You’re releasing a book on a Sunday? What? Don’t you normally release on Tuesday? Why, yes, yes I do. But this is not a normal release so I figured, why do a normal release day?
On Sunday, 8-1-21, I’ll be releasing my first episode of Where You Left Me on Kindle Vella. A new episodic mobile platform by Amazon. This is a token like system where the first 3 episodes are free, and then you need to buy more tokens to read more stories. It’s quite a popular way to deliver stories outside of the US, so maybe it will work for us?
Amazon calls Vella “a new mobile-first, interactive reading experience for serialized stories,” presented in episodes ranging from 600 to 5,000 words. Mine fall around 1,500- 2000 words per episode. The platform give you a set number of tokens for free (200 at time of this post or about 4 stories.) After that, you buy more tokens to use on the stories you want to follow.
My category will be Contemporary Romance so on Sunday (in theory) you’ll be able to find my story right from Amazon’s Vella Page.
Where You Left Me (description)
Jasmine Fairchild has just been left at the altar. But that’s not where her story ends. It’s where it begins. She’s paid for the church, the reception, and the honeymoon. The guests are all present. All that’s missing is a groom. And she wasn’t beneath asking for volunteers. Her big day was not going to be ruined over a tiny detail of a missing husband. Lucky for her, she found a willing volunteer. A cute one at that.
Each story on the site will tell you how many episodes are currently uploaded (not how many currently exist in the series.) Mine currently has 10 uploaded but the story has lots more to come. Once you are on the Kindle Vella site, it will also tell you keywords of each story as well as a blurb so you can browse before you buy. There is also a like and star system for stories that readers like (obviously both help the reader tremendously so if you do read on the platform, be sure to like/rate the stories you enjoyed so the author knows to keep delivering content.)
Each author determines the release schedule for their episodes. I’ve opted for every Sunday but may shift that if there is reader demand for it to drop faster.
I know Kindle Vella is new, but here is what Amazon suggests for readers:
“Follow the stories you like to keep up with the latest from your favorite characters.
When you like an episode, give it a Thumbs Up to let the author and other readers know you liked it.
The first few episodes of every story are always free–after that, purchase Tokens and redeem them to unlock episodes. Tokens may only be used to unlock Kindle Vella story episodes in the Kindle for iOS app and on Amazon.com.
When you unlock episodes, you will receive one Fave a week that you can award to the story you’re enjoying most that week. We’ll feature Top Faved stories so other readers can find them too.”
I’ll be sure to post the link once it goes live on Sunday for those interested.
Until then my peeps, stat gold!
Danielle Bannister, author and episodic writer of all the things
Danielle Bannister, Author 