Kindle Unlimited: Is it Worth the Price?
I’ll start this post with one giant disclaimer: I’m an avowed Amazon fan. I’ve been a frequent customer of Amazon’s for several years, even during my time spent living in Europe. It’s hard to beat the convenience of stuff delivered to your door in 48 hours (assuming you’re an Amazon Prime member).
When the Kindle first came along, however, I had no interest in jumping aboard the e-book train. I’ve always been an avid reader, and the thought of giving up my jaunts to a local bookseller in favor of the sterile online shopping experience left me cold. Besides, I told myself, the physical experience of reading a book was as special as the content itself.
I can still recall the first e-book I read, Live Bait by P.J. Tracy. It was early 2010 and I was living in Paris at the time. I wanted to read the next installment in the Monkeewrench series, but I couldn’t find a local bookseller with a copy in stock. I also checked in my university library and in the American Library of Paris’ catalogue, but I came up empty. In frustration, I purchased the book on Amazon and read it on my iPhone.
I’d be lying if I said that single experience converted me to an e-book fan, but it was my first foray into the world of digital reading. Fast forward five years down the road, and I average about a book a week on my Kindle Paperwhite (if you’re in the market for an e-reader, I can’t recommend this one highly enough).
When Amazon announced its Kindle Unlimited program last year, I was really excited to jump on board. The service debuted to tepid reviews, however, with a limited catalogue of available titles and an annual cost of $120 (subscribers pay a $9.99 membership fee every month). Some countries have gone so far as to ban the service outright (I’m looking at you, France). I tried out the free 30-day trial, before cancelling my membership. I’ve gone back and forth a couple of times though. In fact, I’m about to renew my membership for a second month straight, after spending the past 30 days reading ravenously.
If you’re wondering whether a Kindle Unlimited subscription is right for you, consider the following questions.
1. How many books do you read on a monthly basis?
Arguably the most important factor of all in the Kindle Unlimited value equation, how many books do you read each month? As the Washington Post pointed out in its critique of the service, the average American reads five measly books each year. If you fall into that camp, chances are better than not you won’t be considering a Kindle Unlimited subscription in the first place.
Even if reading is part of your daily life, how quickly do you move through new material? When I really enjoy a book, I’ll often power through in a few short days. If you tend to take your time working through the pages, Kindle Unlimited probably isn’t a cost effective option for you.
2. How do you feel about independent literature?
Indie authors and self-published fiction get a really bad rap. Sure, there’s plenty of self-published garbage on the market, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t countless jewels waiting to be discovered. Consider number one bestselling author Rachel Abbott’s Sleep Tight, for example, one of my favorite books of 2014. This crime thriller has it all—intrigue, suspense, and twists you’ll never see coming. And guess what? It’s available on Kindle Unlimited, along with all of Abbott’s other titles.
I think Amazon offers a really exciting opportunity for independent authors, and I’m passionate about fiction under this umbrella, which is really a different subject altogether. If you’re the sort of reader who only wants John Grisham’s latest release or Stephen King’s back-catalogue, however, you’ll be disappointed with Kindle Unlimited. Of course, that’s not to say the service doesn’t offer any titles from mainstream publishers. It does have a few notable examples available, including the complete Harry Potter series. That being said, most of the available titles aren’t bestsellers you’ll encounter on bookstore shelves.
3. What e-book options does your local library offer?
One of the great pleasures of living in New York City is belonging to the New York Public Library. After my recent move to Brooklyn, I also joined the Brooklyn Public Library, effectively doubling my access to free e-book titles. Most every library across the nation offers e-book options of some sort, and you’ll find that many libraries carry titles you won’t find on Kindle Unlimited.
For example, over the course of the past year, my library reads have included crime novels from Jonathan Kellerman and Harlan Coben, memoirs from Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling, and the Cormoran Strike series, written under J.K. Rowling’s pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. None of those options are available in the Kindle Unlimited catalogue.
Your answers to these questions should help you narrow down whether or not Kindle Unlimited makes sense for you.
Simply for reference, I’ve read seven Kindle titles from L.J. Sellers over the course of the past month. I purchased the first two books individually, before opting to join Kindle Unlimited for a month. Why? Simple numbers. The current market value of those seven books is $32.93. I purchased the first two for a total cost of $7.98, but using Kindle Unlimited for the other five leaves me with a total savings of $14.96, after paying my $9.99 monthly subscription fee.
Even still, I don’t know if Kindle Unlimited makes sense as a long-term subscription. I traveled earlier in the month, which provided me with ample reading time, and I’ve been trying to catch up on my Goodreads goal, as I’ve fallen a bit behind. In a normal month, however, seven books is probably not going to happen. If I were reading traditionally published novels that retail for a higher price, it might make more sense, but as I pointed out above, that model isn’t really feasible with Kindle Unlimited.
I’m planning to renew for one more month, as there are a few other independent books on my read list that I’d like to knock out of the way. Come July, however, all bets are off.
One final tip before I sign off: if you’re already a Prime member, you have access to one free book each month on Kindle. These books come from the same catalogue used by Kindle Unlimited, and a single book might be sufficient if you’re not reading much. Of course, you get that on top of all the other awesome benefits that come from Prime.
Not yet a member? Try an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial.
Okay readers, how do you feel about Kindle Unlimited? Can you make the numbers work with your personal reading habits?