Great news! My new novel, L.A. Sniper, has been selected for publication by Kindle Press! A big thanks to all those who hit that blue “Nominate” button. You should be receiving a free pre-release download of L.A. Sniper soon. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Speaking of which, as I’m one of the initial authors to be selected in Amazon’s new Kindle Scout publishing program, I thought I would post an occasional blog or two on the process. My hope is to give readers an inside look as things progress, as well as possibly providing some insight for writers who are considering submitting a novel to the Kindle Scout program.

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Here’s what has happened so far: I submitted my novel and cover, which (after a few tweaks) were quickly approved for promotion. My thirty-day nomination period started two weeks after that. I mostly stayed in the “Hot and Trending” slot, which I think is a critical aspect, as I consistently found myself checking books in that category. Good covers also caught my eye, and there were definitely a lot of great, imaginative covers.

An important point: I had trouble sticking with a book if I encountered misspellings and grammatical errors in the first few pages. My advice to authors who are considering a submission: Get professional editing first; Amazon won’t do it for you. Another thing – once the thirty-day promotion period starts, no changes can be made, so get it right before you submit.

When my promotion period ended, I was notified that L.A. Sniper was under consideration. Two days later I received a congratulatory email from Amazon informing me that L.A. Sniper would be published by Kindle Press.

Click for Kindle Scout

Since then I’ve filled out a lot of tax and royalty forms for countries in which Amazon markets books, and not much else. Tough for someone like me who likes total control, but on the upside, I’m looking forward to partnering with Amazon. By the way, I have been returning to the KS page to check out new books. It’s fun. If you haven’t already, give it a try.

So what’s next?  Well, to date I’m delighted with the KS process and optimistic regarding the ultimate outcome for my novel.

I’ll update you as things develop.

Have you checked out the Kindle Scout site yet? If you’re a writer, have you submitted anything, and if so, what do you think? Please leave a comment (click here) and join the conversation!