Amazon has announced the Kindle Countdown Deals program for Kindle in the US and UK that allows authors and publishers to offer limited-time promotional discounts on Kindle-exclusive books, including those in the KDP Select program. Customers can see the regular price and the promotional price on the book’s detail page. A countdown clock, telling them how much time is left at the promotional price, adds a sense of urgency to encourage readers to purchase the book at the special price.

A Countdown Deal can have multiple increments. For example, a book could be discounted by $3 for 24 hours, then $2 for the next 24 hours, then $1 for an additional 24 hours before returning to the regular price.

Authors and publishers can choose to use a Countdown Deal or five free promotional days in each 90-day KDP Select enrollment period. “We’re always looking to build features that customers love, and to help publishers and authors get their books discovered—Kindle Countdown Deals achieves both,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content.

Authors and publishers determine both the length of the Kindle Countdown Deals promotion and the level of discount, offering them control and flexibility. For KDP Select books, here’s how it works:

• Time: Publishers control how long the book is discounted, choosing any time between one hour and seven days.
• Discount: Publishers set the level of discount, which must be at least $1 off the regular price.
• Royalty: Publishers will earn royalties based on their regular royalty rate and the promotional price. As a result, publishers using the 70% royalty option will earn 70% even if the price is below $2.99.
• Reporting: A new KDP report displays sales and royalties at each promotional price side-by-side with pre-promotion performance, so it’s easy to compare.
• Customer Experience: It’s simple for customers to see the great deal they’re getting, as the regular price is included on the book’s detail page, right beside the promotional price. Customers will see the countdown clock with the time remaining for the promotion. It’s also easy for customers to discover Kindle Countdown Deals on a dedicated webpage, www.amazon.com/kindlecountdowndeals.

You can find all the details about Kindle Countdown Deals at the KDP Website.

Ready to sign up? Just log in to your account, go to your Bookshelf and choose the book you want to offer as a Countdown Deal. (If your book is not already enrolled in KDP Select, you will need to enroll and wait 30 days before doing a Countdown Deal.) Click on “Manage Benefits” and you can schedule your promotion.