The reason that I love Kindle Unlimited as a reader is because it allows me to try new to me authors without having to commit to them. Most times authors will have the first book in a series available on Kindle Unlimited and it allows me a chance to get a feel of the author and if I enjoyed the book, characters and/or writing style I am more likely to purchase the rest of the books in the series. Sometimes readers are lucky and will find a whole series available with the program. The reason that I love Kindle Unlimited as an author is the same reason that I love it as a reader. It allows readers who aren't sure about me as an author the opportunity to read my work without having to commit to purchasing a book. Once you read a book a reader can rate and review it as if they had purchased the book. (side note if a reader is reviewing an indie book, one that is self-published, a review to Amazon and Goodreads is best because Amazon won't always show the reviews)
There are some cons to the Kindle Unlimited program that I feel should be talked about. If a reader is expecting to find the newest book from big-name author's they will be disappointed. While there are over 1 million books available with the program if a book is signed up for the program the ebook cannot be available on any other retailer's site. Authors can have a purchase link on their website but readers will be redirected to Amazon to receive the copy of the book. Even if a reader wants to buy the ebook instead of borrowing it. If the book is available in the Kindle Unlimited program they can only purchase it from Amazon. It's that reason that big named authors and celebrities op out of the program. They do not want to isolate readers who use other platforms. This does not affect the sale of physical books and those can still be sold anywhere. Each book is signed up for 90 days and after that, if an author decided not to renew the Kindle Unlimited enrollment they can then have their ebooks available else were as well as Amazon. Don't worry about stealing money for authors they receive payment for both purchased books and borrowed ones if the borrowed ones are read.
Is Kindle Unlimited really worth it? If you aren't a person who reads a great deal of books each month then mostly not. For the $9.99 a month fee if you only read one or two books a month it may be more cost efficient to just purchase the books. If you are a reader that is looking to read the books from the most well-known authors and celebrities then this also might not be a good program for you. However, if you are a bookworm who reads a large number of books each month this program could be for you. If you are an reader who is curious about a different genre than the one you normally read or an author that you never heard of this is the program for you. So is it worth it for some it completely is while it's not a good fit for some readers.
Do I recommend it? Yes to all my fellow bookworms looking for their next book to dig in. And since I recommend the program I am also providing some books with active links that you can find on the program. Happy Reading!!!