After rumblings surfaced that Amazon is creating a new American Idol-style crowdsourced publishing platform, the e-tailer has confirmed that the program is "in the works."
The initial report about the program, from The Digital Reader, says the soon-to-launch initiative will offer authors the chance to have their work reviewed and then, possibly, published by Amazon.
A note from an Amazon spokesperson described the program as "reader-powered" and said it would have "transparent, fixed contract terms." Through the program, titles will be submitted for review and, within days, those with the highest ratings will be chosen for publication. Amazon added that those who provide reviews will receive free e-book editions of the winning titles.
The Digital Reader post also lays out some of the contract terms that Amazon is touting, noting that advances will be at least $1,500 with net royalties of 50%. Additionally, this new program will offer authors renewable terms over a five year period, allowing authors who do not earn a certain amount of money to terminate the agreement.
The Amazon spokesperson would not provide further details about the program, saying the company would be releasing more information soon.
