What you're missing on Kindle Scout

Have you heard about Kindle Scout? Whether you're a reader or an author, it's definitely something you should look into, and here's why:

Kindle Scout is a website where readers help decide which books should receive a publishing contract through Kindle Press.

Authors who are looking for an alternative to self-publishing can submit a new manuscript of at least 50K words, and, if approved by Kindle Scout, the first 5K or so words, along with the book cover and synopsis, will be posted on the site. The campaigns last for 30 days to gauge readers' responses. The trick is for authors to spread the word about their book, and get as many nominations as possible, so that they land on Kindle Scout's Hot & Trending list.

The benefit for readers is that they can browse never-before-published books, read a sample, and then nominate their favorites. The decision on whether or not an author receives a contract is not based solely on nominations, but it does appear to have serious sway with the editors who have the final say. The best part for readers is that if they nominate a book that is selected for a contract, they'll receive a free copy of the book before the release date.

Authors who are not selected for a contract can still self-publish through KDP, and everyone who nominated their book will also receive a notification once it's published. Therefore, there doesn't seem to be a downside to submitting your book for a Kindle Scout campaign.

The Kindle Press contract include a sweet $1,500 advance and 50% royalties. Sure, this is a less than the 70% for self-publishing a book for $2.99 or more on KDP. But with Kindle Press, you'll have someone else doing most of your advertising for you, and they may set your book price a little higher, around $3.99 or $3.49. So the 20% difference in royalty doesn't  seem so bad.

Kindle Scout seems like a great way to go if you're a new author still building your reader base.  My husband, D.B. West will be submitting his first book on Kindle Scout in a few weeks, and right now my friend Angela Snyder has her romance, "Remember Me Always" on Kindle Scout. So please go and nominate her book, one I had the privilege or reading an ARC of a few weeks ago. It's a really sweet second chance romance that's a roller coaster ride of suspense, until you get to the awesome ending. 

Also, join Angela's Kindle Scout Facebook event next week where you can meet several other great authors, and I'll be posting giveaways and sneak peeks of my books on Sunday, April 24th. https://www.facebook.com/events/1514708088837812/