Kindle Scout Winner - Michelle Hughes
Kindle Scout is an incredible platform for authors looking for a cross between self-publishing and traditional. Offering a $1500 advance, 50% royalty rate, and promotion that only a powerhouse like Amazon can deliver, it's the best deal out there for new or established self-published authors. This article will discuss the best ways to have your book shine when going for a Kindle Scout Nomination.
Let me say first that you don't need a huge social media presence to obtain this elusive contract since it's the question that most people ask. While I have built my online brand for eight years, many that have been chosen have very little social media status. Kindle Scout has taken care of that burden by putting potential book nominations on their website, and it drives people interested enough to vote. So what do you need?
A professional cover to start off. I don't care how great of a book cover artist you think you are, take the time to invest in a cover that looks like it can compete with the bestsellers in your genre. I can't tell you how many times I've seen books that I think lost a nomination because their cover, well let's be honest, sucked! As authors, I believe we all have delusions of grandeur, so don't take the chance, hire someone to create your cover.
It's an investment in your book, so take it. Even if you don't score a publishing deal, you want your book to look like it belongs in a bestseller category.
An edited manuscript. Remember that the people that decide if your book gets published aren't just readers. No matter how much interest (votes) you get during your nomination period, if your editing looks like an 8th grader did it, your chances of scoring a publishing deal are more than likely going down the toilet. A little tidbit if you can't afford a high-dollar editor, an English grad major at your local college is never a bad place to look. Kindle Scout did polish up my book even after editing, but going in without an editing phase? I wouldn't chance it.
My thoughts on Kindle Scout. It's the best thing I could have done for my book. Prior to Cowboy Sanctuary, I wrote new adult romance, and not contemporary western romance. I had no idea how to promote this new genre to my audience, and Kindle Scout did what I couldn't, found new readers for my book. My debut was #1942 paid in the paid store. Not a bad day. Another friend ended up at #192 in the paid store during his debut for Paranormal. I encourage you to remember the tips I've given and check out Kindle Scout for yourself. Kindle Scout for Authors
Dana Waterfield’s well-organized life gets tipped upside down when the brutal murder of her twin sister Danielle threatens to unravel everything she’s worked so hard to achieve. Having found herself the sole guardian of her sister’s newborn lovechild, Jeremy, and at the receiving end of her ex-brother-in-law’s unchecked rage, Dana flees to the safety of Dixon Ranch and the strong, muscled arms of Brock Dixon. In order to protect the baby from the wrath of Danielle’s husband and murderer, Dana must assimilate into the daily routine of ranch life, and rethink who she really is. When the wrath of a madman threatens the life of her nephew and everything she holds dear, will Dana put her trust in Brock or let the winds of change tear her family apart? Falling for her sister’s lover was never part of the plan, but there’s something about a cowboy that no woman can resist. After all, the safest place to be is in a cowboy’s arms…
