Have you heard about Amazon’s new crowdsourcing publishing program? It’s called Amazon Kindle Scout, and it’s basically American Idol meets book publishing. Here are five things you need to know about this program that might just turn the publishing world upside down.
1. Almost anyone can post their manuscript to Amazon Kindle Scout. It’s kind of like an open audition. If you have written a book in English and want to get it published, you can post it through Amazon Kindle Scout and let the voters decide. The first genres open for submission are Romance, Mystery & Thriller and Science Fiction & Fantasy, but that is expected to expand going forward. Any adult with a valid U.S. bank account and a U.S. social security number or tax identification number is eligible.
2. There is no due date. Authors can post books at any time thoughout the year. Thirty days after a book is posted, the Kindle Scout team will review reader votes to determine whether the book will be published by Kindle Press. An author will be notified within 45 days of submission whether or not their book was selected. There will be a lot of voting going on during those 30 days, so it’s in your best interest to make sure your friends, family and colleagues are aware of the timeframe during which they can show their support for your book.
3. You can check out other entries before submitting your own. In fact, it’s highly recommended that you take a look at what other authors have done (book descriptions, thank-you notes, etc…) through Amazon Kindle Scout before submitting your own materials. See what’s working and what’s not, and learn from it!
4. This is in no way self-publishing. According to Publishers Weekly, selected authors will receive a $1,500 advance, a five-year renewable publishing contract and a 50% e-book royalty rate upon selection. In other words, if your book gets chosen for publication, you don’t pay a penny to get your book published. That’s every author’s dream right about now.
5. You must agree to the Kindle Press Submission & Publishing Agreement to participate. Under the agreement, you grant Amazon a 45-day exclusivity period to consider your work for publication. If they select your book, Amazon then has the exclusive, worldwide rights to publish your book in digital and audio formats in all languages for a 5-year renewable term. If they don’t select your book, you get all your rights back after 45 days.
Learn more about Amazon Kindle Scout and whether or not it’s the right option for you.