Scouted: a follow-up

What up, guys! It's a rainy day here in the Poconos and while I normally find this weather atmospheric and a boon to mystery writing, my toddler does not. She's simultaneously whining for a snack and climbing over the keyboard. Anyway, I'm about to take refuge in my garden shed because dead bugs and a musty lawnmower have to be more conducive to writing than a 20-month old.  But I digress.

I thought I'd follow up with everyone about how my Kindle Scout campaign ended. You can read the introductory post I wrote here. Long story short, I submitted my YA mystery, Dead and Breakfast, to Kindle Scout (Amazon's crowd-sourcing publishing arm) in December. The book was on campaign for 30 days where it kissed babies and shook the hands of voting Iowans -- kidding! No, in fact, I campaigned for nominations in an effort to get D&B on Amazon's radar. I contacted my newsletter, tweeted my heart out, begged friends to check out the campaign, and basically used up all my lifelines. In return for nominating it, readers will get a free copy of the book before it's released. Which will hopefully bring in advanced reviews.

It used to be that after an author's campaign ended, Amazon would send a quick email either rejecting or accepting the book. Quick as in two days. I waited 12 days for a response -- luckily it was YES!

Dead and Breakfast will be published by Kindle Press. I am super excited on many fronts. The advance, marketing help, and increased visibility will hopefully propel me onto Kindles everywhere. I also get another round of edits, which I always love. I'm not a delicate snowflake when it comes to my writing -- if there is room for improvement, I want to know.

So far, I've joined a secret Facebook group for Kindle Press authors which is a lovely place to get information about the imprint, as well as network. I've mostly received automated emails setting up my banking info. I've also been notified to expect my editorial letter within the next two weeks. And that's about it.

The nice thing about Kindle Press is the books they select are publish-ready. Minor edits, proofreading, and formatting are all that's left. Cover art is secure, and print formatting are the author's responsibility. This means publication is swift. I'm hoping for an early Spring release.

Thanks to everyone who nominated D&B. I hope you enjoy your free copy and I really hope you'll review the book on Amazon and Goodreads.

Peace out,
KGG