According to the schedule I set for myself, I submit my novel to Kindle Scout tomorrow. And I’m nervous about it. I don’t know if I’m ready. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t touched the manuscript in several weeks. That wasn’t because of the business from Christmas and New Year’s so much as it was to keep myself from worrying too much and to give it some space before I submit.
I have conducted further research into Kindle Scout, and I learned a few new things. First, I need to submit only the first 5,000 words. That’s all people will be able to read and is enough to give a good sample of my writing and of the story itself. It takes me to about a chapter and a half into the novel. Second (and I might have mentioned this in my last Kindle Scout post) it isn’t purely a popularity competition. It’s possible to be wildly popular with the public but not selected–and it’s possible to be completely ignored by most people but still chosen by the editors. One book seems to be selected for publication every two or three days. That’s better odds than I imagined.
Publicity is what I’m most worried about. Some people say that you need to be in “hot and trending” every day if possible–but my social circle is small and I have limited online outreach. But then other people say that they got far more views than they knew how to get, indicating that somehow there are random Good Samaritans out there who will read a stranger’s story and vote for it if they like it. Amazon supposedly advertises it to readers, but as a reader and Kindle owner myself I’ve never come across it.
So I have my plan. Tomorrow I will revise the first 5,000 words and make them sparkle. I will triple-check the requirements and make sure that everything is ready to be uploaded. I will cross my fingers, and I will pray.
And then the real work begins!
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