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Kindle Scout experiences & Nomination Requests (MERGED)

2M views 26K replies 700 participants last post by  ShayneRutherford 
G
#1 ·
Hi. I thought I posted this question last night, but I don't see it in any of the threads, so I thought I would try again. I recently learned about Kindle Scout, and I would just like to hear about other authors' experiences. All opinions and stories welcome and appreciated. Thank you.
 
#18,481 ·
JulianneQJohnson said:
Leena- Took a look and have your book saved for later. It looks like my cup of tea and I love your cover.

Lincoln- you are a rock star! Your hard work is paying off and your campaign is awesome.

I just hit the halfway point for Nick of Time. 294 hours H&T and 1.8k page views. Best campaign I've had so far and I'm pleased as punch.
Speaking of which, why is punch so pleased? And why are all those clams so dang happy? :D
Congratulations Julianne!👍
 
#18,482 ·
MCGlan said:
Hi! I have just been accepted into Kindle Scout, and it goes for thirty days, so I will definitely come back here to update on my experience.
In the meantime, I do need some support; nominations. If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/90DQIXSPV82L
Glad you found us! Steve V keeps a running list, and will put your book on it. That way we can all nominate the ones about to run out of time (last day, 1 day left, etc) and it will give you a big boost at the end. He posts the list daily.
 
#18,483 ·
sheritybemy said:
Hi guys,

Do any of you know any good editors with low charges?

And any good promotion sites for a kindle scout campaign?

After being bitten by the shark the last time, like that person the audience screams at, I'm going in again.

You're all invited to the funeral:)

Bemy Wells
I know a great editor/ proofreader. She has different rates depending on what service you need. She does all my books and you wouldn't believe the tiny little oopsies that she catches. She really is marvelous and lovely to work with as well. I don't know how she compares to other services price-wise, but it's worth checking out for sure. Here's her website: http://amazeofreviews.weebly.com/proofreading--translations.html
 
#18,484 ·
I'm truly stunned that The Rectifiers wasn't selected. Great campaign and first pages. Looking forward to buying it when it's released. I have my eyes on many delicious books. I love KS for being a home to so many great writers. I'm reading Nick of Time first pages tonight. With popcorn  :D
 
#18,485 ·
It's Thursday.

I'm heading out early this morning for a yearly appointment with my specialist. I have a bit of a tremor, which runs in my family, and I have a yearly check-up just to keep an eye on it.

I do have a bit of exciting news on the writing front. My regional publisher just contacted me, looking for another book. I'm excited about that. I can't offer any more details than that, but the advance money will come in handy.

This morning I received word from an ACX narrator regarding what is going to be the first audiobook that I have independently published. As some of you might now, ACX has recently opened the doors to us Canadian authors and I have been steadily marketing my books there over the last week or so. It's a bit of a slow process because I have to enter each of my works and put them up for audition. I also have to spend a bit of time browsing through the different narrator's samples and contacting them individually, pitching them different projects.

I've just had my first acceptance of a project. My novel, GYPSY BLOOD, should be available in audiobook format by the end of the summer, depending upon how quickly my new narrator works. I can't tell you much more because I am still learning all about it myself - but I am VERY excited to get this new sales venue up and moving. I have heard that audiobooks can be very lucrative. I am looking to find out just how true that is for my own work.

Now, let's get on with today's list, shall we?

Remember - the campaigns that need nominations the most are the ones that are closest to the LAST DAY LEFT, 1 day left, 2 days left etc.

Updated List

LAST DAY LEFT! No Place in Eden by Hilary Murray
LAST DAY LEFT! The Things We Do For Love by Anita Louise
1 day left Plunge by John Greco
1 day left The Smart One by Joe Clifford Faust
2 days left The Book Knights by J.G. Mckenney
2 days left Night of the Webcam by Robertson Tait
2 days left Thread of a Spider by D.L. Gardner
4 days left Fallen from Grace by Nikki Landis
4 days left The Modern Mage by T.J. Flaxman
7 days left Shipley Bridge by David Thompson
9 days left Black Sun Ascension by T.S. Starkenberg
9 days left Finding Home Again by Mary Head
11 days left Self Possessed by Lee Isserow
14 days left Nick of Time by Julianne Q. Johnson
16 days left The Everett Exorcism by Lincoln Cole
17 days left The Shadow Girl by Misty Mount
21 days left Beyond Gaza by Yvonne Crow
22 days left Heart of Time by Skye Mackinnon
24 days left Justice Returns by William Bernhardt
25 days left I Rode for the Wigglin' W by Flynn Mcguin
28 days left The Summoner by M.C. Glan
28 days left The Book of Witches by Leena Maria

I put this list up every morning and I strive to keep it up-to-date so that this thread needn't dissolve into a flurry of "NOMINATE MY BOOK, NOMINATE MY BOOK" posts. No one is under any obligation to nominate any of these books. I'm just trying to keep the thread clear of unnecessary clutter. This way once a day there is a complete list of current candidates and folks can readily check out the kboards members who have a book in the running and can make up their own mind. I try and stay nonpartisan about it - which is why I don't comment on any particular book by title. I just keep the list.

If I have missed anyone please let me know either with a PM or by posting a link here in the thread.

Happy scouting folks!
 
#18,486 ·
Steve Vernon said:
It's Thursday.

I'm heading out early this morning for a yearly appointment with my specialist. I have a bit of a tremor, which runs in my family, and I have a yearly check-up just to keep an eye on it.
Hi Steve,
I hope your check-up went well!
can you please add my book to the thread? I'm a nervous wreck by the way...
The lost word of Khymera, Part II (Khymera Legends Book 2)
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2KATSDJEXUU1C

quick description of the first book:

Trifhalir was a paradise for Layla. Her father was the leader of a great tribe and she lived a life without worries. Until the day comes that an attack is held on her and her entire world is shaken…

Khyro was trained to be a warrior since the day he arrived the fonneshia, a baby still. No one knows his origins but all are overwhelmed by his power. His life also changes the day Trifhalir is attacked but because he sees Layla, the little girl he only saw in dreams, for the first time…


Thank you for all your help!!!
 
#18,489 ·
Cālix Leigh-Reign said:
I'm truly stunned that The Rectifiers wasn't selected. Great campaign and first pages. Looking forward to buying it when it's released. I have my eyes on many delicious books. I love KS for being a home to so many great writers. I'm reading Nick of Time first pages tonight. With popcorn :D
Hi everyone! V.L. Rainey (author of The Rectifiers) is my daughter. I guess it's okay to post here now that the campaign is over. Thanks for your kind words about the book. Valerie is taking it all in stride and being very zen about the whole thing. Me...I've been a nervous wreck. I read Lincoln's very helpful book and then found kboards and we have both have learned much. We've both been following many of your campaigns with interest and have nominated many - simply because they are awesome sounding books and we want to read more! Because everyone is curious about stats, I thought I'd share: The Rectifiers had over 3.5K page views. 33% external and 67% internal. It spent 671 hours in H&T - or 86%. I think these are great stats for a first time author with little following and I am proud of her. We both posted to our FB pages and she does have an author page with a small following (mostly our friends). In addition, she gave herself a budget of $100 which she spent on various fivver promotions. I'm not sure how effective they were though. I was playing around with boosting a post to FB and accidentally pushed go. I luckily talked it down from the $200 it wanted me to spend to a more reasonable $20! That one seemed to be doing pretty good in that it drove some people to her page and so I increased it another $20. She is right now taking a breath and then will try to figure out how to proceed with the whole self publish thing.
 
#18,490 ·
Steve Vernon said:
It's Thursday.

I'm heading out early this morning for a yearly appointment with my specialist. I have a bit of a tremor, which runs in my family, and I have a yearly check-up just to keep an eye on it.

I do have a bit of exciting news on the writing front. My regional publisher just contacted me, looking for another book. I'm excited about that. I can't offer any more details than that, but the advance money will come in handy.

This morning I received word from an ACX narrator regarding what is going to be the first audiobook that I have independently published. As some of you might now, ACX has recently opened the doors to us Canadian authors and I have been steadily marketing my books there over the last week or so. It's a bit of a slow process because I have to enter each of my works and put them up for audition. I also have to spend a bit of time browsing through the different narrator's samples and contacting them individually, pitching them different projects.

I've just had my first acceptance of a project. My novel, GYPSY BLOOD, should be available in audiobook format by the end of the summer, depending upon how quickly my new narrator works. I can't tell you much more because I am still learning all about it myself - but I am VERY excited to get this new sales venue up and moving. I have heard that audiobooks can be very lucrative. I am looking to find out just how true that is for my own work.
Best of luck for your appointment and many congrats on the book & audio news!
 
#18,491 ·
Dan Petrosini author said:
Sounds like a plan! DId you get it edited or did it yourself?
Largely self-edited with the help of alpha/beta readers, followed by a proofreader. :) I just have a compulsive need to keep checking for errors before actually publishing. You can bet I'll find one as soon as it's live on Amazon!
 
#18,492 ·
Cālix Leigh-Reign said:
I'm truly stunned that The Rectifiers wasn't selected. Great campaign and first pages. Looking forward to buying it when it's released. I have my eyes on many delicious books. I love KS for being a home to so many great writers. I'm reading Nick of Time first pages tonight. With popcorn :D
I've given up being stunned when they don't select books with good covers, blurb, and excerpt! There have been some really good ones passed up recently, and it's nice to hear some of those are doing well on Amazon now. :)
 
#18,493 ·
Carainey said:
Hi everyone! V.L. Rainey (author of The Rectifiers) is my daughter. I guess it's okay to post here now that the campaign is over. Thanks for your kind words about the book. Valerie is taking it all in stride and being very zen about the whole thing. Me...I've been a nervous wreck. I read Lincoln's very helpful book and then found kboards and we have both have learned much. We've both been following many of your campaigns with interest and have nominated many - simply because they are awesome sounding books and we want to read more! Because everyone is curious about stats, I thought I'd share: The Rectifiers had over 3.5K page views. 33% external and 67% internal. It spent 671 hours in H&T - or 86%. I think these are great stats for a first time author with little following and I am proud of her. We both posted to our FB pages and she does have an author page with a small following (mostly our friends). In addition, she gave herself a budget of $100 which she spent on various fivver promotions. I'm not sure how effective they were though. I was playing around with boosting a post to FB and accidentally pushed go. I luckily talked it down from the $200 it wanted me to spend to a more reasonable $20! That one seemed to be doing pretty good in that it drove some people to her page and so I increased it another $20. She is right now taking a breath and then will try to figure out how to proceed with the whole self publish thing.
Best of luck to your daughter for self-publishing! It looks like a great book and one I'd nominated on Scout. They don't seem to take many young adult books. Thanks for sharing the stats too... they're fab numbers for her campaign! It should help give her a good launch when she does publish. Glad you got the accidental ad down to a more reasonable cost!! :eek:
 
#18,494 ·
Thanks Julianne

And though your book has like 14 days to go, I've already had it nominated. When I saw it I was like why didn't I think of that, I'm very interested to read. Did the same for Isabella and the slipper.
So fingers crossed. Good luck.

Using the other two spots for the top of the list.

Bemy
 
#18,495 ·
Steve Vernon said:
As some of you might now, ACX has recently opened the doors to us Canadian authors and I have been steadily marketing my books there over the last week or so. It's a bit of a slow process because I have to enter each of my works and put them up for audition. I also have to spend a bit of time browsing through the different narrator's samples and contacting them individually, pitching them different projects.
I didn't know this! Thanks for the share, Steve. I've been waiting for ACX to open to Canadians forever! So excited to have a new venue.
 
#18,496 ·
Carainey said:
Hi everyone! V.L. Rainey (author of The Rectifiers) is my daughter. I guess it's okay to post here now that the campaign is over. Thanks for your kind words about the book. Valerie is taking it all in stride and being very zen about the whole thing. Me...I've been a nervous wreck. I read Lincoln's very helpful book and then found kboards and we have both have learned much. We've both been following many of your campaigns with interest and have nominated many - simply because they are awesome sounding books and we want to read more! Because everyone is curious about stats, I thought I'd share: The Rectifiers had over 3.5K page views. 33% external and 67% internal. It spent 671 hours in H&T - or 86%. I think these are great stats for a first time author with little following and I am proud of her. We both posted to our FB pages and she does have an author page with a small following (mostly our friends). In addition, she gave herself a budget of $100 which she spent on various fivver promotions. I'm not sure how effective they were though. I was playing around with boosting a post to FB and accidentally pushed go. I luckily talked it down from the $200 it wanted me to spend to a more reasonable $20! That one seemed to be doing pretty good in that it drove some people to her page and so I increased it another $20. She is right now taking a breath and then will try to figure out how to proceed with the whole self publish thing.
Thanks for the share! I had my eye on The Rectifiers, and nominated it. It looks like a great book. Good luck to your daughter with self-publishing. I'm sure the visibility of Kindle Scout will help with her launch.
 
#18,497 ·
Carainey said:
Hi everyone! V.L. Rainey (author of The Rectifiers) is my daughter. I guess it's okay to post here now that the campaign is over. Thanks for your kind words about the book. Valerie is taking it all in stride and being very zen about the whole thing. Me...I've been a nervous wreck. I read Lincoln's very helpful book and then found kboards and we have both have learned much. We've both been following many of your campaigns with interest and have nominated many - simply because they are awesome sounding books and we want to read more! Because everyone is curious about stats, I thought I'd share: The Rectifiers had over 3.5K page views. 33% external and 67% internal. It spent 671 hours in H&T - or 86%. I think these are great stats for a first time author with little following and I am proud of her. We both posted to our FB pages and she does have an author page with a small following (mostly our friends). In addition, she gave herself a budget of $100 which she spent on various fivver promotions. I'm not sure how effective they were though. I was playing around with boosting a post to FB and accidentally pushed go. I luckily talked it down from the $200 it wanted me to spend to a more reasonable $20! That one seemed to be doing pretty good in that it drove some people to her page and so I increased it another $20. She is right now taking a breath and then will try to figure out how to proceed with the whole self publish thing.
Sorry to hear the book wasn't picked but it does sound incredible! I'm glad my book was useful for you, and it sounds like you guys had a really solid plan considering how much time you spent in hot and trending!

Good luck with the self-publishing launch and I can't wait to get a copy! Make sure to post and let us know when it is available!
 
#18,498 ·
Steve Vernon said:
It's Thursday.

I'm heading out early this morning for a yearly appointment with my specialist. I have a bit of a tremor, which runs in my family, and I have a yearly check-up just to keep an eye on it.

I do have a bit of exciting news on the writing front. My regional publisher just contacted me, looking for another book. I'm excited about that. I can't offer any more details than that, but the advance money will come in handy.

This morning I received word from an ACX narrator regarding what is going to be the first audiobook that I have independently published. As some of you might now, ACX has recently opened the doors to us Canadian authors and I have been steadily marketing my books there over the last week or so. It's a bit of a slow process because I have to enter each of my works and put them up for audition. I also have to spend a bit of time browsing through the different narrator's samples and contacting them individually, pitching them different projects.

I've just had my first acceptance of a project. My novel, GYPSY BLOOD, should be available in audiobook format by the end of the summer, depending upon how quickly my new narrator works. I can't tell you much more because I am still learning all about it myself - but I am VERY excited to get this new sales venue up and moving. I have heard that audiobooks can be very lucrative. I am looking to find out just how true that is for my own work.

Now, let's get on with today's list, shall we?

Remember - the campaigns that need nominations the most are the ones that are closest to the LAST DAY LEFT, 1 day left, 2 days left etc.

Updated List

LAST DAY LEFT! No Place in Eden by Hilary Murray
LAST DAY LEFT! The Things We Do For Love by Anita Louise
1 day left Plunge by John Greco
1 day left The Smart One by Joe Clifford Faust
2 days left The Book Knights by J.G. Mckenney
2 days left Night of the Webcam by Robertson Tait
2 days left Thread of a Spider by D.L. Gardner
4 days left Fallen from Grace by Nikki Landis
4 days left The Modern Mage by T.J. Flaxman
7 days left Shipley Bridge by David Thompson
9 days left Black Sun Ascension by T.S. Starkenberg
9 days left Finding Home Again by Mary Head
11 days left Self Possessed by Lee Isserow
14 days left Nick of Time by Julianne Q. Johnson
16 days left The Everett Exorcism by Lincoln Cole
17 days left The Shadow Girl by Misty Mount
21 days left Beyond Gaza by Yvonne Crow
22 days left Heart of Time by Skye Mackinnon
24 days left Justice Returns by William Bernhardt
25 days left I Rode for the Wigglin' W by Flynn Mcguin
28 days left The Summoner by M.C. Glan
28 days left The Book of Witches by Leena Maria

I put this list up every morning and I strive to keep it up-to-date so that this thread needn't dissolve into a flurry of "NOMINATE MY BOOK, NOMINATE MY BOOK" posts. No one is under any obligation to nominate any of these books. I'm just trying to keep the thread clear of unnecessary clutter. This way once a day there is a complete list of current candidates and folks can readily check out the kboards members who have a book in the running and can make up their own mind. I try and stay nonpartisan about it - which is why I don't comment on any particular book by title. I just keep the list.

If I have missed anyone please let me know either with a PM or by posting a link here in the thread.

Happy scouting folks!
You're a dynamo, man. An inspiration. Thanks for all you do 😊
 
#18,499 ·
J. M. Moreaux said:
You're a dynamo, man. An inspiration. Thanks for all you do 😊
Steve has been incredible and definitely deserves some major support!

Steve Vernon said:
I do have a bit of exciting news on the writing front. My regional publisher just contacted me, looking for another book. I'm excited about that. I can't offer any more details than that, but the advance money will come in handy.

This morning I received word from an ACX narrator regarding what is going to be the first audiobook that I have independently published. As some of you might now, ACX has recently opened the doors to us Canadian authors and I have been steadily marketing my books there over the last week or so. It's a bit of a slow process because I have to enter each of my works and put them up for audition. I also have to spend a bit of time browsing through the different narrator's samples and contacting them individually, pitching them different projects.
Congrats on the publisher and advance! I haven't even submitted or contacted any publishers since going the solo route. It just hasn't really appealed to me.

I have three audiobooks published, and my favorite narrator (she did UAV for me) signed on a few days ago to narrate my entire World on Fire series, so by the end of the year I'll have 4 more audio books up for sale!

The sales have been slow, but then again the books I had converted to audio don't sell a lot anyway, so here's hoping that my more popular series has some audio love. I'm also planning on doing The Everett Exorcism as soon as possible with audio whether it is selected or not to hopefully capitalize on it.

I do the royalty split option (my narrator charges $100 PFH but is willing to do the royalty split option which ends up being way cheaper for me) and it's worked out fairly well for me.

Good luck dropping into the audio space and here's hoping you see some success with it! It has been very lucrative for some authors.
 
#18,500 ·
Carainey said:
Hi everyone! V.L. Rainey (author of The Rectifiers) is my daughter. I guess it's okay to post here now that the campaign is over. Thanks for your kind words about the book. Valerie is taking it all in stride and being very zen about the whole thing. Me...I've been a nervous wreck. I read Lincoln's very helpful book and then found kboards and we have both have learned much. We've both been following many of your campaigns with interest and have nominated many - simply because they are awesome sounding books and we want to read more! Because everyone is curious about stats, I thought I'd share: The Rectifiers had over 3.5K page views. 33% external and 67% internal. It spent 671 hours in H&T - or 86%. I think these are great stats for a first time author with little following and I am proud of her. We both posted to our FB pages and she does have an author page with a small following (mostly our friends). In addition, she gave herself a budget of $100 which she spent on various fivver promotions. I'm not sure how effective they were though. I was playing around with boosting a post to FB and accidentally pushed go. I luckily talked it down from the $200 it wanted me to spend to a more reasonable $20! That one seemed to be doing pretty good in that it drove some people to her page and so I increased it another $20. She is right now taking a breath and then will try to figure out how to proceed with the whole self publish thing.
I see where V. L. gets her talent :) That's a wonderfully written post. Perhaps we'll see a mother/daughter collaboration in the future?

I'm looking forward to reading the book!
 
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