Author discontent grows as Kindle Unlimited enters its fifth month ⋆ The Digital Reader

Posted on January 2, 2015 | 3 Comments

Author discontent grows as Kindle Unlimited enters its fifth month ⋆ The Digital Reader.

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3 responses to “Author discontent grows as Kindle Unlimited enters its fifth month ⋆ The Digital Reader”

revgerry | January 2, 2015 at 9:02 pm | Reply

Yikes, I haven’t even finished outlining my book and reading all this, I am wondering if it will be worth it, other than to get my (non-fiction) message out to readers – like a blog. In which case I should just work harder on the blog? Who is actually being successful at making any money in this market? Just wondering…. thanks, gerry

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- Steve Vernon | January 3, 2015 at 6:36 am | Reply
  
  The market is ALWAYS going to be tough, Gerry. An indie writer needs to keep an eye on what is going on out there in the e-book world. I just like to post a few useful and/or interesting entries on my blog in between my own actual blog entries.
  
  As an indie writer my aim is to TRY and make a little bit of money. Someday I hope to make a LOT of money from this racket – but this is not that day – (in my best Aragorn-voice).
  
  I tried KU and made a bit more extra money from it but I have noticed that the KU pay-out rates are steadily decreasing and I have withdrawn almost ALL of my e-books from Kindle Select – and thus, from Kindle Unlimited.
  
  Do me a favor and write your book. Do not let the market conditions discourage you. Writing – especially writing nonfiction, as you are – is an important way for a person to learn to think things through. The act of writing a book – ESPECIALLY NONFICTION – is like push-ups for your brain. It won’t kill you, but it WILL make you stronger.
  
  Each month I sell a few more books. When I started out in this e-book business I was make ten to twenty dollars a month. These days I am averaging between one to two hundred dollars per month. Each month bumps that rate up just a little bit. This is a journey and I expect to be making even more by this time next year. Remember – when you write a book you are just putting one word after another. When you are creating a writing career you are just putting one book after another. It is the same thing. This book that you are writing MIGHT be wildly successful right off the bat – but odds are it isn’t going to happen right away. Your next book is going to help sell the next book. Each month you will figure out a new way of promoting your e-books. Each month you will figure out how to show off your e-book to your next set of potential customers. Nonfiction lends itself nicely to guest-blog appearances. You will find a lot of different ways to help promote your book sales and your numbers will slowly begin to improve.
  
  Remember, literary success isn’t something that you trip over. Literary success is something you walk towards – one book at a time, one day at a time, one word at a time.
  
  Finish the darned book, Gerry. There is going to be rainy days and there is going to be sunny days and a person really ought to never let reality get in their way.
  
  Good luck and keep writing.
  
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virginiallorca | January 3, 2015 at 5:46 pm | Reply

I didn’t get the initial enthusiasm for this when other blogs and authors were exclaiming over it as the program was first introduced. It seemed wonderful things were happening, but it was still during that first free month. And then the next wave of new subscribers, etc.

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