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10 Reasons to Publish on Kindle Vella

Amazon’s Kindle Vella is a new storytelling platform that launched earlier this year. Similar to platforms like Wattpad, authors receive payment for submitting their stories ideally on a weekly basis. In a nutshell, if you could read your book as a TV episode or comic, that is Kindle Vella. Here are the 10 reasons I’m launching my Dystopian Fantasy book The Starstrike, on Kindle Vella this November:

With expected publishing deadlines you’re more likely to finish your work on time and it will speed up the process and hence, encourage you to actually finish your work with potential readers out there waiting. 

As a new writer, building an audience and giving readers a chance to give my work a try for free is a major bonus. Readers basically read what they pay for, with a bonus of three free episodes (or chapters), on Kindle Vella.  This may seem like a drawback for writers, but with the average new author selling at $.99 a book on Amazon, minus their fees, the pay structure is very similar to Kindle Unlimited.  

Self publishing is an amazing, but wild beast to maneuver, tame and learn.  Kindle Vella is almost like a smaller form of self publishing, and you get to do it bit by bit instead of taking on the full enchilada. Lots of things are similar when publishing on Kindle Vella in regards to learning to market your work and put yourself out there.  While writing and editing the series, authors also have to act as their own PR and marketing team. The drawbacks here are that since Kindle Vella is new, it’s very likely a bit harder to put yourself out there with this platform. But I’m not worried. When The Starstrike is ready for e-book and/or print, I would’ve had hands-on practice with getting the launch ready. 

A counter argument to this will be why would readers want to buy your story twice? Let’s think about exactly how many readers and reading platforms ( and listening) that are out there. Most people are loyal to one, and let’s face it, Kindle Vella may not be every reader’s cup of tea. This reminds me of reading a book then buying the movie, or for the dedicated readers buying the collectors edition just because they love it so much- I’ve done this myself! There are millions of readers and writers out there, and in the indie space, we are fortunate to have such a wide market available to us.

When you have to work, or/and have a family to take care of, making time and the thought of writing a very long novel may overwhelm you, but if you still have the passion to go forward, Kindle Vella can let you digest the process of publishing your work in smaller stages that aren’t overwhelming to your schedule. Remember, just focus on one episode at a time at whatever release schedule works for you. It’s helpful to have a few episodes ready to publish on Kindle Vella before you launch so you can have your off-days from working on it without feeling stressed.  

 I love writing suspenseful chapters that aim to keep the readers turning the page. Really, this should be your aim for every paragraph you create, and in Kindle Vella, this is essential. With this pay structure, like Kindle Unlimited, you get paid for what is read, so you have to keep the readers going. It’s great practice for stretching your suspenseful writing skills even if you are in another genre.  

I would caution, some readers don’t like too many cliffhangers,  and this shouldn’t be an excuse to leave them totally cut off all the time. Finding that middle ground where there is a hook, but the readers are satisfied for a whole week till you put out another episode is ideal.  However, if you have a major suspenseful story with a big bang at the end of every part, that may be your style that your readers will expect and love.

Kindle Vella was created for the demand of smaller serial reads for people who love to read but just don’t have enough time to digest a book that’s over three hundred pages. For the busy reader with longer work hours and more media grabbing their attention, this fills a new gap in the market if indeed Kindle Vella succeeds for the long haul. With the success of Wattpad and similar services I don’t see why not, unless Amazon or the writers do not push it hard enough.

Yes, I said writers too. When indie publishing was first becoming accepted, it took a lot of work from independent authors to prove their work was acceptable, and good, and the world started to see that readers just enjoy a good story; traditionally published or not.    

As a history buff in English, especially in the Victorian Era, this fascinates me.  As mentioned before in a previous blog, Destroying Creatures, some stories in the earlier centuries were technically written and published in smaller pieces as people had lots to do in their day with less technology and many conveniences we have in the present day. One such classic was North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in 1854-1855 in serial form and then later as a book in 1855.  Historically, I think it’s fascinating that Kindle Vella and similar platforms like Wattpad, are gaining such traction in our current time.

Writing and sticking to a schedule, and to have work published, with all editing done is a challenge; an interesting one that helps you along the way with completing a series. With a new series I’m working on, the idea of having a chapter ready to publish most weeks continuously, almost feels like a writing prompt or similar to NanoWriMo, which is coming up in a couple of days.  It’s also very freeing.  If I wanted to explore new genres, and perhaps don’t know exactly how long the series will be,  I can still give it a try and see how my readers feel. For a writer this is important to flex your muscles and explore what strength you may have. 

 Obviously you don’t want to put bad stories up on Kindle Vella, and bore your readers to tears, but it’s a good excuse to practice first, and then put it out there to let readers be the judge.

Kindle Vella has been for a few months only. It’s so new that you can make it what you want it to be, as long as you follow Amazon’s guidelines. You can see more about them here:  Kindle Vella – Content Guidelines

Amazon is promising to push Kindle Vella more, and is working out the kinks and revising policies that are both friendly for readers and writers. This is a work in progress, and as a lover of new ventures, this aspect appeals to me.

In line with my blog and podcast, Stories by JJ, I’ve gotten to get a few interviews with other Kindle Vella authors and see their approaches while reading some great fiction.  Also, there are Facebook groups out there for writers of all kinds, and a few specifically for Kindle Vella authors, or authors on Kindle Vella I should say,  to connect and network with. You can always learn from other writers as there is a lot of talent out there.  

Even if you are a seasoned writer, and you want to explore the art of serials on the side during the year, Kindle Vella lets you take a break from your story world, and go to another without focusing on a large manuscript all the time. It’s nice to take a break for a little bit from your drafts, but still get to be creative and flex your muscles as a writer. 

While Kindle Vella may not be for every writer. I think it definitely deserves a shot and has it’s benefits. Get started by logging in or creating a KDP account with Amazon, and select Kindle Vella in the same portal you would normally use to publish your books. You and other readers can access the Kindle Vella store on the Kindle Reading app, or in Amazon’s store. Check it out here and best of luck with your writing.  

A Look at Kindle Vella  

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The Starstrike is coming to Kindle Vella this November 2021! Follow GG5 in a coming of age & dystopian story, of a girl born from a star in a technologically advanced Victorian world.

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