Authors look for ways to get their writing noticed. Publishers search slush piles for the next hot author. Author Annamaria Bazzi alerted me to Kindle Scout, a new program from Amazon that could help both author and publisher reach their goals by involving readers before a book is published.

Annamaria is testing Kindle Scout with a campaign this month, and she agreed to share what she’s learned.

How did you get involved with Kindle Scout?

Quite unexpectedly, I received an invitation from Kindle Scout to submit while they were still hashing out the program. I really thought about this program since I never seem to have enough funds to market and my poor novel is just sitting there collecting cyberspace dust.

What is a Kindle Scout campaign?

Amazon is a publishing company with hired editors and all, but they do things a bit differently with this particular program. Once they accept a novel, it is launched in this campaign and the author has to gather votes. Novels with the most votes are considered for publication. I’m sure they have other criteria they go by since they don’t show how many votes each novel gathers. With this program, Amazon is hoping to publish books that are popular with their customers. A good plan that will equate to profits for the giant.

What was enticing about this program?

Well, Amazon will market the book, which will give the author the opportunity of exposure and possibly some good sales. I thought it would be a good way to get my name out there.

Every submitted novel has a thirty-day campaign to gather support and votes. My Kindle Scout campaign started on November 17 and will run through December 17.

What are enough votes?

I’m not sure of that. The one thing I do know is that each novel, to make it, needs a lot of votes. As a new author I’m at a disadvantage because I don’t have a fan base to support me. Therefore I’m using any means that are legal to gather supporters to vote for my novel.

White Swans A Regency World is a Young Adult fantasy series with a pinch of romance. This is book 1. In the campaign, readers are able to read the first three chapters of all the novels competing to determine the stories they would like to vote for.

To look at all the books in the campaign, click here. Every reader can vote for three different novels. Therefore, if you see more than one book you’d like to vote for, you can. If the books you vote for are chosen for publication you’ll receive a free copy of the published book.

Sound interesting? Readers, here’s an opportunity to help encourage authors and books you enjoy. When you visit Kindle Scout, be sure to check out Annamaria’s book White Swans A Regency World. Authors, you might look into Kindle Scout as a publishing option.

White Swans A Regency World
Book Blurb:

Kendíka’s second chance at life begins as a nightmare. Will the eerie eyes always looking down from the sky reveal themselves? Kendíka challenges the aliens no one has ever seen to bring about a better life for the humans trapped in the surreal Regency world she wakes up in. While getting to know her alien owner, she discovers the aliens aren’t so perfect and have much to learn about humans. Will Kendíka survive or perish, attempting to make life better for the people living on Regency?
 
About the author:

Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the States, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish.

Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solutions, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.
You can visit Annamaria at:
Blog / Website / Facebook Page / Email / Twitter / Goodreads
Check in on Kendíka’s Facebook page