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KU or wide? It's the great debate of indie publishing — and it usually generates more opinions than answers.
In this episode, Ricci and Ferol cut through the noise and break down exactly how both paths work, backed by real data from Written Word Media's 2025 author survey. They walk through the mechanics of KDP Select, how Kindle Unlimited page reads and payouts actually work, what the January 2026 global fund number ($62.2 million) means for exclusive authors, and what going wide really looks like in practice — from managing multiple platforms to choosing between distributors. Spoiler: 38% of authors are all-in on Amazon, 30% are fully wide, and 32% are somewhere in between. There's no universal right answer, but there is a smarter way to figure out what works for you.
What you'll learn:
- How KDP and KDP Select actually work — and why it's really just a 90-day commitment
- The real trade-offs of Kindle Unlimited, including page read payouts (KENP), countdown deals, and free promo days
- Why the KDP Select global fund has grown from $2.5M (2014) to $62.2M (January 2026)
- What "going wide" actually looks like and how to manage multiple platforms
- Draft2Digital vs. PublishDrive — which distributor model makes sense for your business
- What our 2025 author survey data says about what authors are actually choosing
Want to learn more ways to reach readers? Visit writtenwordmedia.com for author resources, book promotion tools, and more.
The Written Word Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.
© 2026 Written Word Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Creators and Guests
What is The Written Word Podcast?
A podcast for authors who want to build successful writing careers. Each episode explores the business and craft of being an author, with practical strategies for selling more books, growing your audience, and navigating the publishing world. Presented by Written Word Media.