KDP Select is a program through Amazon that offers a series of perks for authors. This article will look at the pros and cons to help you decide if KDP Select is a good program for you.

The KDP program is a good deal for some authors, but it can be a hindrance for others. You first need to understand a bit about how you are planning to distribute your books. Spend some time working on a distribution plan so you know how people will find your books, where they will purchase them, and what promotional and marketing methods you will use. Once that is established, figure out if KDP Select is a good program for you.

As we embark in this discussion, I want to be clear that KDP for distributing your books on Amazon is different from the KDP Select program. The KDP platform is where you can upload your books to sell your printed books and eBooks directly on Amazon. The KDP Select program is an extra promotional tool available for KDP eBooks that includes higher royalties, free promotions, and paid-per-page-read perks. Below are the pros and cons.

Pros:

• Higher Royalties: The KDP eBook platform lets you price your book between $0.99 - $200 at a 35% royalty, which means if you sell your book for $0.99, you will only see $0.33 for the sale. If you use the $2.99-$9.99 range, your eBook can be listed at double that commission rate: 70%, meaning way more profit. But if you enroll your book in KDP Select, you can still receive the 70% royalty even as low as a $0.99 price.
• Paid for Page Turns: The KDP Select option lists your book in the Kindle Unlimited program, where subscribers can get your book for free, and you get paid for page turns. This can be very lucrative if your book becomes a huge hit, and more so if your writing style keeps your reader's attention.
• Free Promotional: Enrollment in KDP select allows you to give your book away once a quarter. While you do not make any money on a book giveaway, it does boost your book in sales rankings, and Amazon rankings can be important.

Cons:

• Exclusivity: The biggest con to KDP select is that it forces your book into exclusivity. This means you cannot sell or even pre-sell your book on any other platform, including your own website, for the duration of time it is available through the KDP select. This does include giving your book away for free on your own newsletter (Although Advance reader copies are still allowed).
• DRM: Some people want their books distributed with DRM protections and others do not, so this could be a pro or a con. In my case, as a FOSS person, I prefer to distribute my books without DRM so when a person buys my book, it is theirs, no matter the platform they wish to read it on. KDP Select forces your book into the DRM option.

With these pros and cons listed, examine for yourself if you think the KDP Select program is a good fit for your book and distribution strategy.