KDP Select rules, Countdown Deals and free promotions

The rules

• Exclusivity: while enrolled, the ebook can't be sold or given away digitally anywhere else, including your own website. Samples up to 10% are allowed.
• Ebook only: paperbacks and hardcovers can be sold anywhere.
• 90-day terms: enrollment renews automatically unless you untick auto-renew in your Bookshelf before the term ends.
• Kindle Unlimited: the book is in KU for the term, paid by KENP pages read.

Your two promotion tools

Each 90-day term you can use one of these:

Kindle Countdown Deal

A time-limited discount with a countdown clock on the book page. The price can step back up in stages. You keep your royalty rate on the discounted price, and the book stays on the paid charts. Available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk for books that meet KDP's eligibility rules (in Select for 30 days, unchanged list price for 30 days before).

Free Book Promotion

Up to five days per term when the ebook is free. Best for book 1 of a series: the goal is new readers who go on to buy or borrow the rest. Free downloads don't earn royalties, so the value is entirely in read-through, reviews and visibility.

Which to use

• Series, book 1: free days, backed by promotion sites or ads, can fill the top of the funnel. Measure read-through afterwards.
• Standalone or later books: a Countdown Deal keeps royalties coming and pairs well with ads, because a lower price usually converts more clicks.
• Running Amazon Ads during a deal: conversion rate rises, so a click is worth more. Check bids with the bid calculator.

Leaving Select

Turn off auto-renew and the book leaves at the end of the term. Before you do, compare KU income with what other stores could sell in the KDP Select vs wide calculator.