Saturday, October 13, 2018

The 7 Resasons Why I Read Kindle Unlimited



1. It costs me $9.99 a month.  I’d like to have a grand speech why unlimited is superior but bottom line: it’s the second cheapest way for me to read.  (The first cheapest way to read is a library which is free)

2. I’m getting my money’s worth.  So far this year I’ve read 41 books for about $100 or $2.40 a book.  Last year I paid $120 for 24 books which was a more expensive $5 a book but still a manageable habit.  My goal is to pay less than $5 a book.  I remember old school days when most my paperbacks cost $3.99.  I went to a bookstore and near had a heart attack with modern pricing.

3.  It’s transports a lot of reading options for a light travel weight.  If there’s no wifi I can carry 10 books at a time and if their wifi, I can keep swapping books as I’m done reading.  There’s a little girl in me who used to dream of carrying all the knowledge in the world in her backpack, and she loves this magic Kindle device.

4.  Most of the Unlimited selection are independent authors and I want to read small press or independently published works.  No shade meant to authors, publishers, agents, or the public but I am disappointed with what most people think is popular.  I had this awkward transition from YA books into normal literature where I “outgrew” the style or type of story YA offered but the options in the world around me were bad.  I stopped reading at all for a while, lamenting that no one “got it”.  Seems most of the “in crowd” still don’t get it, so I like looking at the fringes.

5. I’d like to be published one day and it will be through a small press or independent.  Looking at Kindle Unlimited can feel like research days.  What’s working there?  What’s popular?  Can I get a long with/ get the attention of the authors who see success?  Could I collaborate?  So far, it’s a lot of watching without notice, but I’m learning more every day. There are some wonderful gems in Unlimited.

6. I’m more likely to give a book at a try on Kindle Unlimited.  I know the books aren’t technically “free” more like pre-paid, but the subscription service tricks me into believing the books are free.  Some of my best finds are things I wouldn’t have picked up at the book store because the summary is “too risky”.  While it’s true, I’ve slogged through many bad books on Kindle Unlimited, I’ve slogged through tons of paid for bad books or library bad books too.  It burns me less on Kindle Unlimited.

7. Finding good books on Unlimited feels like uncovering a long lost gem.  Maybe because some books lack professionalism, finding one that’s amazing on all fronts feels like winning the lottery.  It’s not as rare occurrence as that simile makes it sound.  My Goodreads review score for the year is sitting at about 4 stars (meaning most books are good books).  There’s just something about digging into small markets and seeing real work and passion executed at a high level that’s thrilling no matter how often I see it.  These writers did it.  They’re amazing without the publishing machine behind them.

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