Kindle Scout Expands Internationally
As a Kindle Scout published author, I tend to follow a lot of the updates and news that take place with Amazon's fairly new crowd-sourced publishing platform. Today the Kindle Scout team announced that they are opening the doors for submissions outside of the United States, accepting submissions now from the following countries:
Europe
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Mexico
Brazil
Japan
and India
For those unfamiliar with the program, an author can submit an unpublished novel-length work for submission through KindleScout. If accepted, there is a 30-day campaign in which readers can vote for an author's book. The KS team determines winners based on a combination of things from quality of novel, marketing appeal, # of votes and whether there was general interest in the book, etc. For more info, visit the Kindle Scout website.
I may be biased, but I'm a huge fan of this program. In the self-publishing world, there is a deluge of novels, and it can be difficult for an author to see his voice heard. Kindle Scout, and other programs like it, can become a sifting ground to help good works become discovered that might otherwise have been lost in all the noise out there. In my opinion, we need more publishers thinking outside of the box like Amazon, testing new ideas and breaking new ground.
I'm proud to be a Kindle Press published author, with my debut novel Housebroken being selected in the first round with Kindle Scout. It's opened more doors for me, as an author, and has absolutely expanded the reach I might otherwise have had on my own. I've also discovered so many other fantastic authors through this program, and if you're looking for free books, it's a great way to be a part of someone's publishing path while being rewarded for your efforts, as the books you nominate that are chosen you receive for free.
So enough of my infomercial for Kindle Scout. If any authors out there are curious or have questions about the program, feel free to ask me through email or jump on in to our Facebook group for Kindle Press Authors, where you can get real answers from those of us who have gone through the ropes, so to speak. And collectively, as a group, let's keep innovating. I believe we've barely scratched the surface of what is to come.
