The Kindle Unlimited Rate Drops to Nearly $0.0040 per Page for July, 2017

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KINDLE UNLIMITED PER PAGE RATE FOR JULY, 2017

The per-page rate for Kindle Unlimited dropped down to $0.004034 per page for July, 2017 compared to the rate of $0.004223 per page for June, 2017.

This downward trend has now continued for several months.

• $0.00497 for February
• $0.0046 for March
• $0.00457 for April
• $0.00433 for May
• $0.004223 for June
• $0.004034 for July

The KENP per-page rate is at a current low. It dropped down to $0.00411 eighteen months back in January of 2016 (last year, not this one).

Back in January, 2016, the KENP idea was relatively new and there were many naysayers speculating that the rate would drop below $0.04 per page and never return.

However, it rose well above $0.004 in February, 2016, and continued soaring. While it has fluctuated a little here and there, it has held fairly steady, and approached nearly $0.005 earlier this year.

When it dropped to $0.0046 for March and April, it seemed to be returning to a more modest rate, as the $0.00497 was higher than usual.

When it dropped further to $0.0043 and $0.0042 for June and July, we hoped this might be a temporary downward fluctuation.

But here we come to $0.0040. The big question is: Will it finally drop below $0.0040 per page?

Of course, NOBODY KNOWS! (Well, maybe Jeff Bezos knows.)

We can hope we’ve reached the bottom of a valley, and that the rate will head back up. This happened in January of 2016.

But it’s common for the rate to drop in January for the holiday season, especially with a new version of Unlimited in place (which there was in 2016), and return upward starting in February.

We’re in August now, with the holiday season ahead of us. This is different.

However, there is another big factor involved. Amazon KDP just introduced KENPC v3.0. If you haven’t already done so, you should check the current KENPC’s of your books. You can check your current KENPC from your KDP bookshelf. Click the Promote and Advertise button next your title (or click the … button to find this option, if necessary), and scroll down.

If your KENPC happens to be longer than it had been, that will help compensate for the lower per-page rate. If your KENPC happens to be shorter now, the lower rate will hurt even more if it continues.

There is some good news, however. The KDP Select Global Fund for July, 2017 was $19M, which is a clear million dollars above the $18M payout for June, 2017.

This is part of an upward trend. It was $16.8M back in December, 2016, and $13.5M in December, 2015.

So while the per-page rate has dropped recently, overall Amazon KDP is paying even more in combined Kindle Unlimited royalties.

The problem is that we don’t know what will happen over the next few months. If you did, it would be easy to plan for it.

A couple of months may provide some helpful data, if you can wait.

Personally, I’m content with Kindle Unlimited (as both an author and a customer), but I’m just one author. My KENPC’s are about the same as they were, my pages read are holding fairly steady despite the tens of thousands of new books added to the market each month, I believe that Kindle Unlimited helps my sales indirectly, and I feel that I’m able to derive enough benefits from KDP Select to make it worthwhile for me. These are the things that each author must decide for him- or herself.

The Kindle Unlimited market, for which KDP Select authors see $19,000,000 per month in royalties on top of sales (and this is also on top of All-Star bonuses), draws a very significant indie audience.

However, I am very interested to see what happens to the per-page rate over the next few months.

Have you noticed any change with KENPC? How do you feel about Kindle Unlimited with regard to your books? Your feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

Copyright © 2017

Chris McMullen, Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers

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