Choosing how to distribute your ebook is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a self-published author. While writing your book takes creativity and dedication, publishing it requires strategy. Should you enroll in Amazon’s KDP Select program and gain access to Kindle Unlimited, or should you distribute your ebook through multiple retailers?
For most first-time authors, KDP Select offers the best starting point. It offers better discoverability tools and access to the subscription-based ebook service Kindle Unlimited, making it easier to build an audience before expanding to other retailers.
That said, the right distribution strategy for your ebook largely depends on your genre and publishing goals. While KDP Select prioritizes visibility within Amazon’s ecosystem, wide publishing emphasizes long-term reach and diversified income. Understanding the strengths and trade-offs of each approach can help you choose the strategy that best supports your current and long-term publishing success.
Quick Recommendation and Rationale
Exclusivity is the biggest deciding factor in whether to publish widely or with KDP Select.
Enrolling in KDP Select requires that your book be available only on Amazon for at least 90 days. KDP Select authors are prohibited from selling or giving away copies of their ebook on other retail sites, subscription-based reading platforms, or even their own website. In exchange, authors receive access to Kindle Unlimited, Kindle Countdown Deals, and Free Book Promotions.
Wide publishing, often called “going wide,” takes the opposite approach. Instead of relying on a single retailer, your ebook can be made available across multiple online bookstores simultaneously, allowing readers to purchase it wherever they prefer. It’s important to note that authors who go wide can still sell their ebooks on Amazon, but they won’t be able to engage readers through Kindle Unlimited.
At the end of each 90-day enrollment period, you can choose to either remain enrolled in KDP Select or to opt out and begin distributing your ebook elsewhere. Leaving the program means losing access to Kindle Unlimited readers and Amazon’s exclusive promotional tools, but it opens the door to broader distribution.
For many new authors, launching in KDP Select is a great way to maximize visibility while preserving the flexibility to reevaluate your distribution strategy every 90 days. Once you have real sales data, page reads, and reader feedback, you can decide whether remaining exclusive or expanding to additional retailers better supports your success and long-term goals.
Amazon KDP and KDP Select (Including Kindle Unlimited)
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform for ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers.
KDP Select is an optional program that provides additional promotional tools and channels in exchange for ebook exclusivity. While enrolled in KDP Select, your ebook cannot be sold through other retailers or distributed through most competing subscription services. Each enrollment period lasts 90 days.
It’s important to remember that KDP Select only impacts ebook distribution. Paperback and hardcover editions of your book can still be sold through other retailers and print distributors while your ebook remains exclusive to Amazon.
Enrollment in KDP Select also places your ebook in Kindle Unlimited (KU), Amazon’s subscription service for readers. Industry experts estimate that KU has approximately four million subscribers. In addition to earning royalties from ebook sales, authors are paid when KU subscribers read their books.
The payments are based on Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENP), a standardized page count Amazon uses to calculate author royalties and payouts. Because Amazon funds these payouts through its monthly KDP Select Global Fund, the KENP rate varies from month to month.
Define Going Wide And Key Retailers (Barnes Noble, Apple, Kobo)
Going wide means publishing your ebook on multiple retailers rather than making it exclusive to Amazon.
In addition to Amazon, popular ebook retailers include Barnes & Noble Press, Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, and Google Play Books. Many authors also use aggregate distribution platforms like Draft2Digital, which not only streamlines retailer placement of your ebook, but also helps you reach libraries and other subscription services.
Going wide gives readers more ways to discover your books while diversifying both your income and your overall market presence. Instead of relying on a single marketplace, wide publishing creates multiple sales channels that can strengthen an author’s business over time.
KDP Select vs. Going Wide Comparison Snapshot
The table below offers key details and differences to help you compare choosing exclusivity with KDP Select or going wide with broader distribution.
| Factor | KDP Select | Wide Publishing |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook availability | Amazon only | Multiple retailers |
| Ebook royalties | 35% or 70% | Usually up to 70% depending on retailer |
| Listing on Kindle Unlimited | Yes | No |
| KENP earnings | Yes | No |
| Barnes & Noble ebooks | No | Yes |
| Apple Books | No | Yes |
| Kobo | No | Yes |
| Library distribution | Limited | Yes |
| Promotional tools | Kindle countdown deals, free promotions | Retailer promotions and direct marketing |
| Best for | New authors, genre fiction, rapid releases | Nonfiction, international markets, diversified businesses |
Royalties, KENP, and How You Earn
Amazon offers two primary ebook royalty rates depending on your book’s price and eligibility requirements:
- 70% royalty: Available for ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99 and at least 20% below the list price for hardcover and paperback editions. Delivery fees are deducted based on file size (typically $0.15/MB for sales in the US), and public domain works typically do not qualify.
- 35% royalty: Applies to ebooks priced below $2.99 or above $9.99. No delivery fees apply, and books may include public-domain content.
Authors enrolled in KDP Select can also earn KENP royalties when Kindle Unlimited subscribers read their books. These earnings fluctuate monthly because the payout depends on Amazon’s KDP Select Global Fund.
For authors with longer books or binge-worthy series, the royalties earned through Kindle Unlimited page reads can become a significant source of income in addition to direct sales.
Wide publishing does not include Kindle Unlimited income, but it allows authors to earn royalties from multiple retailers rather than relying on a single platform. Authors who publish wide can still sell their books through Amazon’s standard KDP platform as well. They simply do not receive the additional benefits offered by KDP Select.
For fiction authors in genres such as romance, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery, participation in Kindle Unlimited can be extremely lucrative, as readers often consume multiple books per month.
Best for increased earnings on popular fiction: KDP Select
Distribution and the Ebook Market
While royalties determine how you earn money, distribution determines where readers can actually find your book.
KDP Select offers deep access to Amazon’s marketplace, but limits where your ebook can be sold. While enrolled, your book cannot be sold through Barnes & Noble Press, Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, Google Play Books, or most library platforms. You also cannot sell digital copies of your book through your own website.
Wide publishing removes those restrictions and makes your ebook available to readers wherever they prefer to shop. This broader availability can help authors reach international audiences, library systems, and readers who prefer platforms other than Amazon. This also creates a safeguard called “distribution resilience,” meaning your book can still reach readers even if a particular platform is unavailable.
Keep in mind that KDP Select exclusivity applies only to ebooks. Even if your ebook is enrolled in the program, you may still publish paperback and hardcover editions through Barnes & Noble Press, IngramSpark, or other print distributors.
Best for distribution resilience: Wide publishing
Marketing Tools and Discoverability
One of KDP Select’s biggest advantages for self-published authors is access to promotional tools that aren’t available to authors who publish widely.
Kindle Countdown Deals allow authors to temporarily discount their ebooks while maintaining eligibility for the higher 70% royalty rate. Free Book Promotions let you offer your ebook at no cost for up to five days during each 90-day enrollment period. These promotions can help generate downloads, reviews, and increased visibility.
Kindle Unlimited also contributes to Amazon’s recommendation system. As readers borrow and read through your book, Amazon may recommend it to similar readers, improving its visibility in search results and recommendation carousels.
Authors who publish widely rely more heavily on retailer-specific promotions, email newsletters, advertising, social media, and direct relationships with readers. While these strategies require more effort and coordination, they reduce dependence on Amazon’s algorithm and create more opportunities to build a long-term audience across multiple platforms.
Best for promotional tools and short-term discoverability: KDP Select
Pricing Flexibility and Promotion Control
When going wide, authors have the ability to set their own pricing schedule and promotions
Because your ebook is available through multiple retailers, you can experiment with different price points, participate in retailer-specific sales, and adjust pricing based on individual markets. This flexibility allows authors to test promotional strategies and determine what resonates most with their audience.
KDP Select also offers promotional opportunities through Free Book Promotions and Kindle Countdown Deals, both of which allow authors to discount their books for a limited time.
While these tools can be highly effective, they don’t offer the same level of pricing freedom as distributing your ebook across multiple retailers. KDP Select authors can only run one promotion per 90-day period. Free Book Promotions are allowed for a total of five days, while Kindle Countdown Deals can be used for just one week. Kindle Countdown Deals also require that the book price be reduced by at least $1.00, not go below $0.99, and maintain a list price of $2.99-$24.99 for at least 30 days prior.
These limitations can make it challenging to run a fully flexible promotional strategy or to experiment with pricing for new authors.
Best for pricing flexibility and experimentation: Wide publishing
First Book Launch Strategy
For many first-time self-published authors, KDP Select provides the easiest path to gaining visibility.
New authors benefit from Kindle Unlimited readers, Amazon’s recommendation engine, and KDP Select’s built-in promotional tools. Together, these can help a new book reach readers more quickly than launching across multiple retailers with no existing audience.
Rather than trying to master every storefront at once, consider focusing your first launch on KDP Select. During your initial 90-day enrollment period, track your ebook sales, Kindle Unlimited page reads, reviews, and overall marketing results. That information will give you a much clearer picture of whether remaining exclusive or expanding to other retailers makes sense for future releases.
Testing one book in KDP Select allows you to make decisions based on real performance rather than assumptions, helping to guide your full distribution strategy.
Best for a first book launch: KDP Select
Audience and Genre Fit Assessment
Your genre doesn’t just influence what you write; it should also play an important role in your distribution strategy.
Romance, fantasy, thriller, cozy mystery, LitRPG, and other high-volume fiction categories often perform well in Kindle Unlimited because readers tend to consume multiple books per month. Authors who publish series or release books frequently may also benefit from the additional visibility and page-read income that KU provides.
Before deciding, look at the bestseller list in your genre. If many of the top-performing titles are available through Kindle Unlimited, that’s a good indication that readers in your category actively use the service.
Nonfiction, business, educational, and specialty titles often perform better through wide publishing because readers purchase these books individually rather than borrowing them through a subscription. Authors focused on international markets, library distribution, or reaching readers beyond Amazon’s ecosystem may also benefit from a wider strategy.
Best for high-volume fiction genres: KDP Select
Best for nonfiction and evergreen titles: Wide publishing
Which Strategy Fits Your Goals?
While genre, royalty potential, and whether this is your first book or your fifth all should play a part in deciding your distribution strategy, your individual author goals are possibly the most important factor.
When KDP Select Makes Sense
KDP Select may be the right choice if you:
- Write genre fiction, serial fiction, or rapid release books.
- Publish in genres like romance, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery which have strong Kindle Unlimited readership.
- Have a limited marketing budget.
- Want to maximize Amazon visibility.
- Prefer focusing your launch efforts on a single retailer.
When Going Wide Makes Sense
Wide publishing may be the better option if you:
- Write nonfiction or evergreen books.
- Want to make your ebook available through other platforms like Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Kobo.
- Value library distribution.
- Sell to international audiences.
- Prefer building long-term business diversification.
How To Enroll, Opt Out, and Move Wide
Enrolling in KDP Select is straightforward. During the KDP publishing process, simply select the KDP Select enrollment option before publishing your ebook.
If you decide that KDP Select is no longer the right fit for your titles, you’ll need to disable automatic renewal before your current 90-day enrollment period ends. Once the enrollment term expires, you can begin distributing your ebook through other platforms and retailers.
If you plan to move from wide publishing into KDP Select, you’ll need to remove your ebook from competing retailers before enrolling. This helps ensure that you don’t violate Amazon’s exclusivity requirements.
Whenever possible, it’s best to plan changes to the distribution strategy at the end of a 90-day enrollment period rather than attempting to change it mid-term. If you’re still unsure which approach is right for your books, consider testing a backlist title or a single book before applying it to your entire catalog.
Final Recommendations By Author Type
If your primary goal is rapid discoverability, Kindle Unlimited income, and strong Amazon visibility, KDP Select is likely the better choice.
If your priority is long-term business growth, broader distribution, and greater independence than a single retailer can provide, going wide offers more flexibility and diversification.
For most new self-published authors, starting with KDP Select is the best overall strategy. It provides an opportunity to build visibility, collect real-world sales data, and develop an initial readership before deciding whether to expand to additional retailers. Once you know how your book performs, you can make informed decisions about the strategies that work best for you, your titles, and your publishing goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you be in Kindle Unlimited and sell elsewhere?
Enrolling in KDP Select, which includes Kindle Unlimited, requires exclusivity, preventing the sale of your ebooks on any other platforms. However, this restriction only applies to digital copies of your book. Paperback and hardcover editions may be sold widely.
Will I lose reviews if I go wide?
No. Leaving KDP Select and publishing your ebook through additional retailers does not remove the reviews your book has already earned on Amazon. However, it does change where future reviews may be posted. As readers begin purchasing your book from multiple retailers, reviews may be spread across multiple storefronts rather than being concentrated on Amazon.
How often does the KENP payout change?
The Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENP) payout rate changes each month because it depends on the total KDP Select Global Fund. The fund is calculated from the number of active subscriptions, and funds are distributed to authors based on pages read.
Authors can monitor Kindle Unlimited performance by reviewing the Month-to-Date Unit Sales Report, which shows the number of pages KU customers have read in the given month, and the Prior Months’ Royalties Report, which shows all amounts earned from standard sales royalties, KENP royalties, and any promotions run.
Can I publish a paperback on Barnes & Noble Press while in KDP Select?
Yes. Enrollment in KDP Select only impacts ebook distribution. While enrolled, you are free to distribute physical copies of your book, including both paperback and hardcover, on Barnes & Noble Press, IngramSpark, and other platforms.
