Kindle Unlimited vs going wide
- KU strengths: page-read income, Amazon-algorithm boost, high-volume genres.
- KU weaknesses: Amazon exclusivity, no library/international reach.
- Wide strengths: Apple/Kobo/B&N/Google Play distribution, library sales.
- Wide weaknesses: no page-read income, slower Amazon-algorithm signals.
- A 90-day exclusivity term in KU (auto-renews).
Kindle Unlimited (KU) requires Amazon ebook exclusivity in exchange for page-read income from subscribers; "going wide" means distributing across Apple, Kobo, B&N, Google Play, and libraries without KU page reads. KU dominates in romance, fantasy, mystery; wide dominates in literary fiction, nonfiction, and authors with international or library reach.
Chapter i·Why it matters
This is the single most consequential distribution decision for indie ebook authors. The right answer depends entirely on your genre and audience — and the wrong answer leaves 20-40% of potential income on the table. Switching is cheap but compounds: building wide audience takes months, and going back to KU exclusivity costs 90 days of exclusivity terms.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A genre check: where do your top 10 comps live (KU or wide)?
- A 90-day exclusivity calculation for KU.
- A per-book decision: you can mix (some KU, some wide).
- A switching plan: 90 days to leave KU, months to rebuild wide.
- Per-retailer setup if going wide: Apple, Kobo, B&N, Google Play.
- A data check at T+90: which path is actually earning more?
Chapter iii·Example
A working romance author tries wide for one book — book four. Her wide sales (Apple, Kobo, library) come to 9% of total revenue; her KU page-read drop is 31%. Net change: -22%. She returns book four to KU. A working literary author tries KU for one book — her wide audience shrinks; KU page reads don’t materialize. Net change: -18%. She returns to wide.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom holds your distribution decisions per book and their performance data.
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