Why I Unenrolled My Books from Kindle Unlimited — and Don’t Regret It

About a year ago, I made a decision that felt risky at the time: I pulled all my books out of Kindle Unlimited.

For those unfamiliar, Kindle Unlimited (KU) is Amazon’s subscription service where readers can borrow books “for free” as part of their monthly membership — and authors get paid based on pages read.

Sounds great in theory, right? But after years of testing, tracking, and observing… it just wasn’t working for me — or for Sugar Cookie Books.

Here’s why I stepped away from KU (and what I do instead):

1. The payout was low — and unpredictable

As an author of picture books and early readers, I was getting pennies for full reads. Literally. KU was built for long-form fiction, not short, beautifully illustrated books like mine. That didn’t feel sustainable.

2. Page reads didn’t equal reviews (or long-term readers)

I noticed that most KU downloads came with little to no feedback. No reviews. No repeat readers. No word-of-mouth growth. And as an indie author, reviews are gold. KU wasn’t helping me build that foundation.

3. Suspicious downloads from non-core markets

I started seeing massive downloads from countries where I wasn’t actively promoting — but with zero purchases and therefore no return in royalties. It didn’t sit right with me. It raised red flags I couldn’t ignore.

4. Exclusivity limited my freedom

While in KU, I couldn’t sell those books anywhere else in digital format — not on Apple Books, not on Kobo, not on my own website. That lack of flexibility felt constraining and contradictory of the ideals of being an independent publisher.

5. I’m building community, not just page reads

My books are mission-driven. They’re crafted to spark conversations, identity, and curiosity in children. I want real readers, real families, real educators who are invested — not just passive scrolling.

So what do I do now?

I still use KU strategically — enrolling new releases for the initial 90-day term so I can:

• Test early reader interest

• Run newsletter promos (like Fussy Librarian)

• Build launch visibility

But after that? I pull the title. And I reinvest in selling through direct to consumers, bulk orders, and organizations that value my voice and my stories.

Your takeaway?

KU can be a helpful tool. But it’s not the only — or always the best — one. If you’re an indie author navigating this same decision, know this:

• You don’t need to chase every algorithm.

• You get to choose what works for your books, your goals, and your readers.