Things I've Learned - 10 Years Later: Expanding my Horizons

Hey Lovelies,

As I approach the 10th anniversary of being an author and my book "My Quintessence" turning 10, I wanted to reflect on the journey and share some valuable insights about expanding distribution beyond Amazon's KDP.

via GIPHY

When I first started, I was exclusively with CreateSpace/Amazon/KDP. It was me and Amzy (Amazon) from 2014-2022. It was a hell of a ride but by 2019, I wanted to expand distribution without Amazon. So, I began to research platforms such as Bookbaby, Lulu, and Ingramspark. By 2020, I decided that I would try the platform of my choice once I was ready to publish Sloppy.

Ingramspark

After thorough research, I decided to go with Ingramspark. Their paperback quality surpassed KDP's, with better pages and stunning colors. With Ingramspark, my book "Sloppy" was available for pre-order, and readers could snag a copy from various online retailers like Abebooks, Barnes and Noble, as well as local thrift and bookstores. I later added Phoenixes Groomed as Genesis Doves and Long Live Phoenixes to Ingramspark too.

Amazon: Not Exclusive Anymore

Yes, I’m still with Amazon. Just not exclusively. To be clear: I simply opted out of KDP Select. KDP Select is pretty much a 90-day agreement between you and KDP to keep your book on their platform ONLY. In exchange, you get some promotional benefits:

Kindle Unlimited (KU):

Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service from Amazon that allows readers to access a vast library of books for a monthly fee. When I was locked in with KDP Select, my books became available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers, and I got royalties based on the number of pages read by subscribers. Being paid for the number of pages being read is a win for sure and was a big sacrifice for me.

Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL):

 KOLL allows Amazon Prime members who own a Kindle device to borrow one book per month for free. I was able to receive a share of the KDP Select Global Fund based on the number of times their book was borrowed. Meh. Didn't care much for this feature.

Increased Visibility:

KDP Select books are included in the Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners' Lending Library catalogs, which can lead to increased exposure and discovery by readers who are using these services. I mean...this was great too. Release: YOU really snagged a huge chunk of this increased visibility.

So, although, I opted out of KDP Select, my books are still available on Amazon. There is an exception: The Release Series. The e-books are still and will remain on Amazon exclusively (KDP Select).

Can’t Forget about the e-books:

I didn’t choose to upload my e-books on Ingramspark because I didn't want to pay for uploading my paperbacks and e-books (Of course, the fee has now been waived now to upload on Ingramspark. You still have to pay for revisions though.). So, I chose to upload my e-books on Smashwords which allowed my books to be available for purchase on iBooks, nook, etc.

I know this is a short post, but I just wanted to express my process of expanding distribution outside of my comfort zone. As an indie author, it's crucial to experiment and find what works best for you and your books. While seeking advice is valuable, remember that you have the final say. I encountered skepticism when I mentioned my move to Ingramspark, but I stood my ground. I mentioned to a fellow Amazon author my thoughts on going to Ingramspark and they mentioned that it was a waste of time. They believed the royalties wouldn’t improve and being that Amazon has their own expanded distribution. They finished off with “Who knows you anyway?” And guess what? Opting out of KDP Select led to increased sales. I haven't reached all my goals yet, but I'm grateful for the lessons learned and the choices I made.

Experiment, make mistakes, learn the lessons, and remember: this is your indie author journey!

Your path may differ from others, and that's what makes it YOURS.