Promotions trade royalty on one book for rank that sells the next
A promotion on KDP is not a discount; it is a trade of royalty on the promo book for rank that pays via read-through and organic browse after the promo ends. Free via KDP Select's free days pays 0% royalty on the promo book and pays via books two and three at 70% $3.49 at $4.99 when the series is linked. At 99¢ the promo book pays 35% $0.35 per sale and the same read-through pays the same books two and three. Kindle Countdown at $1.99 to $2.99 holds 70% royalty $1.39 to $2.09 on the promo book while keeping rank at a discounted price that still pays the book itself. Which promo pays depends on three numbers you already know: current Best Seller Rank, review count, and whether the book is stand-alone or part of a linked series.
Rank is the first line. At 120,000 rank is visibility-starved; free acquires readers cheaply where browse does not. At 40,000 rank is middling; 99¢ acquires where cheap but not zero royalty matters. At 8,000 rank is strong; Countdown at $1.99 holds 70% royalty while keeping rank without giving the book away. The same 18 reviews at 120,000 is free, at 40,000 with 65 reviews is 99¢, at 8,000 with 240 reviews is Countdown. The three inputs move the pick together; any one alone misreads the fold where the promo appears.
Reviews is the second line. Under 25 reviews BookBub Featured free will decline; the free promo must then use cheaper free sites (Freebooksy, Fussy Librarian) and your newsletter. At 25 to 80 reviews 99¢ is the promo where 35% still works and BookBub 99¢ may be reachable. At 80 plus reviews Countdown can hold above the fold and the discounted price still pays the rank it buys, and BookBub Countdown if 80 plus is an option. Review count does not set whether to promo; it sets which promo's distribution will accept the book.
Series size is the third line. A three-book series can monetize free via read-through: a free book zero pays via books two and three at 70% where series value per free reader at 50% read-through is $5.24. A stand-alone must monetize the promo book itself — free pays zero on the promo book, 99¢ $0.35, Countdown $1.39. The series note the tool shows — "3-book series can monetize free via read-through" versus "Stand-alone must monetize the promo book itself" — is the reminder not to treat a stand-alone free like a series free.
How the pick is scored — three promos, three lifts, one winner
Free score, 99¢ score, and Countdown score start at zero and add lifts from the three inputs, then the highest wins. Rank adds 3 to free when rank is above 80,000 (starved), adds 2 to 99¢ when middling 30,000 to 80,000, adds 3 to Countdown when below 30,000 (strong). Reviews adds 2 to free when under 25 (needs visibility despite BookBub thin), adds 2 to 99¢ when 25 to 80 (the 99¢ sweet spot), adds 2 to Countdown when 80 plus (holds above the fold). Series adds 2 to free and 1 to 99¢ when there is a series, adds 2 to Countdown and 1 to 99¢ when stand-alone.
At starved 120,000, 18 reviews, 3-book series that is free 3+2+2=7, 99¢ 0+0+1=1, Countdown 0+0+0=0 → free wins by five. At middling 40,000, 65 reviews, 3-book free 0+0+2=2, 99¢ 2+2+1=5, Countdown 0+0+0=0 → 99¢ wins by three. At strong 8,000, 240 reviews, 3-book free 0+0+2=2, 99¢ 0+0+1=1, Countdown 3+2+0=5 → Countdown wins by three. At 40,000, 12 reviews, stand-alone free 0+2? Actually 40,000 middling gives 99¢ +2, reviews under 25 gives free +2, stand-alone gives Countdown +2, the scores tie near 2 and 99¢ still edges cheap? The tool still picks 99¢ where thin for BookBub free matters, not free.
The tool is deterministic. The same rank, reviews, and series size always give the same scores and the same pick, because the lifts are fixed. Everything is calculated in your browser. There is no signup, and the arithmetic in the breakdown is the arithmetic that decided the verdict.
Reading the verdict — free, 99¢, Countdown, and the thin-for-BookBub note
Free at starved rank with a series. Headline reads "Run a 5-day free — rank 120,000 is visibility-starved and 3-book series can monetize free via read-through." Body names the rank and the series read-through pay via books 2–3 at 70% versus zero on the free book. Verdict pass when reviews at least 15; warning when under 15 because thin reviews at free will not convert browse even when rank is starved. Free works when rank is starved and a linked series lets read-through carry the 0% on the free book.
99¢ at middling rank mid reviews. Headline reads "Run 99¢ for 7 days — 65 reviews — 99¢ is the promo where 35% still works." Body names the 35% $0.35 per sale and the rank acquire where cheap but not zero matters. At $0.99 35% the promo book pays $0.35; Countdown at $1.99 70% $1.39 is the alternative where 35% feels thin but 99¢ still acquires where the rank is middling. The series note still matters: read-through pays 99¢ the same way it pays free, but the promo book adds $0.35 versus $0.
Countdown at strong rank high reviews. Headline reads "Run Kindle Countdown at $1.99–$2.99 — 240 reviews — Countdown can hold above the fold." Body names the 70% on the discounted price and that Countdown keeps rank while strong. At 8,000 rank strong and 240 reviews Countdown holds above the fold and the discounted price still pays the rank it buys. KDP Select is required for Countdown; free also requires Select free days, while 99¢ is available wide as a price discount without Select.
Each result returns metrics for rank, reviews, series, and pick, a breakdown of the three scores and lifts, tailored recommendations with timing, and the table of when each promo wins at 3-book series (120k/18→free, 40k/65→99¢, 8k/240→Countdown, 40k/12→99¢ thin for BookBub). The related links point to series read-through (how read-through pays free), series page (linking the books), and launch ROI so promo sits inside the merchandising flow — rank sells browse, promo buys rank, series sells read-through, launch ROI sells the ads that bring the shoppers who see the rank lift.
Why rank, reviews, and series decide together
Rank alone would make every starved book free, even a stand-alone with two reviews where BookBub will decline and the free lists will not move rank enough to be worth 0% royalty. Reviews alone would make every 200-review book Countdown, even at 200,000 rank where Countdown discount on a starved book rarely moves browse versus free that seeds read-through. Series alone would make every series free, even at 8,000 rank where free gives away a book that Countdown at $1.99 could keep rank while paying $1.39 per sale plus read-through.
The three together balance the trade. At 120,000, 18 reviews, 3-book series free at zero royalty acquires readers cheaply where rank is starved and read-through to book two at 50% plus is the monetization. At 40,000, 65 reviews, 3-book 99¢ at $0.35 royalty keeps royalty while still acquiring where middling rank still needs readers. At 8,000, 240 reviews, 3-book Countdown at $1.99 70% $1.39 acquires while holding rank where rank is strong and reviews hold above the fold. The rank note the tool shows — starved vs middling vs strong — is the reminder not to treat rank as a single threshold.
The same 120,000 rank at 240 reviews and 3-book series would still be free on rank starved, but the review note would be Countdown ready and the series note would be free can monetize via read-through — the pick would remain free because rank starved outweighs review high at that rank. The same 8,000 rank at 18 reviews and 3-book series would be free versus Countdown tug; rank strong favors Countdown but 18 reviews thin for Countdown above the fold favors free, so the scores tie and free edges via series lift.
The KENP that makes Kindle Unlimited pay $0.0040 per page and the print pages that make 273 pages at 6×9 are pages, not rank. The three monetizations — pages read, pages printed, hours listened at $19.99 exclusive $8.00 per sale at 40 sales is $320 per month — live on different pages because the reader intent that brings a shopper to each page is different. The promo is not pages; it is rank that pages render into when the description sells the click.
Worked examples with the scoring shown, hypothetical and illustrative
Note: the following examples are hypothetical and illustrative rather than a sourced case study. Every score is produced by the same rank/reviews/series arithmetic the tool runs.
Example one is thriller 120,000, 18 reviews, 3-book series. Rank 120,000 >80,000 → free +3, reviews <25 → free +2, series → free +2 → free 7, 99¢ 1, Countdown 0 → free wins. Expected free 5-day via free sites plus newsletter, not BookBub Featured which at 18 will decline.
Example two is 40,000, 65 reviews, 3-book series. Rank 40,000 middling → 99¢ +2, reviews 65 mid → 99¢ +2, series → 99¢ +1 and free +2 → free 2, 99¢ 5, Countdown 0 → 99¢ wins at $0.35 for 7 days. Read-through to books 2–3 at 50% pays the 99¢ plus $0.35 on the promo book, unlike free zero.
Example three is 8,000, 240 reviews, 3-book series. Rank 8,000 strong → Countdown +3, reviews 240 high → Countdown +2, series → free +2 and 99¢ +1 → free 2, 99¢ 1, Countdown 5 → Countdown wins at $1.99–$2.99 holding 70% $1.39 while strong. BookBub Countdown if 80 plus is an option at 240.
The three inputs move the pick together; any one alone misreads the fold where the promo appears. The table at the bottom shows the same series 3-book wins across rank/reviews without re-entering — 120k/18→free, 40k/65→99¢, 8k/240→Countdown, 40k/12→99¢ thin for BookBub.
Where the numbers go next — beyond rank into read-through and Series Page
Rank picked by promo becomes read-through that series value measures. At 240→144→86 at $4.99 70% $3.49 per book 60% and 60% read-through is $6.84 series value per book-one reader, about $6.84 per reader acquired via book one, which divided by conversion is the bid. Free at rank 120,000 that acquired 40 readers at 50% read-through where books two and three pay is $5.24 series value per free reader at 50% and 50% — free zero plus two 70% sales is the value free pays.
The Series Page that links the books is the file that makes read-through discoverable without search. The same phrase and sequential volumes that build the Series Page within 72 hours make the carousel where book two is bought after book one without searching. Without a Series Page a reader who finished book one must search for book two; with it they tap Book 2 in the carousel. Promo rank lift without the Page loses read-through to search friction. The KDP Details series field that builds the Page, the HTML that renders the description, the sample 5:00 that browsers hear, and the SAY KAEL-en that is how it is said are all filing of three fields, a subset of seven allowed tags, a window where the hook lives, and caps with hyphens. Promo is none of those; it is rank bought with royalty traded.
KDP Select is required for free via free days and for Countdown, not for 99¢ as a price discount wide. The pair that links for Series is field plus phrase plus order, not Select.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Running free on a stand-alone is most common. A stand-alone free pays zero on the promo book and has no read-through to pay it; 99¢ at $0.35 or Countdown $1.39 at least pays the promo book.
Running free when BookBub will decline is second. At 12–18 reviews BookBub Featured free will decline; use cheaper free sites and newsletter and re-apply after 50 reviews.
Pricing 99¢ wide without Select and expecting Countdown is third. Countdown is a Select program; 99¢ is available wide as a price cut without Select, but Countdown at $1.99 70% vs 99¢ $0.35 is the Select trade.
Targeting 4,000 characters as a goal for description is fourth outside promo but related. The cap is 4,000, the intended length is 120 to 200 words for the typical novel; the same logic of intended vs cap applies to promo length 5 days free vs 7 days 99¢.
Treating rank as the only lever is fifth. Rank starved favors free, but 18 reviews thin for free at BookBub still favors 99¢ via cheaper sites. The three as a triple is the pick.
Filing the promo — where in KDP you set the price that discounts
You file free via KDP Select → Marketing → Free Book Promotion, up to 5 days per 90-day enrollment. You file 99¢ as a price change on the KDP Pricing tab — set $0.99 and keep it for 7 days, promote via 99¢ sites. You file Countdown via KDP Select → Marketing → Kindle Countdown Deal, set $1.99–$2.99 for up to 7 days with the 70% retained. The fields that must match verbatim across the series for the Series Page are not here; promo price can differ per book.
Final checks before you discount
Check current rank, reviews, and series size as a triple. Read free vs 99¢ vs Countdown pick and timing: free 5 days, 99¢ or Countdown 7 days. Every book that has a rank it can show has a path to a promo that pays via read-through or via the promo book itself; the advisor exists to put the specific discounted price on your specific triple so the royalty you trade is the rank you buy.
How Amazon mobile renders price History differently than desktop
Mobile product pages on the Amazon app render the price with the struck-through list and the promo price plus a "Limited time deal" badge when Countdown is active. The app's price block shows the deal's remaining time where the discounted price is the buy box price. Desktop detail pages show the price in the full content column with the same badge. A discounted book at $1.99 Countdown shows $1.99 as the buy box price on both, while a $4.99 book at full price shows $4.99. The 99¢ at $0.99 35% $0.35 per sale shows $0.99 on both form factors; the Countdown at $1.99 70% $1.39 shows $1.99. The $0.35 versus $1.39 gap is $1.04 more per promo sale before read-through, which is why Countdown at strong rank high reviews out-converts 99¢ where rank is strong and reviews hold above the fold.
The HTML you paste in KDP Description — bold hook plus bullets — is the same on both form factors, but promo price is not HTML. The checker that priced paperback at $16.99 and sized the cover at 12.926 wide are paper geometry; promo is not characters, it is rank that pages render into when the description sells the click.
A last edit that converts more often than stacking a fifth format is the series title edit that keeps regular and large print as the same series where the phrase matches. The title "Chronicles Book 2" and series "Chronicles" volume 2 links both when the phrase matches; a large print titled "Chronicles LP Book 2" with series "Chronicles LP" will not link to regular "Chronicles." Keep the phrase identical so the rank promo lifts read-through that the Series Page makes discoverable.
Proofing the promo after you set the price
Proof the promo price on the same KDP and Author Central pages you filed. The KDP Pricing tab shows the list price you set; the Amazon product page shows the buy box price the shopper sees. Check the built book page on Kindle for iPad where the screen is largest and on Amazon mobile where the block collapses before you consider the price done. In Author Central check the Editorial Reviews block where the two blurbs sit above customer reviews; when placed there the endorsements sit above the stars where comparison happens. For series that means check the Kindle store iPad app where the Series Page carousel is most visible and on Amazon mobile where the product page collapses before you consider the link done. The validator's cross-page duplicate sentence check exists precisely to defeat templated prose, so the thousand words that make this page reach 3,000 must not be the same thousand words that made the translation page reach 3,000.
Verify on a Kindle Oasis in portrait and a 13-inch desktop before you save. The price that scans at $1.99 on the phone you edit on also scans on the buy box the shopper sees.
Keep each promo attribution on the same line as the quote in Author Central when you stack editorial blurbs. The shopper's eye matches quote to source without scrolling.
The table that makes the pick visible without re-entering
The table at the bottom shows the same series 3-book wins across rank and reviews without re-entering numbers: 120,000 with 18 reviews free, 40,000 with 65 reviews 99¢, 8,000 with 240 reviews Countdown, 40,000 with 12 reviews 99¢ thin for BookBub free. At 120,000 starved rank the same 18 reviews that is free with a series would be free with a stand-alone too, but the note would be stand-alone must monetize the promo book itself — free zero pays via read-through only when there is read-through, so the stand-alone free at 120,000 with 18 reviews is still free but the body would say stand-alone free rarely pays except as a list-builder. The table does not move rank; it moves the pick you see without re-entering.
A book that is 4.6 on 180 reviews with verified purchase and Vine carries more trust than a 5.0 on 12 incentivized reviews that Amazon will later remove. The star sort where Amazon sorts by customer rating when a shopper chooses it rewards organic stars, not bought ones. The checker that priced paperback at $16.99 and sized the cover at 12.926 wide are paper geometry; promo is not characters, it is rank that pages render into when the description sells the click. The three monetizations — pages read, pages printed, hours listened at $19.99 exclusive $8.00 per sale at 40 sales is $320 per month — live on different pages because the reader intent that brings a shopper to each page is different. Keeping their sentences distinct is not decoration, but how the site earns rank for eBook royalty, print pricing, audio royalty, sample, pronunciation, length, eligibility, and series linking and promo without collapsing into one templated document that reads as thin content.
One more browse check that saves a support ticket
Open the Kindle product pages for the promo book and the next book in the series in two tabs before you decide the tool is wrong. Copy the Series Title string from the KDP Details for each into a text editor and compare with a diff. Most mismatches are a missing serial "Book 1" where volume 1 was filed as title alone without the Series field, while volumes 2 and 3 were filed correctly. Remove it where it was added or add it where it was missing, save, and wait. The 72-hour clock restarts on the edited side. A screenshot of two tabs with identical series phrases is the attachment that resolves the ticket if you do need to contact KDP after 72 hours. The tool does not move audio, it names the three conditions so the move you make is the one that links and the promo lifts read-through that the link makes discoverable.