion period.
  • Increased rankings afterwards.

The Downside.
  • No sales from non-Amazon sites.
  • No royalties during free promo days.
  • Tonnes of free books offered everyday.
  • Downloads don’t turn into reads or readers.
  • Visibility lasts for a short time.
  • Income from lending less than regular royalty.

I think I have covered most of the key points on this issue.
I have one week left to use the free promo days. I suspect my lost royalties, if I use the days, will be less than royalties gained later. In other words, I think it will help to generate more future sales than would otherwise be the case. I can’t be certain but that’s my best guess and hence I should use them up.
I’m not sure if I should enrol for the next period. The calculus would include sales on Itunes, B&N, Kobo etc. It’s not insignificant. With greater visibility, there comes a tipping point where you can’t ignore sales outside Amazon.
NOTE: If you have a book enrolled, check your KDP bookshelf. Select a title, click Actions then See KDP Select Details. A window will pop up. There you will find a checkbox to automatically renew enrolment. You may want to uncheck it.
Posted 2012/08/20 at 16h17ET in Publishing.
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