What you buy and how you buy have always been astute Amazon insights into the mind of the online consumer. Now the world’s largest Web provisioner is seeking to incentivize when you buy with a new program for Kindle that allows authors and publishers to offer readers special savings just in the nick of time: Kindle Countdown Deals.
Countdown Deals provide readers with limited-time promotional discounts on Kindle-exclusive books. Customers can see the regular price and the promotional price on the book’s detail page, as well as a countdown clock telling them how much time is left at the promotional price. Live Kindle Countdown Deals can be found at www.amazon.com/kindlecountdowndeals— presently available deals include best sellers like Stop the Wedding! by Stephanie Bond, Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath and The Millionaire Mind by Thomas Stanley.
Kindle Countdown Deals can be used by any publisher on any book that is exclusive to the Kindle Store. This includes books published by Amazon Publishing, as well as independent authors and publishers using KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) Select.
“We’re always looking to build features that customers love, and to help publishers and authors get their books discovered—Kindle Countdown Deals achieves both,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “And with more than 400,000 books available only in the Kindle Store, there are lots of opportunities to use this feature.”
“Programs like Kindle Countdown Deals are one of the reasons we work to bring iconic content by authors such as Kurt Vonnegut and Stephen Covey exclusively to Kindle. Our goal is to bring great books to more readers, and Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing helps us do this in an easy and effective way,” said Arthur Klebanoff, CEO ofRosettaBooks LLC.
“This exciting new program is exactly why my books are in KDP Select—the folks at Amazon are always thinking of creative ways to get authors’ books in the hands of new readers,” said Christopher Smith, best-selling author of the Fifth Avenue series. “I’m thrilled to be part of this new venture, and the program underscores once again why Select is the way to go.”
Authors and publishers determine both the length of the Kindle Countdown Deals promotion and the level of discount, offering them control and flexibility. KDP Select authors now have more choices for running promotions: each 90-day term, they can schedule one Kindle Countdown Deals promotion per available marketplace, or use up to five free promotion days. For KDP Select books, here’s how it works:
- Time: Publishers control how long the book is discounted, choosing any time between one hour and seven days.
- Discount: Publishers set the level of discount, which must be at least $1 off the regular price.
- Royalty: Publishers will earn royalties based on their regular royalty rate and the promotional price. As a result, publishers using the 70% royalty option will earn 70% even if the price is below $2.99.
- Reporting: A new KDP report displays sales and royalties at each promotional price side-by-side with pre-promotion performance, so it’s easy to compare.
- Customer Experience: It’s simple for customers to see the great deal they’re getting, as the regular price is included on the book’s detail page, right beside the promotional price. It’s also easy for customers to discover Kindle Countdown Deals on a dedicated webpage: www.amazon.com/kindlecountdowndeals.
The ability for authors to set Kindle Countdown Deals is the latest benefit of Amazon Publishing. To learn more visit http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/KDPSelect. [24×7]
