KDP Select vs Going Wide: Complete Guide for New Authors 2025

Introduction: The KDP Select vs Going Wide Decision

Over the years, many well-meaning voices in the self-publishing community have encouraged writers to avoid putting all their eggs in one basket. The advice often suggests publishing books across all available platforms rather than remaining exclusive to Amazon. However, this guidance may not always serve new writers best.

The debate between going wide and enrolling in KDP Select represents one of the most significant strategic decisions you must make. Each path offers distinct advantages and challenges that directly impact book sales, reader discovery, and long-term business growth.

This guide explores both strategies in detail, examining the pros and cons of each approach. You'll learn what factors to consider before making your decision and discover a practical three-step process to determine which path aligns with your specific goals and circumstances.

What Is Going Wide?

Going wide means publishing books across all available online platforms rather than maintaining exclusivity with Amazon. This distribution strategy includes platforms such as Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Nook, and numerous smaller regional online stores.

You don't need to upload books to each platform individually. Aggregator services simplify the process by distributing books to multiple retailers simultaneously. Popular aggregators include Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, and Smashwords, which handle the technical requirements of uploading and formatting across different platforms.

The wide distribution approach provides maximum flexibility and control over pricing, marketing strategies, and reader reach. However, it also requires more active management and marketing efforts compared to the KDP Select program.

Pros of Publishing Wide

Publishing wide offers several significant advantages if you want maximum control and reach. Understanding these benefits helps you determine whether this strategy aligns with your goals.

Key Advantages of Going Wide

Greater pricing control: You can price books for free on other platforms while maintaining paid pricing on Amazon. While Amazon may price match, the process can take up to 72 hours.
Permanent free first book strategy: Making the first book in a series permanently free works effectively as a marketing tool when publishing wide.
Direct sales to readers: You can sell books directly to your audience through personal websites or platforms like Patreon before wider distribution.
Worldwide English-speaking audience: Wide distribution helps you reach readers across different regions and platforms, expanding your potential market.
Google Play access: As of 2025, Google has over 3.6 billion users through the Android operating system, providing significant potential reach.
Mobile-first economy: Going wide enables you to reach readers who primarily consume content through mobile devices and various app stores.
Library program enrollment: You can enroll ebooks into library distribution programs, reaching readers who prefer borrowing over purchasing.

Cons of Publishing Wide

While going wide offers flexibility, you should also consider the challenges and limitations of this approach. Understanding these drawbacks helps you make realistic assessments of what wide distribution requires.

Challenges of Going Wide

Email list requirement: Success with wide distribution typically requires an established email list of engaged readers. Without this foundation, generating sales becomes significantly more difficult.
Multiple platform management: You must upload ebooks to multiple platforms, and any changes or updates require making edits across all platforms simultaneously.
Availability does not equal sales: Simply making books available on multiple platforms does not guarantee sales. You must actively market and promote your books.
Pay-to-play marketing: Wide distribution often requires paid advertising to generate visibility and sales. While Amazon is moving in this direction too, wide distribution typically demands more upfront marketing investment.
Slow momentum building: It takes considerable time to build momentum and visibility across non-Amazon stores, requiring patience and consistent marketing efforts.
Lower royalty rates in smaller markets: You receive 35% royalty rates in smaller markets on Amazon instead of the 70% available to KDP Select members. This applies to markets like Amazon Japan.

What Is KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service where readers pay $9.99 USD or $7.99 GBP monthly to download up to 10 books at a time. Readers can technically access unlimited books, magazines, and audiobooks within their subscription period.

To enroll books in Kindle Unlimited, you must select the KDP Select option in your Amazon author dashboard. The most controversial aspect of this program is the exclusivity requirement: you must make your books exclusive to Amazon for the duration of your enrollment period.

This exclusivity requirement has sparked ongoing debate within the self-publishing community, creating the KDP Select versus going wide discussion that many writers struggle to navigate.

How Kindle Unlimited works for readers is particularly interesting. The program gives readers the impression that books are free because they do not click a purchase button for each individual book. This perception of risk-free reading helps readers decide to take chances on novels by new or unknown writers they might otherwise skip.

Pros of KDP Select Exclusivity

KDP Select offers several compelling advantages, particularly if you're building your readership and establishing your brand. Understanding these benefits helps you determine whether exclusivity serves your goals.

Key Advantages of KDP Select

90-day exclusivity period: You commit to Amazon exclusivity for 90 days at a time, which can be viewed as either a pro or con depending on perspective. This limited commitment allows you to test the program without long-term obligations.
Dedicated reader pool: Kindle Unlimited has a substantial pool of readers who consume large volumes of books in specific genres, providing built-in audience access.
Risk-free reader experience: Readers can try new writers without financial risk since they perceive books as free within their subscription. This encourages experimentation with unknown writers.
Reads count as sales: Pages read through Kindle Unlimited count toward book sales rankings, helping books gain visibility and momentum.
Promotional tools access: The program provides access to promotional tools such as free book promotions and countdown deals, which can boost visibility and sales.
Top seller bonuses: Additional bonuses are available to top-performing writers in the program, providing extra income opportunities.
Top royalty rates: You can receive the highest royalty rates in all markets, maximizing earnings potential.
Simplified distribution: The process of distributing ebooks is easier because you only need to upload to one platform rather than managing multiple platforms.

Cons of KDP Select Exclusivity

While KDP Select offers significant benefits, you should also understand the limitations and challenges of the program. These considerations help you make fully informed decisions about your distribution strategy.

Limitations of KDP Select

Limited promotion frequency: You must choose between a countdown deal or a free promotion every 90 days. While manual price changes remain possible, the terms restrict promotional flexibility.
Pricing restrictions: To use countdown deals, books must remain at a specific price for 30 days before starting the deal and 14 days after the countdown price change ends. This limits pricing freedom.
Scammer presence: Unfortunately, KDP Select attracts scammers, though Amazon is actively working to address this issue and improve program integrity.
No library distribution: Due to the exclusivity clause, you cannot distribute ebooks enrolled in KDP Select to library programs, limiting reach to library readers.
Page read payments: You're not paid in traditional royalties but according to pages read. The payment amount is determined by Amazon and has tended to decrease over time, creating income uncertainty.

How to Decide: KDP Select or Going Wide?

The best approach for deciding between KDP Select and going wide involves considering your personal goals before making any publishing decisions. Define what you want to achieve before pressing publish, as this clarity guides strategic choices.

Ask yourself fundamental questions: Do you want to make books available to family and friends, or do you want to build a sustainable writing career? Your end goal determines which path serves you best.

Before creating a marketing plan, assess whether your goals are realistic. Making a living from one book is unlikely. Building a successful writing business requires multiple books and represents a slow, gradual process regardless of whether you choose KDP Select or going wide.

The most important consideration is serving readers. Research where your target readers consume books. Are they enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, or do they prefer purchasing from multiple platforms? Understanding reader behavior guides distribution decisions.

As of 2025, the exclusivity period is only 90 days. You're not signing books to the program for their entire lifespan. The decision is not all-or-nothing, and you can change your mind and opt out at the end of each period.

One final critical point involves understanding how different platforms work. Amazon functions as a giant recommendation engine, providing tailored experiences to every user. Other online stores operate more like traditional bookstores, with curated front pages showing books the store wants to feature rather than personalized recommendations.

This difference matters significantly if you're new to publishing. The front pages of non-Amazon stores are highly curated, meaning visibility depends on store curation decisions. Amazon's recommendation engine, however, can surface books to interested readers based on browsing and purchase history, potentially providing more organic discovery opportunities.

Three-Step Decision Process

You can follow a practical three-step process to determine whether KDP Select or going wide serves your needs best. This framework helps you make data-driven decisions rather than following generic advice.

Step 1: Create Your Own Pro/Con List

Based on personal research, create separate pro and con lists for publishing exclusively with KDP Select versus going wide. Consider factors specific to your genre, target audience, marketing capabilities, and long-term goals.

Step 2: Research Your Genre on Both Platforms

Examine books in your genre on Amazon. Count how many self-published books are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. Then research the same genre on other platforms like Kobo, Apple Books, and Google Play. Count how many self-published books appear in these stores. This comparison reveals where successful authors in your genre are publishing.

Step 3: Assess Your Email List Status

Evaluate whether you have an email list of fans in your genre. If not, determine whether you are prepared to build an email list before publishing. If you haven't released your first book yet, time may be better spent writing a great book and building a fanbase as you release. However, nothing prevents you from creating a reader magnet in the same genre or series and building an email list through pay-per-click advertising on platforms like Facebook.

After completing these three steps, you should have a clear indication of which program serves you best. Remember that it is easier to transition from KDP Select to wide distribution than the reverse, purely based on Amazon's exclusivity clause.

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Final Recommendations for New Authors

If you're new to publishing, the best advice is to ride the KDP Select wave as long as it serves you. When the program starts becoming less effective, you can create a new strategy and publish wide. However, give any strategy sufficient time to work, as results do not appear instantly.

It takes time to determine whether a marketing strategy is working. Avoid switching strategies too quickly and instead commit to a chosen path long enough to gather meaningful data about its effectiveness.

One important consideration involves understanding that not everyone who promotes going wide is completely transparent about how they achieved their success. Many successful wide writers have advantages that new writers lack, such as established email lists, large backlists, other income streams, or existing books already in KDP Select for specific reasons.

Some writers who promote going wide started self-publishing before KDP Select existed, during a less competitive marketplace. Others have huge email lists of fans waiting for book releases, money and time to invest in pay-per-click advertising, or help from assistants or virtual assistant teams.

As a brand-new writer, you likely have none of these advantages. This does not mean going wide is wrong, but it does mean that the path may be more challenging without these resources. The key is making an informed decision based on your specific circumstances rather than following generic advice.

Remember that overcoming obscurity is actually more important than short-term or even long-term sales. Building the know, like, and trust factor with your target audience matters more than immediate book sales. If you're just starting, focusing on getting the first 10 reviews rather than selling the first 10,000 books often proves more valuable.

Conclusion

The decision between KDP Select and going wide is deeply personal and depends on individual goals, resources, and circumstances. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, and what works for one writer may not work for another.

If you're new to publishing, focus on understanding your target readers, assessing your own resources and capabilities, and making decisions based on data rather than following generic advice. The 90-day commitment period for KDP Select allows you to test the program without long-term obligations, making it easier to experiment and adjust strategies.

Most importantly, remember that building a successful writing business takes time regardless of which path you choose. Focus on writing great books, building relationships with readers, and creating a sustainable long-term strategy rather than seeking quick wins or following trends.

For more guidance on self-publishing, check out our Amazon KDP Beginner's Guide 2025: Everything You Need to Know or learn about our best ebook self-publishing guide if you decide to go that route.

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