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Thread: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?


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Permlink Replies: 15 - Pages: 2 [ 1 2 | Next ] - Last Post: Jul 6, 2012 11:50 AM Last Post By: 12349876ffff
alphonsopspain

Posts: 2
Registered: 07/05/12
Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 5:06 PM
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I have recently heard conflicting viewpoints on whether KDP Select pays users that give their books for free or if it's just for book borrows.
pinkdinky

Posts: 262
Registered: 11/11/11
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 5:11 PM   in response to: alphonsopspain in response to: alphonsopspain
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just book borrows. I'd be giving all my books for free if we got paid for that. Free means free I'm afraid.
alphonsopspain

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Registered: 07/05/12
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 5:27 PM   in response to: pinkdinky in response to: pinkdinky
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what about for the five free days for every three months?
michaelraytaylor

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Registered: 01/21/12
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 5:28 PM   in response to: alphonsopspain in response to: alphonsopspain
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If you add all my freebies since January, that's 40,000 downloads--I'd settle for a quarter each, if Amazon would. But I think my 60-90 borrows/month were influenced by the freebies.
pinkdinky

Posts: 262
Registered: 11/11/11
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 6:21 PM   in response to: alphonsopspain in response to: alphonsopspain
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Those 5 days are your freebies if you wish to use them. Free is free. There are many threads on this matter that the freebies are now being seen as hurting sales. People have caught on that there are hundreds of freebies each day so fewer are paying for them. It is probably good just to get your name out there but you will NOT be paid for anything you choose to give away. If you wish to be paid then don't give away your book.
andresanthomas

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Registered: 01/01/12
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 6:50 PM   in response to: alphonsopspain in response to: alphonsopspain
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There are two different things.

1. Free Promo Days. These are the 5 free days that all Select members are allowed to use during a 90 day period. It is up to you how you use them or if you even use them. You do not get compensated (or charged) for any free promo downloads.

2. Kindle Lending Library. This shows up on your reports as KOLL. This is the part where Prime members are allowed 1 free borrow of any participating book during each month. Kindle will pay for these borrows, the amount varies by month, but about $2 each. Some people do report large numbers of borrows but I think for most people, they're not espcially significant. Last month was my biggest borrow month with 16 across 6 eligible books. If your book is a low price point, you probably won't see a lot because people may not use their one free borrow on a .99 book. If your book is a high price point you may not want to have hundreds of them because you'd make more off a sale. I just consider them a free promo with a little kickback.
headofwords

Posts: 966
Registered: 01/16/12
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 7:01 PM   in response to: andresanthomas in response to: andresanthomas
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Spot on. I've never had a single borrow because I only put short stories on free promo and most of them are just .99c.

OP, it would be great if you did get paid for freebies (even like 5c a time would be quite an earner for some people) but at the moment no. The whole point of it is exposure, in terms of appearing in "also bought" lists or even a reader that enjoys the promo either telling their friends or buying your other stuff.

Few people seem to like the free promo system, but its like a smelly uncle you're forced to live with and since its there you might as well put it to work. I refuse to put novels on promo but I don't mind so much with short stories, most of which only took me a day or two to write and have previously been sold to magazines. My novels are worth too much to me to just give away, but I think it can be particularly effective if you have a series.
ghostlywanderer

Posts: 435
Registered: 01/14/12
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 5, 2012 7:07 PM   in response to: alphonsopspain in response to: alphonsopspain
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They don't compensate you for freebies, but you are not obligated to use the five free days at all. It's completely your choice- you don't have to give away any books if you don't want to.
notjohn

Posts: 15,239
Registered: 01/06/10
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 3:33 AM   in response to: alphonsopspain in response to: alphonsopspain
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**whether KDP Select pays users that give their books for free**

Thank you for brightening my morning!

Wouldn't it be simpler if Amazon just paid us for uploading our books and making them available? Say a hundred thousand copies each at $3.99. That would do more than Mr Obama has done to end the Great Recession.
diamondlifestyle

Posts: 4,204
Registered: 07/02/11
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 5:19 AM   in response to: notjohn in response to: notjohn
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Hey Amazon reported $13.2 BILLION in revenue Q1 2012. They should share with their friends :-)

...although they only made $130 million in profit, maybe times are hard...

Message was edited by: diamondlifestyle
12349876ffff

Posts: 687
Registered: 06/09/09
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 5:21 AM   in response to: headofwords in response to: headofwords
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"the whole point of it is exposure, in terms of appearing in "also bought" lists"

Funny thing about that is, before I did a free promo, there were famous authors on my "also bought" list, including Stephen King.

Afterward (and to this day) it is filled with people nobody ever heard of.

Fair warning.
vlgallas

Posts: 2,504
Registered: 05/13/09
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 8:38 AM   in response to: 12349876ffff in response to: 12349876ffff
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Yep, that is the same thing that happened with one book I did a free promo on a while back. I opened the door for it. My mistake.
notjohn

Posts: 15,239
Registered: 01/06/10
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:28 AM   in response to: diamondlifestyle in response to: diamondlifestyle
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**$130 million in profit**'

That's a profit margin of 1.5 percent. Scary! We are betting our careers on a company that is skating an inch and a half from the cliff.

But I suppose Mr Obama would bail it out if it went broke.
12349876ffff

Posts: 687
Registered: 06/09/09
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:38 AM   in response to: notjohn in response to: notjohn
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After the CEO uses the $18.5 billion he's extracted from the company ($6.5 billion in the last year alone), we'll ask Mr. Obama for help.
notjohn

Posts: 15,239
Registered: 01/06/10
Re: Does KDP Select compensate you for free downloads?
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:44 AM   in response to: notjohn in response to: notjohn
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Gosh, worse than that! The WSJ today notes that Amz's profit margin is 1.3 percent.
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