I began my journey writing for Kindle Vella in January, and I'll write an update soon. But first let me share with you yet another #Free promotion from the Amazon powers.  From October 5-11, you can read all Kindle Vella episodes for free, up to 100 episodes per day. Go here to explore and read on your smartphone or using a Kindle app for Vella.  BSP: Click on the left sidebar book image or here to read mine!  I have been super-impressed with the bonuses and promotions that Amazon has offered to stoke the Kindle Vella fires. Even though gaining reader traction is something of a challenge given the format of the platform (episodic reads on gadgets), it's still a fun way to write and publish, and I highly recommend every author give it a go. With National Novel Writing Month  coming up, why not experiment? Have you heard of Kindle Vella? Thought about publishing with them? Already a KV author? Leave us a comment! Dani Greer is founding member of the Blood-Red Penci...

I have been a Kindle Vella author for over four months now and am still loving it! One of the best things is the intensely supportive Kindle Vella author community on Facebook and other social media venues. When Benjamin X. Wretland, a fellow member of Colorado Writers and Publishers, announced he was putting together a blog hop, I couldn't resist joining in.  Here's your opportunity to meet a few other members of this new Amazon platform and read the first three chapters of their books for free on your smartphone! Genre: Action & Adventure / Teen & Young Adult  Click to Read Alexandros Iraklidis, a timid farm boy on the Greek island of Anafi, yearns for adventure and a new life away from his family farm and the routine in which he feels trapped. At the prompting of his friend and the gift of a stranger, the boy flees to discover a new life in Crete. When a storm at sea robs him of the chance, Alexandros finds himself stranded on a neighboring island with no way to re...

A few days ago, Polly Iyer wrote about an ugly world that started for her in 2015. Those comments resonated on so many levels for me. I don't remember what I was doing in 2015, but, by 2016 and that dreadful presidential election, my creativity had waned to almost nothing. By the first quarter of 2017, I simply crawled under a rock with 43 J.D. Robb In Death books and read them all consecutively until I was caught up. That took until early April. Then I gardened. A lot.  And tried to paint again. The creative muse didn't like that. My work was simply dreadful. Finally I cooked for a few months. And gained a lot of weight! But I didn't write. Not until I started really thinking about how the country could heal some of its divisiveness. First I wrote some letters to the editor. Then some blog posts.  And then I started thinking about fiction and stories that might help me cope... and maybe also others. I thought about all those JD Robb books, and how they saved my soul and...

Most independent authors recognize that promoting our novels is a crucial factor in our success. The Kindle Vella platform for serials is no exception. However, I’ve found that it presents a few challenges for novelists as we venture into this new format. How do we find new readers or encourage established fans to try serials? How do we promote episodes? The approaches are varied, so I’ll discuss what I’ve done and some of the efforts I’ve seen from other KV authors. Consistency with images and colors helps with branding, right? I repeat them across a variety of platforms. Twitter allows hashtags for retweeting groups, targeting followers, and reaching people who enjoy serials and romance. Facebook pages/groups allow interacting with readers/writers already familiar with Kindle Vella, updating friends and previous followers, and sharing excerpts. I put links on Twitter to an excerpt on my website and add Kindle Vella links in my newsletter. My first project’s promoting has focused on (...

Hello everyone! I’m excited to share my thoughts on Kindle Vella as an author who has primarily written novels and novellas. I’m admittedly new to both the serial format and the platform, but it wasn’t hard to jump right in, get positive feedback from other Vella authors, and start making money before my first episode was released. Let me share a few experiences, tips, and perspectives. Let’s talk first about the structure of the Kindle Vella platform. Stories can be easily uploaded as a Word document or the text copied and pasted into the content box. Each episode must be between 600 and 5000 words and even can be scheduled for release. The first three episodes are available to read for free but authors are still compensated for them using a bonus program that Amazon assures will be ongoing. When crafting the story, it’s important to make readers want to unlock episodes. I try to create unresolved conflicts, unexplored possibilities, personal or professional challenges, and hints at...

A New Year is like hitting the reset key. Full of hope and new possibilities. ~ Deb Komiter This is how every new year should begin, though I’ll be honest with you - the last two have been difficult with all the world’s pandemic challenges.  I almost gave up writing, even skipping out on NaNoWriMo 2021 , which has been a writing habit and creative springboard for the past 14 years. I’m not the only writer with this issue. Several authors I know gave up on NaNoWriMo, too. They also mentioned trying something called Kindle Vella, which caught my attention.  What is Kindle Vella you might wonder? I did a quick Google search, and found some information, though the platform is still in the early days. This was the best overview and is worth a read.  There is also limited information on Amazon’s site, and I like that they address the platform from both writer and reader perspectives. You can read more here .  Still, it all seems a bit vague to me. First, let me admit I do...