So far, it has always been the publisher to choose between stacks of manuscripts such as publishing, which to discard, which deserve attention and which do not even deign to look. It has always been the distinguished by between readers and writers, the figure regulator, the one who decides what is worth to get in the eyes of the world. But if in the future no longer so?
The role of the reader
The readers have taken today immense power. Internet and social media have allowed access to information before impossible that quickly changed the rules of the market. You can choose products to buy from an increasingly extended, you can comment, recommend or criticize, it holds the possibility to influence their success or their failure. The revolution of the web is this: you have connected all between them, creating a network of exchanges potentially infinite. And the reader is no longer suffering passively what is put under the nose, now has a face, but above all has a voice, and should be listened to, wooed, won, convinced. Scout with Kindle, the new service from Amazon, but his role becomes even more central.
Kindle Scout
For authors get noticed becomes increasingly difficult, and the new service from Amazon is an attempt more to emerge and break away from the huge amount of publications that crowd the market and growing dramatically from day to day .
Kindle Scout has in fact the purpose of selecting the authors deemed worthy, and offer them a publishing deal. And up here all quite normal. The news is that there is no editor to choose, are the readers themselves to do so.
How it works
The authors can send a text to respect some simple rules: must belong to the genera romance, yellow, thriller, science fiction and fantasy, be at least 50 000 words, in Word format, must have a cover, and photos of the autobiography, information that Kindle Scout will send to all readers participants.
Amazon will carry only a preselection, to filter at least some texts that have the qualifications to participate in the initiative. As soon will be accepted, the novel will be inserted into the platform and will have 30 days to convince readers and collect many votes as possible. Top Rated are read and finally selected by Amazon making one last final skimming. What earns the colossus of Bezos texts are potentially winning, because the idea is just to invest in novels that have already had some feedback and a circle of potential readers willing to buy them once released. In fact, Amazon does not want to just give the power in the hands of readers but devote himself to publications that eliminate the risks, and in this manner it is safe to do so.
What you will find Kindle Scout
Kindle Scout offers a publication in eBook with 5-year contract through the Kindle Press Imprint, for some titles also audiobooks, an advance of $ 1.500, which also aims to discourage possible “betrayals” with rivals, royalties of 50%, and the powerful marketing services to Amazon for promotion. The author will also maintain the rights of the press and connected. And if you do not win no matter, it is still a useful experience because the initiative allows the novel to have a showcase of honor for 30 days.
The reader offers instead many samples of stories to read for free , can indeed “appoint” up to three books at a time of proposals published every day, in order to more campaign will also get a first free copy of all eBooks which appointed and that have been published and, as already mentioned, a great power decision.
Readers become the real drivers of the fate of an author, they hold their future editorial.
The first results
Amazon has so far selected thirteen books Kindle Scout for publication under its Kindle Press Imprint, and November 26 announced the first titles. All selected authors had already written and published other books, before presenting their latest work in Kindle Scout, and most have gone for the traditional press, at least once. Of those thirteen books, ten of them have in fact published at least one book with a traditional publisher. Most were released by small publishers, but at least three have been published by major American publishers, including Random House and Gale.
Amazon has not yet announced the publishing program, but the first books to come out certainly ‘ early next year.
Editors
Ironically give into the hands of readers the power may be the salvation of publishers who would be in his hands texts for publication already tested and appreciated. As for Amazon, this would limit the risks of failure, and would make it easier to find the coveted new best seller on duty.
If they did a step in the direction taken by Amazon could also earn them and perhaps establish a relationship with the reader yet deeper and involved.
The future of Kindle Scout
This is only the first round for Kindle Scout, and for now Amazon goes there with feet of lead, do not take too many risks, public fact the winners in eBook format, thus avoiding possible losses.
No word yet on where this service will lead to accurate, if it will change again the rules of ‘Publishing, overturning of all or part of the roles until now consolidated, or if it will fail. What is certain is that for the umpteenth time Amazon is a step ahead of others. Hardly miss a beat, as demonstrated by the fact that many successful authors also were and still are willing to experiment with this new service.
Ilaria Easter
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