Technical Blather: Glitched Flipping

Do you have Kindle Unlimited? Do you use the Page Flip feature?

There’s a glitch with the PageFlip feature that a lot of authors are seeing the repercussions of and, since it’s being observed as ‘the app is performing as expected’ it’s not considered a glitch. The PageFlip feature was introduced to scroll through the pages of a book like you would if you were searching for information. Sort of like going from one reference point to a page like in an encyclopedia. However, some people are using it to read their books faster.

Now, honestly, I have the Kindle App on my computer and my phone and while I can see the attraction to reading in PageFlip, I don’t do it. Not because it isn’t convenient, but because it really isn’t a registered difference from sliding the screen to tapping the side to turn the page.

This glitch that’s happening, oh sorry “not a glitch”, is that authors aren’t getting squat if readers are in PageFlip. The page reads aren’t registering with Amazon. Or, if you close your app and are connected to the internet, those reads will register. Then, when you open the app later to continue reading, if you finish the book and then go all the way back to the cover and exit the book or the app, only 1, or 0 for some, page reads register. Therefore you’ve paid for a book, but the author doesn’t get their .004(something or other) cents for each page you read.

Yes, you read that right, .004(something or other) cents for each page.

Reading a 250 page book gets the author $1.00. That dollar is very important to the author. It helps pay bills or for editing their next book. It helps pay for a night out with their spouse and kids. If 100 people read all 250 pages in PageFlip, but the reads don’t get recorded, that’s $250.00 that could have gone to the author to help pay for them to write their next book. Authors are pulling entire catalogs from KindleUnlimited because of this feature that they are being told is ‘acting according to spec’.

Don’t forget about the taxes the author has to set aside in order to pay them when it comes time to file. Authors depend on their readers doing many things. Leaving honest reviews that give them details about how they liked the book, what they didn’t like as well because that’s how an author improves their writing skills. No, we can’t please every person with every book, but there might be another book that might titillate their senses that another didn’t.

And, if you’re wondering, yes I’ve pulled my books from KindleUnlimited. All of them will be out by the end of December. I hate to do that, but until the situation that isn’t a glitch because the feature is performing as it was meant to, I won’t be adding to the KU Catalog.

So, if you love your books and you love using KindleUnlimited, please be kind and… to show my age – don’t rewind. Leave that for the VHS tapes at the video store.