In an email to authors, Amazon officials shared more details on its recently announced "American Idol-style" crowdsourced publishing platform. The email says that submissions for English-language books in select categories--romance; mystery and thriller; and science fiction and fantasy--will be open in a few weeks.
Authors who submit a work must agree to a 45-day exclusivity agreement with Amazon. If their title is chosen for the program, and they choose to publish with Amazon, they will receive a $1,500 advance, a 50% e-book royalty rate, five-year renewable terms and marketing from the e-tailer.
To enter, the email says authors must submit the following:
A complete, never-before-published manuscript & book cover image. We're looking for 50,000 words or more in Word format and a book cover image that reflects the essence and uniqueness of your book. Make sure your work is ready for others to read. Only the first pages will be posted to the website (approx. 3,000 words).
Book one-liner - A very short pitch (no longer than 45 characters) for your book that will be used on the homepage and throughout the website. Think of examples like "Space opera meets the Middle Ages" or "How far will one woman go to save her family?"
Book description- Help readers understand the content and quality of your book. Keep the description to 500 characters or less. Your bio & picture - Give readers a chance to learn more about you. You will also have a chance to answer relevant questions regarding your book and personal story in a short Q&A section.
Amazon has not released full details about how the contest will work, but said interested authors email Amazon officials at: newpublishingprogram@amazon.com.
