Is Amazon's Kindle Vella right for you?
Hellloooo writers! (Or readers. You're also welcomed XD)
Today I am reviewing my experience with Amazon's Kindle Vella, which is a new platform they just launched some time around June or July of 2021. So sit back, grab your coffee, and enjoy!
When I first started Vella, my thought was this: I'm not looking for instant fame. I don't mind it taking a long time. If I'm one of the first people on Vella, I'll have an advantage over future writers.
. . .That being said, when Amazon announced that they were allowing readers to unlock free chapters of my books, meaning I don't get paid for part of what they read, I was upset. A lot of people were. Authors everywhere began pulling their books from Vella without giving it another shot--something that I don't blame them at all for. I was very close to doing the same thing. After all, Amazon never mentioned anything at all about giving away my book! Plus, there's an additional 3 chapters that people can read for free before they decide to pay for the book. Oh, and they won't let me share those 3 chapters anywhere so I can promote it and get some readers.
I think Amazon began noticing the fall in their writers, because they suddenly introduced something new. Something magical. Vella Bonuses.
Every month, between July and (currently) December, they have been giving me a bonus! Which is awesome!!! They've given me a whopping total of $300 in bonuses!! Thank you, Andy Jassy.
While the bonuses have been wonderful, my book has not been getting too many reads. The top 'crowned' (which means Reader Favorites) are werewolf romances and vampire books, so things like "Clean Christian Sci-Fi" tend to linger at the bottom I guess. However, I'm sticking with my original stance on this and staying with it anyway.
I have noticed that Amazon doesn't do much promoting for Vella, which is also hard when they won't allow me to do much promoting for myself. I'm pretty sure The Art of Deception is lost in the Vella gutters, buried beneath the other books the website is hosting lol. I really want to make it work, and I'm still holding on in hopes that it'll rise out of the dirt, but at the moment it doesn't look too promising. Outside of the bonuses, of course.
My suggestion? If your book is just sitting around while you wait on whatever your next publishing step is, go ahead and put it on Vella. I mean, why not? You might as well earn a few bonuses while you wait. But if you think you'll rise to instant stardom and win over the crowds of romance readers, you might want to brace yourself.
Thanks for stopping by!! If you want to take a look at my Vella, here's a Goodreads link and a book trailer!
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