Gone wide. And I committed? Should I try Kindle Unlimited for one book?

[alhawke]

Just that. Looking for opinions. What do you guys think?

I'm publishing two books in the next couple months. One is a sequel to my Sci-Fi. I'll keep that under wide distribution. But I have another new fantasy I'm publishing.

I've thought of dipping my feet in KU exclusively. What do you guys think? I've always sold wide. Just stay wide forever or play with KU for one title?

My thoughts: KU would let me get $ from page reads and possibly expand visibility as a new author. Going exclusive would limit visibility wide and decrease promotion availability.

[Maggie Ann]

You can always try KU for 90 days and if it doesn't work out, go wide. Or if it does work out, stay in KU. You just have to experiment.

[notthatamanda]

Make sure you uncheck the box to stay in KU if you are going for one ninety day term.

I'm done with KU because of page flip but good luck whatever you decide.

[idontknowyet]

Also think about expectations of ku fantasy readers. From what I've read in other groups and forums most wont get many reads if they aren't doorstop books.

[ashleycapes]

I try to have feet in both camps and I think at least giving KU a shot is worthwhile - it's a low-risk way for new readers to check out your work, which is a big plus, I reckon

[alhawke]

Hmm. Still undecided. I'm sure there's no simple answer, but big thanks for all your opinions! (and forgiving my grammar snafu on my thread title: "and" = "am")

Make sure you uncheck the box to stay in KU if you are going for one ninety day term.

I'm done with KU because of page flip but good luck whatever you decide.

Great tip! But, pardon my ignorance here, what is "page flip"? Do you mean KDP page counts?
I've also read online that writers have gotten into trouble, and even had their account suspended, through promotions having too many pages falsely read. These things make me a little nervous about KU.

[Shoe]

My thoughts: KU would let me get $ from page reads and possibly expand visibility as a new author. Going exclusive would limit visibility wide and decrease promotion availability.

Are you making meaningful income on the non-Amazon platforms now? If not, I'd move all your books to KU.

[notthatamanda]

Hmm. Still undecided. I'm sure there's no simple answer, but big thanks for all your opinions! (and forgiving my grammar snafu on my thread title: "and" = "am")

Make sure you uncheck the box to stay in KU if you are going for one ninety day term.

I'm done with KU because of page flip but good luck whatever you decide.

Great tip! But, pardon my ignorance here, what is "page flip"? Do you mean KDP page counts?
I've also read online that writers have gotten into trouble, and even had their account suspended, through promotions having too many pages falsely read. These things make me a little nervous about KU.

If you are not botting your books to get page reads don't worry about that. Could someone bot your books as a decoy? Yes, but unlikely and everyone in KU is vulnerable to that, but again, highly unlikely that they would pick any single author. I have no idea how much botting is going on for page reads these days. But be careful who you promote with and what they promise you.

Page flip is a mode readers can read a book in. If they read a KU book in page flip the pages don't count and the author/publisher gets nothing for those page reads. How much does this happen? Anyone's guess. But since we are supposed to be paid for pages read, and we don't, I'm done with KU.

[alhawke]

Are you making meaningful income on the non-Amazon platforms now? If not, I'd move all your books to KU.

I'm doing okay here and there, interestingly fairly well internationally. I worry I'd lose some of that market. I do like the idea of $ from people just looking at my book, and the extra exposure from free page reads. But, then again, I suppose, the beginning sample is free too.

Page flip is a mode readers can read a book in. If they read a KU book in page flip the pages don't count and the author/publisher gets nothing for those page reads. How much does this happen? Anyone's guess. But since we are supposed to be paid for pages read, and we don't, I'm done with KU.

Sounds like a loophole, hopefully, many people don't know about.

[Bill Hiatt]

I'll second the idea of experimenting. People get such different results that you can never tell about your own books without trying.

With regard to fantasy readers only being interested in doorstops, that's more true of epic fantasy readers. Shorter works of urban fantasy don't seem to have that problem. I've read some that are selling well that to me feel very short.

Even if one isn't doing especially well wide, there are some arguments for leaving at least some books wide. The principle one is trying to build a little presence outside Amazon in case something catastrophic happens. I make very few sales in wide, except when I'm promoting heavily, but I keep one series there, as well as my nonfiction titles and a couple of shorts (which don't do well in KU anyway).