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How to Opt Out of KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) Without Penalty

4019093566_d9b325e3d3_bWith authors protesting right and left, the new payment terms for KDP Select are probably proving less popular than Amazon would like.

Amazon’s decision to shift from paying authors each time an ebook is loaned in Kindle Unlimited to paying by the number of pages read by Kindle Unlimited subscriber is rubbing some authors the wrong way, but luckily there is a solution.

Indies Unlimited reports that Amazon is letting opt out of the program without a penalty.

The indie author world was aflutter with talk June 15 when Amazon announced it was changing the way it paid authors who joined the Kindle Direct Publishing Select Program. The changes (which involve compensating authors based on the number of pages a reader completes) left some saying they wanted out of the program.

Amazon, having anticipated this, announced that authors who were unhappy could exit the KDP Select program early, if they wanted. Under the program, authors agree to sell their eBooks exclusively at Amazon.com for a 90-day period. Generally, if you violate the 90-day exclusivity, all sorts of woe awaits you (I give the exact details further down in this post).

Indies Unlimited reports that they exchanged emails with a KDP rep who told them that authors can opt out.

All authors have to do is follow the instructions on the relevant help page in KDP:

If you no longer want your book(s) to be included in KDP Select you may unenroll from the program bycontacting us with the ASIN of the book you would like to remove.

There’s reportedly no deadline, and authors can list their ebook elsewhere as soon as they have received a confirmation that the title has been removed from KDP Select.

Not having a book in KDP Select, I can’t confirm this first hand, so I would strongly urge you to confirm the details before taking any action. You don’t want to pay a penalty for the bad info, so it’s best to inquire first and get a policy in writing.

So tell me, have you tried to opt out? I’m not expressing an opinion either way, just curious as to whether authors can get out of KDP Select without a penalty.

Did it work?

image  by MShades

 

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Comments


William Ockham June 25, 2015 um 9:20 pm

With authors protesting right and left, the new payment terms for KDP Select are probably proving less popular than Amazon would like.

Bwahaa, good one, Nate. Come on, man. Literally, no one whose opinion matters to Amazon has objected.

Nate Hoffelder June 26, 2015 um 2:55 pm

Probably not, but I decided to take a neutral tone anyway.


William D. O’Neil June 26, 2015 um 12:31 am

So they changed the rules a little. BFD! Why would you make a federal case of it?

It sounds to me as if the gripers are people who were gaming the system and don’t feel willing (or able) to play the new game.

My view is that I’m going to write what I think I should and simply trust that I’ll connect with readers and do all right out of it.


Greg Strandberg June 26, 2015 um 1:32 am

Good time for a survey. Which authors are complaining, how many books do they have? If you have enough books, you can put some here, some there, make some exclusive…whatever.

Complain less, write more. I won’t even pity the fools. This month I’ll get about $325 for all my books, and I’ll be dang happy for it.

Nate Hoffelder June 26, 2015 um 2:54 pm

Also, do they have any indie titles at all? No?


Sharon Reamer June 26, 2015 um 7:09 am

Hi Nate,

Thanks for the info. I have contacted Amazon and will let you know what they say. I only have two short fiction titles in Select/KU and prefer not to participate in the new KU experiment at this time.


Will Entrekin June 26, 2015 um 10:27 am

The funny thing is, the change has me more inclined to opt back in at the moment than anything else. I’m definitely going to put at least a few of my books back into Select.

Sharon Reamer June 26, 2015 um 10:41 am

I’m just taking advantage of the opportunity – I wanted to go wide with the stories but missed the deadline for opting out after the 3 months. 🙂

I may opt back in with a longer work in the future. But I’m wide with my series novels and see no reason to discontinue that at this point.


David Gaughran June 26, 2015 um 3:55 pm

They let authors opt out in the same way when KU was first launched. Plenty of authors took advantage of the offer. Wasn’t any problems with it as far as I heard.


Sharon Reamer June 27, 2015 um 4:44 am

Yup, worked for me. Got the confirmation email, very polite. No problem.

Biggest Azami September 11, 2020 um 8:29 am

hi, any tips on how you did it, and how long did it take?


What do I need to know about publishing on Amazon Kindle? – Go Ask AngieGo Ask Angie July 29, 2015 um 11:44 am

[…] How to Opt Out of KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) Without Penalty […]


Answered: What do I need to know about publishing on Amazon Kindle? – Go Ask Angie August 3, 2015 um 1:57 pm

[…] How to Opt Out of KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) Without Penalty […]


Lyn August 27, 2015 um 3:14 am

I got out with no issues. I mentioned I had an issue with the new lending rules even though I wasn’t that fussed, and I was relinquished within hours of requesting this. This recent change has really been a last straw for some. I was willing to wait but I wanted to see how far I got and it was the easiest support query resolution I’d received from Amazon for ANYTHING much less publishing.


Hans von Staubig October 29, 2018 um 10:56 am

What happens if you publish the same book elsewhere under a different title?

Nate Hoffelder October 29, 2018 um 1:33 pm

you would probably get away with it, but it would mostly defeat the purpose (marketing)


eRIKA May 2, 2019 um 4:20 am

Hi Nate, thank you for this. I’ve tried KU, Always been wide, and I’m sorry it’s not working for me at all. I’ll definitely be opting out via this way and will let you know how long it takes. I make more money being wide so maybe it works for others but I don’t see the fuss around the Exclusive. Lost a great deal making my books exclusive to only KU. Maybe I don’t have the magic that the other authors who made it work have.

Good luck to everyone with their titles in KU.


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