Q&A on my book’s campaign

Marmot coverOK, you would like to help get my book published – thanks – but you have some questions first. Understandable. Let’s look at a few. If your question is not answered here, leave a comment or message me.

Exactly what do you want me to do?

Go to https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/Y4VS53F55K7J for “The Reporter and the Marmot” and click the blue button that says “Nominate Me.” (Beforehand, you can read the first several pages.) Sign in to your Amazon account and confirm your nomination. It should take no more than two minutes.

So I must have an Amazon account?

Yes, and I may have misled folks earlier because I did not think that was the case. But if you do not have an account, I can say that I’ve had one for years and they have never abused it. Also, you must reside in a Kindle Scout-eligible country. Best I can tell, North America and Europe are, but Asian countries might not be. If you aren’t sure of the current country associated with your account, you can visit the Manage Your Content and Devices page on your local Amazon retail site to view your settings.

Is that all?

Well, I’d really appreciate it if you suggested to your friends that they nominate the book; it would be like you giving them a gift and it doesn’t cost you anything. You can share anything I put out, but it’s always helpful if you put a note on it yourself, especially if you’ve read and can recommend any of my books. If you write something yourself, just be sure to include the link https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/Y4VS53F55K7J.

Do I need to do anything after that?

Not really, but you do need to leave my book in your panel. If you just nominate and never come back, that’s no problem. However, if you want to try to earn some other books, understand that you can have only three in your panel at any time. (The trick, if you’re just shopping around, is to nominate books that are ending soon so you won’t tie up your panel too long.) The reason it is important to leave mine in there is because the nominations are not counted until the process ends. That is, if you nominate now and replace it later, it does not count.

Why are you doing this?

Frankly, to sell more books. Although I’ve received a lot of encouraging feedback on my previous books, sales have never been that good because I just do not have the means and know-how to effectively market them. Kindle Scout will get my books in front of new readers, giving me the incentive to continue developing JP’s stories.

How many nominations do you need?

It’s not that simple, but they’re not saying anything about the selection process. Fan support is part of being accepted into the program, but Kindle does not provide any targets. In fact, I never know how many nominations I have. The even more important part, as it should be, is having a good book.

Do you have a good book?

I think so. “The Reporter and the Marmot” is the best-written of the series, even though the mystery part of it is handled in a non-traditional way. My one fear is that it caters too much to those who have read the previous books, but I cannot abandon them; all the books have built upon the past.

So, you stand a good chance?

I really don’t know. As of the writing of this, only 137 books have been accepted in the Kindle Scout program. When I first started looking into it last fall, I nominated several books to make sure the system was something I wanted to submit to, and a sizeable majority of them were not selected. However, it is obvious that a lot of them up for nomination simply are not written very well. But my writing is done now, so all I can do to influence the decision is beat the bushes for nominations.

What does it cost me?

Nothing … and you stand to get a free copy of the e-book prior to its release.

How does that work?

After the end of the 30-day nomination period (mine ends at midnight April 25), usually rather promptly, everyone who nominates the book receives notice of whether or not it was selected. If it’s not, they promise to let you know if and when I publish it privately. They do allow you to opt out of that notice. If my book is selected, the process of preparing the book for publication begins, which can take more than a month. When it’s ready, several days before the release date, you get an email with a link where you can download the book. You will receive a Kindle copy that can be sent to any Kindle device, iOS, Android or Kindle Free Reading app registered to the Amazon account with which you originally nominated the book.

Are paperbacks part of the deal?

No, as you probably know, Kindle just does digital books. However, while they will hold all publishing rights to digital and audio books, I will retain the rights to publish paperbacks like I’ve always done before and will do so as soon as I can.

When is the best time for me to nominate your book?

Now. And the best time to encourage your friends to nominate it is immediately after you do.

I’ve done it; will you quit bugging me now?

You’re kidding, right? Until April 25, I’ll be a bit of a pest on social media. Please understand how important this is to me. But I really doubt I’ll contact you directly more than once. How’s that?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

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