Kindle Unlimited Is Becoming Kindle+

October 22, 2026October 22, 2026 Becky

What It Means for Readers, Authors, and the Future of Indie Publishing

Amazon is making changes to Kindle Unlimited, and if you’ve spent any amount of time in the indie publishing world, you know that when Amazon makes a change, everyone starts asking questions.

The latest development? Kindle Unlimited is becoming Kindle+, with an expanded focus on audiobooks. Now, on the surface, this sounds like a pretty straightforward upgrade. More ways to consume books, more options for subscribers, and potentially more opportunities for authors to earn money.

What’s not to love? Well, as with most things in publishing, the answer is a little more complicated.

As both a reader and someone who works with authors on the business side of publishing, I have a few thoughts. Because while I love the idea of making books more accessible, I also want to know what these changes mean for the people creating them.

And those aren’t always the same conversation.

First, What Exactly Is Kindle+?

For years, Kindle Unlimited (KU) has been one of Amazon’s biggest selling points for voracious readers, particularly romance readers. For a monthly subscription fee, readers have access to an enormous catalog of ebooks. And for indie authors, KU has become a major part of their publishing and marketing strategies.

With Kindle+, Amazon is expanding that experience to include more audiobook listening. Essentially, Amazon is positioning the subscription as a place where readers can move between ebooks and audiobooks without necessarily purchasing each format separately.

For readers who enjoy both formats, that’s appealing. I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of reading a few chapters before bed and then picking up the story in audio while doing laundry, driving, or pretending the house is going to clean itself?

But here’s something important to understand.

Kindle+ is the subscription readers use. KDP Select is still the program authors enroll their ebooks in. That distinction matters because the rules surrounding enrollment, exclusivity, and royalties are still a significant part of the conversation.

What Does This Mean for Readers?

For readers, the biggest benefit is convenience. The expanded audiobook catalog means subscribers may have access to more books in audio without needing to purchase each audiobook individually. That’s especially appealing in romance, where readers often consume multiple books a week. And let’s be realistic. Audiobooks aren’t cheap.

For someone who reads and listens regularly, having additional audio options within a subscription could be a significant benefit. It may also encourage readers to try authors they wouldn’t otherwise purchase in audio. I’ve always believed that accessibility and discoverability are important parts of building a healthy reading community. Giving readers more ways to experience a story is generally a good thing. But while readers are gaining options, we also need to talk about how authors are being compensated. Because that’s where things get interesting.

How Are Authors Paid Through Kindle+?

Under Kindle Unlimited, authors enrolled in KDP Select earned royalties based on the number of Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENP) read by subscribers. Rather than receiving a set amount every time someone borrowed a book, authors received a portion of the monthly KDP Select Global Fund based on eligible pages read. That system isn’t going away. With Kindle+, eligible audiobook listening can also generate page-based royalties.

In theory, this creates an additional earning opportunity for authors who have audiobooks participating in the program. For example, let’s say a reader starts a romance novel on their Kindle and reads the first 150 pages. Then life happens, because apparently we have responsibilities beyond reading, and they switch to the audiobook for the next 200 pages. The author can potentially earn royalties for those eligible pages, regardless of whether they were read or listened to.

Sounds pretty good. But there’s an important detail.

Authors generally aren’t paid twice for the same pages simply because a subscriber reads and listens to them.

If a subscriber reads an entire book and then listens to the same book, that doesn’t automatically generate two complete sets of page-based royalties. Amazon’s system is designed to account for consumption across the two formats rather than simply stacking full reading and listening payments. And that’s a distinction authors need to understand when evaluating the potential financial benefits.

Will Authors Actually Make More Money?

This is the question I keep coming back to. Amazon has indicated that it’s contributing additional money to the KDP Select Global Fund to support audiobook listening. That’s encouraging. But the important thing to remember is that KU royalties have never been based on a guaranteed, fixed payment per page. The effective royalty rate depends on the size of the fund and the amount of eligible reading and listening activity.

So while authors may see additional pages credited through audiobook listening, that doesn’t necessarily translate into a proportional increase in earnings. Think about it this way. If more subscribers consume more content, but the royalty fund doesn’t grow at the same pace, the amount authors receive per eligible page could be affected. That doesn’t mean authors will earn less. It means we don’t have enough information yet to confidently say they’ll earn more. And I think that’s an important distinction in a publishing environment where announcements are often treated as either the greatest thing ever or the beginning of the apocalypse. Sometimes we need actual numbers before making declarations.

Wild concept, I know.

The Audiobook Question Nobody Should Ignore

Here’s where I think the conversation gets especially interesting for established indie authors. Audiobooks have become an important revenue stream for many authors, particularly those writing romance, fantasy, romantic suspense, and other genres with dedicated listening audiences. Producing a professionally narrated audiobook can also represent a substantial financial investment.

So what happens when those audiobooks become available through a subscription? Let’s say a reader previously purchased an audiobook through Audible using a credit. Now imagine that same reader can access an eligible title through Kindle+ instead. That’s convenient for the reader.

But what does that mean for the author?

Will the royalties generated through Kindle+ listening equal what the author would have earned from an individual audiobook purchase? Could authors see an increase in listening activity but a decrease in direct audiobook purchases? Could the additional exposure lead to more series sales and new readers? All of those outcomes are possible. And that’s why I think authors need to look beyond the excitement of having another distribution opportunity.

The question isn’t simply whether more people are listening to your books. The question is whether that listening is generating sustainable revenue. There’s also the issue of audiobook rights and distribution agreements. Authors who have existing contracts through ACX, publishers, or other distributors need to understand what they’re agreeing to before making changes to their audio availability. Not every author controls every format of their book, and audiobook rights aren’t something to casually toss into another program without reviewing the details.

What About Authors Who Don’t Have Audiobooks?

If you’re an indie author currently enrolled in KDP Select and you don’t have audiobooks, this change doesn’t mean you suddenly need to produce them. Your ebook can continue participating in the program. And while I think audio is worth exploring as part of a long-term publishing strategy, I wouldn’t recommend rushing into production solely because Kindle+ is expanding its audiobook offerings.

Audiobook production can be expensive. Narration, editing, mastering, distribution, and marketing all come with considerations that should be part of a larger business decision. For some authors, audio is an excellent investment. For others, particularly those still building an audience or working with limited budgets, that money might be better spent elsewhere.

The goal should always be to make publishing decisions that support your business, not simply react to whatever Amazon announces next.

Let’s Talk About Exclusivity

This is the part of the conversation I don’t think we should overlook. Kindle Unlimited has always been a powerful tool for indie authors, especially in romance. There are authors who have built incredibly successful businesses around the KU model. But that success comes with a trade-off.

KDP Select requires ebook exclusivity during its enrollment period.

That means participating ebooks cannot be sold digitally through competing retailers or an author’s own direct store during that period, subject to Amazon’s program terms. For authors who are already successful in KU, that arrangement may make financial sense. For authors who want to build a wider distribution strategy through Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, libraries, and direct sales, exclusivity can be a significant limitation.

Kindle+ doesn’t eliminate that issue.

In fact, I would argue that the expanded subscription potentially gives readers even more reasons to stay within Amazon’s ecosystem. From Amazon’s perspective, that’s smart business. They’re making their subscription more attractive, giving readers more ways to consume content, and strengthening their position in the digital book marketplace. But from an author’s perspective, I think it’s worth asking a bigger question.

Are we building sustainable author businesses, or are we becoming increasingly dependent on one retailer?

I’m not suggesting that every author should leave KU. Far from it. But I do think authors should regularly evaluate whether their current distribution strategy is working for them. What worked three years ago might not be the best approach today. And what works beautifully for one romance author might be completely wrong for another.

Could Kindle+ Change the Romance Market?

Romance is one of the genres where I think this shift could have a particularly interesting impact. Romance readers are often high-volume consumers. They binge series. They follow favorite authors. They move between ebooks and audiobooks. And they’re willing to try new authors when the barrier to entry is low. That’s part of what made Kindle Unlimited such a powerful discovery tool for indie romance. Adding more audiobook options could expand that discovery process. A reader who wouldn’t normally spend money on an audiobook might try one through Kindle+.

That listener might discover a new author, fall in love with a series, and become a dedicated reader. That’s a genuine opportunity. But there’s another side to this. If subscription listening replaces individual audiobook purchases, authors may find themselves navigating a different revenue landscape. And with virtual-voice narration becoming more accessible, we may also see a growing number of audiobooks competing for listener attention.

More content doesn’t automatically mean more discoverability. Sometimes it just means a more crowded marketplace. The authors who benefit most may be those who already have established audiences, strong series branding, and the ability to market across multiple formats. Which brings us right back to the importance of having a publishing strategy rather than simply chasing the newest opportunity.

What Should Indie Authors Do Right Now?

My advice? Don’t panic. Don’t immediately overhaul your publishing strategy. And please don’t assume that a rebrand means your royalties are about to skyrocket.

Instead, pay attention to your numbers.

Over the next several months, I would encourage authors to track:

Ebook page reads: Are they increasing, decreasing, or remaining consistent?
Audiobook listening: Are eligible titles generating meaningful additional consumption?
Actual royalty income: Are your total earnings improving?
Individual audiobook sales: Are purchases through Audible or other retailers changing?
Series performance: Are listeners discovering additional books after finishing one title?
Overall profitability: Are the additional opportunities worth the production, marketing, and distribution costs?

And most importantly, don’t confuse increased consumption with increased profitability. A book can be read or listened to more frequently without generating a meaningful increase in income. That’s why looking at your complete publishing business matters.

My Take: I’m Cautiously Optimistic, but I’m Watching the Money

As a reader, I like the idea of Kindle+. More options? More accessible audiobooks? More opportunities to discover authors? I’m all for it. As someone who works with authors, I’m a little more cautious. I want authors to have additional revenue streams. I want audiobooks to become more accessible. And I absolutely want readers discovering books they might not have picked up otherwise. But I also want authors to be compensated fairly for their work. And I don’t think we can determine whether Kindle+ accomplishes that until we see how the royalty structure performs over time.

Amazon is making a business decision.

They’re expanding the value of their subscription, encouraging customers to remain within their ecosystem, and potentially positioning themselves for continued growth in digital reading and listening. None of that is inherently bad. But what’s good for Amazon isn’t automatically good for every author.

More readers, more listeners, and more pages consumed are wonderful things. But authors can’t pay their bills with page reads. They pay them with royalties.

That’s the distinction I want authors to remember. For now, I’m viewing Kindle+ as an opportunity worth watching rather than a guaranteed financial win. And I think the next three to six months will tell us much more about whether this change genuinely benefits the indie publishing community. Because at the end of the day, I want a publishing industry where readers have access to incredible stories and the authors creating those stories can build sustainable careers.

Those two things shouldn’t have to compete.

Let’s Talk About It

Readers: Does having more audiobook access make Kindle+ more appealing to you? Do you regularly switch between reading and listening?

Authors: Are you excited about the additional opportunities, or are you concerned about how this could affect your existing audiobook revenue?

I’d love to hear your thoughts because I suspect this is a conversation we’ll be having for quite a while.

Until next time, keep reading, keep supporting authors, and remember that the business behind the books matters just as much as the stories we love.

Sources and Further Reading

For authors who want to review the program details directly:

Publishing programs, eligibility requirements, and royalty structures can change. Always review Amazon’s current terms and your individual publishing agreements before making distribution decisions.