Have you ever wished you could be a first reader for a publisher? Maybe even be instrumental in getting a new book published?

Or have you written a book that you’re thinking of self-publishing, but you really wish you could have some kind of an advance instead of shouldering all the expense of doing it yourself?

On October 14, 2014, Amazon launched Kindle Scout, sort of a crowd-scourced publishing program.

What’s in it for authors?

Kindle scout is open to U.S. authors of romance, mystery, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, action/adventure, contemporary fiction, and historical novels. Submissions are bound by a 45-day exclusivity period with Kindle. Within two days of receipt, Amazon will notify the author if the book is approved to participate.

Then a date is determined for a campaign launch, which lasts 30 days. During that period, anyone can read an excerpt (about 5,000 words) on the Kindle Scout website and “nominate” it. At the end of the campaign period, the books with the most nominations earn the attention of the Kindle Scout team and possibly receive a 5-year Kindle Press contract at 50% royalty with a $1500 advance.

What’s in it for readers?

I’ve read several of the excerpts on the Kindle Scout website and nominated some of them. At any given time, you can have three active nominations; as their campaigns end, they are removed from your Kindle Scout account to make room for more recommendations (or if you find some that are even more deserving, you can delete them yourself and replace with your new choices). And if a book that you nominate is chosen for publication, you get a free advance copy. Plus, there’s the additional satisfaction of helping an excellent author attain the goal of publication.

What are other people saying about Kindle Scout, pro and con?

Here are four excellent articles. Click on the titles to read Scouting Kindle Scout, Kindle Scout: What’s in it for Authors?, Kindle Scout—A Survivors Report, and Should You Kindle Scout?

What do you think?

Is this a good direction for publishing? Could print publishing adopt this model? Have you submitted to Kindle Scout? Would you attempt to go this route? Would you participate from the reader’s end? Please share your comments below.