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KU 3

57K views 332 replies 117 participants last post by  Linn 
G
#1 ·
Just got this, and don't see a post yet, delete if I missed it please
Hello,

Today we are releasing our next iteration of Kindle Edition Normalized Page Count - KENPC V3.0. This release makes a number of improvements to how we determine the length of books relative to one another and how we measure pages read. We expect payouts to the vast majority of authors to be largely unchanged as a result of these updates. In addition, we will pay at least $18 Million from the KDP Select Global Fund in July.

We are constantly working to improve our programs and increase the fairness of how we allocate the KDP Select Global Fund. Our goal remains to build a service that rewards authors for their work while continuing to attract more readers and encouraging them to read more and more often.

As always, we welcome feedback and ideas about how we can improve Kindle Direct Publishing and Kindle Unlimited. You can contact us here: https://kdp.amazon.com/contact-us. To learn more about KENPC V3.0, go here: https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/AI3QMVN4FMTXJ.

Best Regards,
The Kindle Direct Publishing Team

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G
#2 ·
From the link :

KENPC v3.0
We released KENPC v3.0 to improve the way we measure how many pages of each book Kindle Unlimited and KOLL customers read. This update makes a number of improvements, including improving our ability to measure pages read for such cases as non-linear reading. We're constantly working to improve our programs and increase fairness of how we allocate the KDP Select Global Fund. These changes continue to improve the program and reward authors whose books are being borrowed and read the most by customers.

The KENPC v3.0 update applies uniformly to all KDP Select books and all versions of those books. Regardless of which version a customer may be reading, all future royalties will be paid using KENPC v3.0. If a customer previously borrowed your book and is still reading it, any new pages read will be based on KENPC v3.0.

Authors are able to earn a maximum of 3,000 Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENPs) read per title per customer. This means that each time your book is borrowed and read, you will receive credit for up to 3,000 pages. We believe this results in an equitable distribution of the KDP Select Global Fund.

Your book's KENPC
You can see your book's KENPC v3.0 listed on the "Promote and Advertise" page in your Bookshelf, and you can also see total pages read on your Sales Dashboard report. Because it's based on default settings, KENPC v3.0 may vary from page counts listed on your Amazon detail page, which are derived from other sources.

KDP Select Global Fund
Our total payout from the KDP Select Global Fund will be unaffected by the transition to KENPC v3.0, and the amount you earn from the global fund will continue to be determined based on your share of total pages read by Kindle Unlimited (KU) and Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL) customers. The new KENPC version will be applied uniformly to all KDP Select books and used to measure all pages read.
 
G
#5 ·
It sounds like that to me, but without emailing them to ask I personally can't say.  It s end like this would make things worse not better, unless before you could re download it and read it dozens of times for full page reads.
 
#8 ·
I don't remember this stuff being in there before, but sounds like they're at least paying lip service to monitoring things against scammers and stuffers.

We always support our authors' efforts to promote their books, but at the same time we work to prevent any manipulation of the Kindle platform.

We do not permit authors to offer, or participate in marketing that incentivizes Kindle Unlimited or Kindle Owners' Lending Library customers to read their books in exchange for compensation of any kind. This includes payment (whether in the form of money or gift certificates), bonus content, entry to a contest or sweepstakes, discounts on future purchases, extra product, or other gifts.

Because we're always looking to improve our authors' experience, we have systems in place to monitor for potential manipulation.
All my books are showing KENPC v3 numbers now. And I like seeing the page read totals on the monthly report. Looks like the numbers match up with Book Report.
 
#9 ·
This made me chortle ....  :D

"We always support our authors' efforts to promote their books, but at the same time we work to prevent any manipulation of the Kindle platform.

We do not permit authors to offer, or participate in marketing that incentivizes Kindle Unlimited or Kindle Owners' Lending Library customers to read their books in exchange for compensation of any kind. This includes payment (whether in the form of money or gift certificates), bonus content, entry to a contest or sweepstakes, discounts on future purchases, extra product, or other gifts.

Because we're always looking to improve our authors' experience, we have systems in place to monitor for potential manipulation."

 
#10 ·
Cheyanne said:
I got it and just read about it on KDP's website. I don't really understand the changes??? Seems too vague to me.

Someone explain? Usually we get our pitchforks out for a new version of KU.
It's confusing to me too ... on another list I heard someone describe it that they're measuring a "page" differently. She said her book that was 388 pages was not considered to be a 344 page book, etc.
 
#14 ·
Obviously KDP is NOT going to admit to any shortcomings in the KU 2.0 system, so the fuzzy description is deliberate.  Whether anything worthwhile has changed remains to be seen, viz.:

1)  The page-flip vs. pages-read issue
2)  The exit point issue
3)  The problem with scam books and stuffed books

Unless these issues have been addressed, this is just applying lipstick to a pig.
 
#15 ·
Lauriejoyeltahs said:
From the link :

Authors are able to earn a maximum of 3,000 Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENPs) read per title per customer. This means that each time your book is borrowed and read, you will receive credit for up to 3,000 pages. We believe this results in an equitable distribution of the KDP Select Global Fund.
So this means authors will now be paid for re-reads, up to the 3,000 pages read mark? For example if I have a 300 page book, and Bob re-reads it 5 times, I'll be paid for 1,500 pages?

On one hand, that sounds great, but, surely this means that people will no longer need to stuff. They can just create circles where people read a short novella 10+ times until that cap's met?

I suppose we'll see how it all plays out.
 
#17 ·
Rick Partlow said:
I had already noticed that my page reads had been much higher than usual for this early in the day. Depending on if they change how they pay for them, I could grow to really like KU 3.0...
Mine seem on the normal track.

I'm also not seeing how this changes anything from the outside. They left the cap in place. Other than internal anti-scamming changes, what's changed that authors can use or affect?
 
#18 ·
KhaosFoxe said:
So this means authors will now be paid for re-reads, up to the 3,000 pages read mark? For example if I have a 300 page book, and Bob re-reads it 5 times, I'll be paid for 1,500 pages?

On one hand, that sounds great, but, surely this means that people will no longer need to stuff. They can just create circles where people read a short novella 10+ times until that cap's met?

I suppose we'll see how it all plays out.
No. It can only be borrowed (an accountable borrow) once per KU account.
 
#19 ·
Are most people seeing changes in their KENPC under v3.0? Half of my books have dropped by 12-15% and half have stayed exactly the same (to the page), which seems a little bizarre. So now two of my books that are virtually identical in length, and which were previously almost the same in KENPC, now have quite different KENPCs. Odd.

If it means a significant jump in page pay out, I imagine most of us won't mind...as long as the increased pay out actually lasts and doesn't just start sinking again once we're all used to our new KENPCs.
 
#20 ·
KhaosFoxe said:
So this means authors will now be paid for re-reads, up to the 3,000 pages read mark? For example if I have a 300 page book, and Bob re-reads it 5 times, I'll be paid for 1,500 pages?

On one hand, that sounds great, but, surely this means that people will no longer need to stuff. They can just create circles where people read a short novella 10+ times until that cap's met?

I suppose we'll see how it all plays out.
No, that's not how I read that. Notice that it says "a maximum of 3,000 Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENPs) read per title per customer."
 
#22 ·
LadyG said:
No, that's not how I read that. Notice that it says "a maximum of 3,000 Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENPs) read per title per customer."
Yeah, pretty sure that's same as before. So if your ebook is stuffed full of crap and comes in at 5000 KENP, you're only going to get paid for 3000 of it per customer assuming they read that far.

So, scammers, no need to put in the work to stuff beyond 3,000. ;)
 
#23 ·
Holden said:
going for the jugular. lol.
Yep; I suspect they're cracking down on the folks that use links at the start of books to jump to the back of the book to make it look like they've read the whole thing and register all the pages read. Given that Amazon has the ability to tell how far we've read in a book, it wouldn't surprise me that they can track which pages in a book have been read/accessed and which haven't or been skipped.
 
#24 ·
LadyG said:
No, that's not how I read that. Notice that it says "a maximum of 3,000 Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENPs) read per title per customer."
I wonder if this is to limit the impact of click-farmers who are borrowing and "reading" hundreds of thousands of pages to artificially boost rank/or dip into the pot?

So far, my KENPC has gone up by roughly 10% for each title that I've checked.
 
#25 ·
It's early, but I have FAR less page reads than usual.

I think it's time I consider pulling out. The page-reads haven't been spectacular for a while, but it's been getting steadily worse for the last two months. While this new change doesn't make a lot of sense to me, it doesn't seem a great change, either. And since one gets 'locked in' for 3 months once joining, and my 'out date' is almost here, seems logical to do it now, rather than wait another three months to see what this all turns out to be.

I'll chat with a few people and see. But yeah, I'm thinking maybe it's time to bail on KU.
 
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