Now I just won so I don’t have details on the editing process yet, though from what I see I am pretty confident that the editing process exists. I’ll be happy to edit Winter Peril again (so I say right now as I wring my hands through my edits of Electing Love.) There were lots of online web sites that indicated that editing didn’t happen, but right from the first congratulations email it basically says ‘if we feel the books needs additional editing, we will be in touch.’
What an author needs to do to decide is read the Contract online and decide is this something you can live with? (Contract is here: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/agreement)
And yes the kindle scout team expects you to provide a cover and an edited manuscript before you submit. Winter Peril was born last year post RWA nationals, and since that first Harlequin rejection, it has been revised, edited, had an agent, edited, edited and edited multiple times. It had a longer beginning that I cut simply because the editing on those pages were so massive my voice was erased in the process. I intended the book for submission. I pitched the book to houses but it was never sent out. I wanted that book on a path so I could work on others.
I even worked on a sequel to this book that is rough draft complete. I don’t know if I’ll use the cover or not, but the sequel is about Erica’s missing sister, Kimberly.
Winter Peril (Coming Soon)
This needs my attention. Oh do you like this cover as a sequel or should I find one that looks more like Winter Peril. I like that you can’t see Erica’s face in Winter Peril, but you get that she’s literally lost in the woods.
Kimberly is more stuck on an cold island in a creepy castle, so it’s similar but different. (All sisters can’t escape winter in an abandoned ski chalet so I had to mix it up.)
Sorry I went off track for what I’m going to do next tangent, which is up to me. Back to this thing for writers.
So I have this work that wants to come out to the public and Kindle Scout to me read as something I could get involved with. I met Amy Jarecki on the Florida Romance Writers cruise and she talked about how she loved the team she worked with. She had me intrigued, though I totally loved every editor and agent I met on the cruise. They had all requested. My agent wanted me to wait on it, more. I kept thinking about Amy Jarecki. I also followed Jina Bacarr’s journey with her Civil War romance that she had been told were hard sells. Gothic type romances that are modern day aren’t exactly on everyone’s shelf either.
I made the decision to try Kindle Scout. I was fully aware that everything is public. The people at work know that I won. They would have known I lost today today. I asked coworkers to vote knowing I’d have to show my face. (As a day job I’m a high school teacher, and no I didn’t ask my students to vote for me. I couldn’t believe someone on campus asked me that today. There is such a thing as boundaries.)
I also understood the 45 day exclusivity requirement. It didn’t bother me as I was just taking control of this book back and had to come up with a plan of attack for submissions. And the truth is in May due to my day job, I am busy doing the teach three Advanced Placement class thing. 45 days when I’m at my busiest time, no worries there.
The no print clause in the contract means I get the print rights. That’s easy to then turn around and create on my own, unless of course, some print publisher wants the rights. Then I’m all ears. In the meantime, I’ve contacted the cover designer and spoke about a print edition cover.
I also know that people say you get less money and it doesn’t seem fair to the 70% and that the contract says “10. Promotion. We will determine all marketing and promotions related to your Work…” This works for me and why I signed up for this. I am not a do it yourself and marketing for me is the hardest part. If someone wants to help, then I’m all for it. We all win that way. I will do everything I can do, but I’m only human. I didn’t study or work in marketing so this is not my area of expertise. So I am the type of person who needs partnership and a friend to tell me what to do. My published manuscripts don’t get 70% either as those are edited in house, and like I said, I am someone who needs people to work with.
So if you are deciding what to do with a fully edited manuscript, at the moment, I will highly suggest the Kindle Scout program. I’m so happy to be part of the team and can’t wait to see what develops next.
