Recently Amazon extended an invitation to authors using its KDP program to take part in the Kindle Free Library.  It works like this: there is a monthly pot of money, to be divided among those who have their books downloaded, the book available in the library can’t be offered for sale anywhere but Amazon, and they want a 90 day minimum window for all this.  This has caused a great deal of heated discussion in indie publishing circles, concisely summarized in this post by David Gaughran.  I recommend reading it, and the comments, to get a sense of the range of opinions on this topic.

Mr. Gaughran makes some good points, among which is everyone’s circumstances are different.  He has chosen not to participate.  Others also have indicated hell will be lightly covered in frost before they will even consider it.  Me, I signed up Firehearted without a blink.  I don’t expect to get more than a few dollars, if any, from the monthly pot.  That’s not the point.  I’m a new writer and what I really want right now is reader eyeballs (no, not in a jar).  In order to download my book from the Kindle library, a reader is basically saying I want that book for my one free monthly book.  A compliment, no?  That book is not available to them after the month is up, too–so if they like my writing, they have to PAY to buy the book.  If they don’t know the book exists, though, I don’t make a sale.  I want people to know my book exists.  I’ll take a look near the end of the mandatory 90 day period, and if I think I’ve gotten all the promotional boost I can get, I’ll take it out of the library program.

Some of the more…emotional responses from indie writers seem to completely ignore the fact that you can remove your books from the Library just as easily as you put them in.  It isn’t forever.  People can still BUY your books while they are in the Library.  I know this for a fact because three people have downloaded Firehearted from the Library, and over 20 people have *bought* it.  Yes I’m losing out on Barnes & Noble sales, but I wasn’t getting that many on my first book so I took the risk.  And again, it’s only for 90 days.  Could the program be fine-tuned?  Of course, and I’ll be really surprised if Amazon doesn’t.  Yes, they are a business in search of a profit but there is no profit in driving their content creators away.  There’s still an element of the Wild West in epublishing.  People wanting stability and predictability should hibernate for a few years.