From The Associated Press:
Hundreds of thousands of independent authors are finding their audiences through self-publishing with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). More than ever before, authors are reaching new readers directly and cultivating communities as they grow their writing careers on KDP. Readers also relish the value and entertainment from these authors. On average, 20% of books on this year’s Amazon Charts Top 20 weekly lists are self-published.
“We launched KDP in 2007 with the first Kindle, and since then hundreds of thousands of independent authors have chosen to self-publish their books, earning up to 70 percent of their royalties and retaining the life-long rights of their work,” said Charles Kronbach, Director of Independent Publishing Worldwide for Amazon. “In 2017, thousands of KDP authors earned more than $50,000 in royalties, and more than a thousand earned more than $100,000. We are inspired by the success of these writers and how they are delighting readers.”
Below is a curated list of top-selling books on Amazon from independent authors and why customers love them (average customer rating as of October 2018):
(Thriller). Overall rating: 4.3 stars. “Fantastic plot, characters, writing, etc. Can’t recommend it highly enough! I’m so glad this is the beginning of my new journey with this author and with Noah Wolf!!” – Amazon customer (Thriller). Overall rating: 4.6 stars. “I could hardly put this book down. First book I have read by John Ellsworth. I cannot wait to read more. Well written and holds your attention!” – Ann C (Romance). Overall rating: 4.6 stars. “I don’t know that I have ever laughed so much at a novel. This was a great read. It had me feeling all the feels in a happy and unique way.” – Kindle customer (Science Fiction & Fantasy). Overall rating: 4.8 stars. “Awesome….Exhilarating….Aleron takes you on a journey that transports you to a magical world with unlimited possibilities. These books are truly amazing. I can’t wait for more to come out.” – Frank (Mystery). Overall rating: 4.7 stars. “I just can’t say enough good things about Pratt’s writing style. He gets you hooked from the first chapter and before you know it the end is here all too soon. He’s a must-read author on the top of my list.” – MzCarrie (Romance). Overall rating: 4.8 stars. “Denise has done it again. The Rose Gardner and Neely Kate novels keep getting better and better. Definitely didn’t expect the twist in this one. Anyone who enjoys a strong female lead, humor, loyal friendships and romance needs to read these books!” – vic 55 (Suspense). Overall rating: 4.2 stars. “This book is full of action, mystery and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. Great writing and characters. And of course it ends on a cliffhanger that has me itching to know what happens next.” – LeKeisha (Young Adult). Overall rating 4.8 stars. “This book deserves so many more than 5 stars. So emotional and moving. Ren and Della were so raw and touching…real. Gawww this book is now 1 of my very all-time favorites.” – Kelli B
Link to the rest at The Associated Press
Took the title of my book out of their article. C’mon now, I ain’t gonna shut down the AP over it. Am I?
https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-shares-selection-customers-favorite-books-indie-authors
The list of indie books is here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181015005148/en
So the AP removed the titles on purpose, then?
(Which was why I was surprised they allowed anything not ADS to leak out at all … 😉 )
Is it me or are they missing the names of the books?
No free advertising for you! (Or for them it seems …)
At least they admitted that there’s more than just trad-pub! 😉
The quoted reviews include some of the titles.
Burying the lede is an old publishing practice.
I guess ‘The Associated Press’ decided they’d better say it before someone else admitted that indies are making bank without trad-pub’s help.
“… more than a thousand earned more than $100,000 …”
So there’s at least a hundred million in author earnings with just a thousand writers just at Amazon. I can’t wait to see how the ADS types try to spin it as a bad thing for readers and writers. 😉
MYMV
Unless I’m much confused, this is effectively an Amazon press release.
It is actually am amazon press release, since at the bottom of the version I saw it listed the source as amazon.
My bad for not reading the whole thing (and being off my meds – by that’s normal … 😉 )