So today or Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday to be exact, I decided to submit my book to Kindle Scout or Kindle Press. When I tell you I changed my mind several times on self-publishing versus seeking out a publisher, that is clearly an understatement. I changed my mind every day. I weighed the pros and cons.
The pros: It’s Amazon. Amazon will of course give your book the recognition it hopefully deserves. Also, this is new and things can only get better not worse. Right? Agree with me anyway.
Cons: You can’t go back to a started submission. You have to start over. Which is clearly stated. Okay, so I changed several things in the synopsis, several times and now find myself wondering if I messed something up. But they don’t allow you much room to put stuff. Take for example your synopsis. It’s like Tweeting. 500 characters including spaces and every time you take a deep breath seems like. I had to cut a lot out and after reading it over and over felt like there wasn’t much to push the story. But if you can’t make your book interesting in a few words, then more words probably aren’t going to help it. (Just checked my email and they send you a copy of everything you sent them. No mistakes. Yayyyy!)
Another pro: It’s Amazon. They pay a royalty which most publishers have stopped doing. Also, Amazon has ways of you getting the rights back if you are not making a certain amount in a certain amount of time. (Look it up.) Either way, it was a win-win in my opinion.
Cons: I was skeptical about only Amazon selling it. I have to assume that means exclusively Amazon. No Barnes and Noble, No ITunes, etc. just Amazon.
Pros: It’s Amazon. They will help, keyword help, market your book. Also… Don’t they have like an Amazon Studios or something like that? Hint, hint, wink, wink.
Cons: Most new authors aren’t going to have a network to send out emails and beg people to vote for their book. So I hope they don’t solely base their decision on that and that alone. It will get to the point where everyone is posting on Facebook , Twitter, and Goodreads “Hey, Vote for my book on Kindle Scout.”
Pros: It’s Amazon. If they don’t feel your book is worth publishing, then you dust yourself off and click publish on… AmazonJ Thanks to a friend, I have read lists of amazing authors who were told no several times before someone told them yes and are doing well today. So if my book isn’t chosen, I won’t take it personally.
So with all that being said. I hope to share with you my experience in hopes that something good will come out of it. Hey, something good already did come out of it. I’m working on an amazing series that people will get to read no matter what. (And finishing up other series I started, please forgive me!)
Enough said.
Author R. Holland
Wings of Beasts: Wings of Descent
