Kindle Scout gets the axe, while Great on Kindle promotes high-quality nonfiction ebooks
Last issue, we mentioned that Kindle Press would no longer accept direct manuscript submissions. Kindle Press is the little-known entity that published the winners of the Kindle Scout crowd-voting program; you can do an advanced search specifying Kindle Press as publisher to see a list. We were interested in learning more from Amazon about the outfit and how it works.
An Amazon spokesperson described Kindle Press as “a hybrid option” between Amazon’s traditional and independent publishing programs. Kindle Press publishes titles discovered through Kindle Scout as well as ebooks and audiobooks from both established and emerging authors. However, the spokesperson says, “It’s a program and not an imprint of Amazon Publishing.”
Why stop taking direct submissions? “So we can focus attention on our growing list of Amazon Publishing imprints,” the spokesperson tells us. “One of our goals is to constantly be innovating on behalf of readers and authors, so while Kindle Press is not accepting direct submissions, we are always trying new things.”
Speaking of new things: to our surprise, Kindle Scout itself is being closed. A discreet pop-up on the Kindle Scout page reads: “As of April 3rd, we are no longer accepting new submissions. Once the current campaigns end their voting period, you will have until May 31st to log into your Kindle Scout profile, redeem free copies, and save any info you may want. Thank you for Scouting!”
An author with Kindle Press tells us Amazon will revert audiobook rights upon request. Aside from that, we presume Kindle Press will hang on to ebook rights for its standard contractual term, which is five years. In its email notification to authors, Kindle Press indicates promotional opportunities will continue. An Amazon spokesperson, commenting at The Hot Sheet’s request, notes that “Kindle Scout was successful in getting hundreds of reader-favorite books selected for publication.” But they then reiterated their goal of focusing on their Amazon Publishing imprints.
Meanwhile, here’s another development worth your attention: Great on Kindle. Still in beta, the invitation-only program is for authors of high-quality nonfiction ebooks. To be clear, Amazon doesn’t appear to be judging writing quality; “high-quality” refers to this specific set of formatting and technical conditions. Amazon will market Great on Kindle ebooks with special branding on its site (indicating they’re high-quality books), promotional offers for customers (not at the author’s expense), and possible merchandising opportunities, all in exchange for a 50 percent royalty plan. The biggest motivator for authors to choose the 50 percent royalty plan (as opposed to the 70 percent plan), aside from the possibility of increased sales, is that no delivery fees apply at the 50 percent royalty rate. Those fees can be a significant penalty for ebooks that include high-quality, high-resolution images. Also, the 50 percent royalty applies through the $19.99 price point, so it can be a better deal if your ebook is priced higher than $9.99. For more information about the program, see Amazon’s Great on Kindle info page.
Bottom line: Amazon giveth and Amazon taketh away. We seem to be in a period of multiple adjustments in its offerings to independent authors. Regarding the Great on Kindle program, one author on Kboards notes, “Amazon wants us to allow the best customer experience only if they get a higher share of the profits.” Realizing that healthy skepticism is a part of the Kboards worldview, we’d just add that it’s early yet, and even the fine print says the program’s benefits may change. While we’re not pleased to see Kindle Scout go, perhaps it didn’t produce the kind of bestseller bang Amazon required—or maybe Amazon Publishing titles have a better return on investment. Kindle Press, as we understand it, is something the company may still use when needed. We’ll keep an eye out for its next assignment.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
