We get this question a lot and it comes in various forms, but the basic idea is: I just joined Kindle Unlimited so now I can download a ton of books, right? But then I try to download one of your books and it’s not available on KU. Why?
Why are my favorite books not available on KU?
The answer is usually pretty simple: either we self-publish the book or we sold it to a traditional publisher. In most cases, our self-published ebooks aren’t available for Kindle Unlimited because they are part of our 7 Days To Rockstar Email course. The exception to this rule would be if you have already purchased that book through Amazon.
This means either you bought it directly from us or someone else gave you the link to purchase it using their account (this is why some people give out free copies of their ebooks as gifts). If that has happened then you will be able to read those books on KU as long as your account isn’t suspended for violating Amazon’s terms and conditions (more about that below).
On the flip side, if we signed a traditional contract with a publisher for one or more of our works then they get final say over whether those particular books are made available on Kindle Unlimited. This doesn’t mean everyone who buys those ebooks won’t be able read them though – remember most publishers allow people in select countries like Canada and Australia access these titles regardless of whether or not they subscribe to KU – but at least half my sales come from people who don’t have access to my work through Kindle Unlimited. So while some authors might lament having half their potential audience cut off by Amazon, I see things differently because I still make twice as much money in sales than someone who does participate in KU!
If you want more information about what being included in Kindle Unlimited means for an author click here where we break down exactly how much money authors make when their work is included on this program (spoiler alert: there IS money being made!). Or feel free leave us comments below!
What is Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle unlimited allows you to read as many books as you want during your subscription period. With the Kindle Unlimited, you can borrow up to ten titles at a time and read them on your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also read Kindle Unlimited books on any Kindle device.
The titles available in the Kindle Unlimited are from the Amazon’s own publishing program, Bookbub and some indie authors.
This means that these titles are being discounted from their regular price of $9.99 to be part of this program. The main reason Amazon has created this program is for people who love reading but don’t have enough money for it (and not because it wants to compete with Netflix). When I was talking about how Netflix works a few days ago here I mentioned that it receives around $7 per user per month while they have close to 100 million users worldwide which means they make over $700 million every month just with their U.S subscribers alone!
And if we add international subscribers into the equation then they will start making billions every month! Where am I going? Well since Amazon doesn’t want people who love reading not having enough money for buying new books so they decided to give them access even when they don’t have content which is basically what CEOs of companies do these days right? 🙂 So if someone wants access just by paying $10 per month instead of paying a lot more than that and getting all those new releases then why not right?
Just like Spotify did with music industry or YouTube did with Hollywood studios who had awful business model before internet era in order to change things around! And see how much influence both platforms had as well!
The only problem most people seem having is how does kindle unlimited work when there are no new releases being added all year long!?
Although this might not be such an issue especially in case of readers who simply enjoy reading good literature without thinking about whether there are new releases or old ones available but still isn’t very fair towards authors whose main source of income would be through book sales while others steal those sales away from them by using cheap methods like these… Buuuuttttt on another note- If you look at this from an author perspective maybe it isn’t such a bad thing after all?
Why would someone pay 14$ for 200 pages paperback novel if he could get similar experience by paying 10$ monthly subscription fee and also getting other benefits like free ebooks & audiobooks – although those will probably cost more than 14$.
Which leads us back again saying – Is everything really black & white?! 😉 That sounds so philosophical… 😀 Anyways, my point here was that maybe Genres won’t matter anymore after all since there will be a bunch more readers out there compared previous years meaning tons more book sales everywhere due eBook revolution taking place!!
But anyways let me know what do YOU think about this whole situation below! Should we care about genres during next decade or should we take advantage out current situation till everything gets sorted out?
Kindle Unlimited Subscription: How It Works & How To Sign Up
And the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is included in your Prime membership, so you always have access to thousands of books at no additional cost.
How to access kindle unlimited
Amazon Prime is a membership program that gives you and your family unlimited fast delivery, such as FREE Two-Day Shipping and One-Day Shipping for $3.99 per item on eligible purchases for an annual fee of $79. Amazon Prime members can borrow Kindle books from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library for free — including over 100 current and former New York Times best sellers.
The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is available to Amazon Prime members who own a Kindle device with or without a Special Offers subscription, or own an Amazon Fire tablet or Fire phone. With the new agreement, library users will be able to download up to 10 eBooks directly through their libraries’ websites using their library card number at no cost – no kindle required!
OverDrive Read is compatible with iOS 8+, Android devices running Jelly Bean 4+. You can also grab it from Google Play.
How to access kindle unlimited
Only titles with eBook availability in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia and India are eligible for loan through this program; however all editions of those titles are available (eBook & print).
Please note that library availability varies by country/region so if the title isn’t currently available in your country/region it may show as ‘unavailable’ but please check back soon as we continue adding additional libraries every month!