The e-book industry is expected to grow immensely in the near future and to take full advantage of this growth, Amazon has introduced a Kindle Unlimited subscription plan, which allows users unlimited access to titles for a monthly fees of just $9.99. However, the new plan raises the question: Is it worth it?
Americans who read on a regular basis may find the latest Kindle Unlimited subscription attractive as it will give them access to over 600,000 titles. However, the new unlimited plan may not be worth for readers who do not read on a regular basis.
According to data published by Pew Internet and American Life Project in January this year, a typical American read only five books on an average in the last 12 months. If a person reads one or more book per month, then the Amazon Kindle Unlimited will prove to be a worthwhile plan.
"Kindle Unlimited gives you the freedom to explore. Try new genres, discover new authors, and dive into new adventures with unlimited access to our wide and varied selection of books. From rhetoric to romance, or comedy to tragedy, you will find unlimited stories waiting to be discovered. Relive the classics you grew up with, start on that best seller you've been wanting to read or try one of the hundreds of thousands of books you won't find anywhere," per Amazon.
As part of the Kindle Unlimited subscription, users will also get free access to Amazon audio books. The company has over 150,000 audio book titles but Kindle Unlimited subscribers will have access to just over 2,000 audio books.
Even though Amazon boasts that subscribers will have access to more than 600,000 titles over a variety of genres, it does not mean that subscribers will get the title they want. Amazon currently does not offer titles from some of the top publishers and authors as part of the Kindle Unlimited plan. HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette, who are some of the top publishers, confirmed that they are not participating in the latest Amazon subscription plan.
Titles from some of the popular authors such as Laura Hillenbrand and Veronica Roth are also absent from the Kindle Unlimited plan.
The latest Kindle Unlimited is not the only one in the market to offer such a service. New York-based Oyster has a similar service plan that allows users access to over 500,000 e-books for a monthly subscription of just $9.95. Similarly, Scribd also offers unlimited access to its 400,000 titles for just $8.99 a month subscription.
The competition in the e-reading industry is becoming intense and companies are offering unlimited access to their digital libraries at a similar price. However, it may boil down to the content on offer, which will make the plan worth the price and attract more customers.
