Picture it. It’s 2015, and I’ve got a story—a short one—with no real plans for it. But with a little encouragement, I decide to publish it on Amazon. I know nothing about self-publishing. Whatever little you might know now? I knew even less than that.

I thought all I had to do was upload my story to Amazon’s platform and boom, Amazon would handle the rest.

Not only did Amazon not handle the rest, 🤣, I had to roll up my sleeves and learn how to self-publish for real. So I took a year and immersed myself in everything I could find… writing, designing, marketing, editing. Workshops. Seminars. It was a lot. But even with all that, knowing what I know now, I was barely scratching the surface.

The truth is, the learning never stops. Class is always in session. And one of the biggest lessons I had to learn in those early days was about the very mysterious Kindle Unlimited, what we’ll call KU from here on out.

That first story I mentioned? It was No Fraternizing, Pt. 1. It wasn’t a “Part 1” when I wrote it, but while I was deep in learning mode, I started getting messages from readers I had no idea my story had even reached—asking if there was going to be a next part.

So, while I was learning, I was also writing. In 2016, I came back more informed and with at least five new stories that I enrolled in KU.

I didn’t fully understand the program back then… I just knew that’s where the readers were. And I wanted to be (and still want to be) where the readers reside. So I ticked the little box that made my books exclusive to Amazon, and honestly? The rest was history…

Until February 2024.

At the time, I was publishing new stories into KU and also creating serialized content through Kindle Vella. But then I received an email from Amazon announcing a change to their Kindle Vella program. A change that didn’t benefit me in any way.

And that change made something click.

It reminded me that Amazon could adjust the KU program whenever they wanted to, as well, without consulting the people (authors) who actually make the platform interesting. That was the moment I started seriously rethinking exclusivity.

By October 2024, I made the decision to remove my books from KU… and officially go wide.

What Does Going Wide Mean?

Going wide in self-publishing means making my eBooks available on platforms outside of Amazon, places like my own website (ByBrookelynMosley.com), Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and more. Though I was already able to do this via paperbacks, my eBooks were exclusive to Amazon before I went wide.

While I’ll still publish my eBooks and paperbacks on Amazon, I don’t plan to list my eBooks in their KU library anymore, aside from the two stories I’ve decided to leave there for now: Twice in Love and In Love, I Trust.

So if Amazon is your go-to eBook retailer, no worries. My books will still be easy to find there. The difference is, they’ll also be available in more places, which is a win for both of us. You can access my stories in ways that work best for you, and I can stop putting all my eggs in one basket. That gives me room to keep creating stories with genuine love and confidence, not pressure.

What Finally Caused the Shift, Tho?

So, why the shift?

In short, it’s like they say… there’s wanting a piece of the pie, and there’s wanting the recipe. I wanted the recipe.

Aside from my concerns about Amazon putting its business model before its authors (which, as a business owner, I don’t fault them for), their setup just didn’t align with my goals anymore.

There’s also the KU compensation scale… which I still don’t fully understand. It changes often, and less than a penny per page read? Don’t even get me started. I could never figure out exactly how much I was earning, or where my readers were coming from. It was too many unknowns. It felt like walking in the dark. And I was tired of walking in the dark.

Exclusivity worked great for me as a new author, but eventually, it started to feel like a box.

Amazon is a major book retailer, but surprisingly, not everyone shops there. And publishing exclusively through KU meant I couldn’t offer my eBooks anywhere else—not even on my own website. I wanted that freedom back.

When you add in the visibility limitations, the algorithm pressures, and the lack of access to reader metrics, it became clear: I’d outgrown my time in KU.

“This July marks 10 years since I started self-publishing. When I finally sat down and listed the pros and cons of staying in KU, the cons outweighed the pros for me… and I knew it was time for a change.”

That’s not to say KU isn’t a great fit for many authors. Some authors are thriving there, whether they’ve been publishing for only a year or over a decade. And I love to see it. Seriously. Whenever I see us winning, it reminds me that God is in my neighborhood.

But the truth is, every author’s journey looks different. And not all of our goals are centered on income alone. Some of us are building for recognition, community, and long-term growth. That’s where I am right now.

And being exclusive to KU just wasn’t supporting that. So, it was time for me to go.

What Does This Mean for Readers?

So what does this all mean for you?

Not much has changed—except that about 98% of my catalog is no longer in the KU library. But the good news? Those eBooks are now available on more platforms than ever, and I plan to expand that list even more soon.

My eBooks being available on more platforms also means they can now be borrowed for free through library systems. If your local library doesn’t already have the eBook you want to read that was written by me, be sure to request it! Librarians are always looking to add the books you love to their collections for you to borrow 😉.

I’ve updated the links on my eBooks & Paperbacks page to reflect all the retailers where my stories are now listed. And for readers who want to support me directly, you’ll now be able to do that through my website.

For No Fraternizing and the Love, Hate & Revenge series, I’m planning to compile each into a single book, include bonus content, and offer them at one price exclusively on ByBK. So definitely stay tuned for more on that!

Bottom line?

The stories are still coming—just in a better format for everyone and available in more places than just Amazon.

What’s Ahead

The first wide release will be my upcoming book My Only, available June 26. It’s currently up for pre-order on Amazon, but it will not be available in the KU library on release day.

I encourage you to join my newsletter if you haven’t already. My BK Insiders always get the info first, including where My Only will be available when it drops. There are other perks to being an Insider, too (click the link to check them out!).

Change can be scary… for real. And I’m always changing, so I’m always a little scared 😅 but ’bout it, ’bout it too 🤭.

I went back and forth for months last year on whether to renew my KU agreement every three months. But when I really sat down with the pros and cons, the cons just outweighed the pros. And in order to protect my love of writing and publishing—and to avoid the burnout that comes from all the unknowns KU can bring—I had to do what was best for me and mine.

For those of you who’ve been with me for years, thank you for riding this journey with me. And for those who’ve just discovered my stories, thank you for stepping into my world.

I can’t wait for you to see what’s next.

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Tap the link below to see where all my books are now and browse my full eBook and paperback catalog.