My latest novel, TIME RATS Book 1: The Trouble with Time, is up on Kindle Scout. What is that, I hear you cry? I will tell you, faithful blog readers.
Amazon set up Kindle Scout over a year ago as part of their publishing arm. It's a website where you load a new, unpublished yet publishing-ready novel (including a cover, tag and blurb) for thirty days. During that time, people can join the site, read the first 5,000 words, and if they like it, nominate your book.
After thirty days, Amazon may or may not offer your book a contract, a simple and generous one compared to trad pub. To summarize, they will give you $1,500 advance for the ebook rights, and 50% royalties. The author retains printed book rights. If, after five years, you haven't made $25,000, you can ask for the contract to be terminated.
You can see the books chosen so far here.The more nominations a book gets, the likelier it is to feature in the Hot and Trending Chart. Opinion is divided as to how much H & T influences Kindle Press's editors' choice. Some authors take it so seriously they pay for adverts to solicit nominations. My feeling is that Amazon is likely to be looking primarily for good reads, well written, that from their experience they believe they can sell. Not that I'd want to discourage anyone from voting for Time Rats - far from, actually I'd be quite very grateful :o)
What's in it for readers who nominate books they like? Aha. If Kindle Press decides to publish a book, everyone who nominated it will be sent a FREE COPY on publication.