Nowadays, many authors have the choice to self-publish across various platforms. Although many traditional publishers hold the distinction of being better prepared than their other publishing counterparts, a lot of readers are gravitating towards other markets. Many indie publishers are popping up, ready to publish and market the stories of authors who either don’t have the patience for indie publishing, or who want to have more control over their book. One type of publishing that has surfaced is self-publishing, or more specifically, self-publishing through Amazon. 

Amazon has the record of being the world’s largest online retailer for books. Not only does it sell apparel and various products, it also has a large database solely dedicated to all manner of books, whether it be horror, romance, mystery, or even erotica. It even has a program called KDP Select, in which the author can enroll in the program and potentially get their book in front of millions of readers. But despite this, there are a few things to think about when you’re considering enrolling in KDP Select. 

Pros

With KDP Select, you could enroll your book in a program that comes with other marketing activities. For instance, there are 5 free days you can use to offer your book so that your book can potentially get some positive reviews. You can also offer your book at a discount. Perhaps the biggest advantage of KDP Select is that when a reader reads a specific number of pages in your books, you get a certain amount of revenue associated with it. The amount always changes, the amount per pages read has been approximately .004-.005 cents. Thus, the amount of pages read tends to favor longer reads. Still, many authors tend to get most, if not all, of their revenue from Amazon.

Cons 

Despite the benefits of enrolling, there are trade offs. You can’t publish your book on other retailers, else you risk getting kicked out of the program. The program automatically renews your book after 3 months, so if you aren’t diligent, you might not be able to pull your book out in the event ifyou forget. Amazon also controls the amount of payment you get, as well as what books get promoted. This can be especially damaging for erotica writers, whom Amazon has taken steps to censor for the past few years. What's more, again, KDP Select has started shifting to longer works, and though the market is there for short stories, you might not have as much success with those stories. 

KDP Select has been a good way for authors to get exposure for both themselves and their books. Not only does Amazon offer a cheap way to publish your book, but you can even get started working on your next book if you put a little effort in promoting your book. Even so, the KDP Select Program isn’t for everyone. Keep the above categories in mind, and think about it the next time you find yourself looking at the KDP Select Page.