Amazon unveiled its new publishing venture Kindle Worlds yesterday and already the book world is buzzing.
The new service will attempt to reward both writers and the original rights holders for new fiction based on existing stories and characters.
Yes, you read that right — Amazon will soon be paying writers to publish fan fic.
There are some stipulations, however. For now, all fan fic published through the service must be tied to Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment division. Amazon has signed an agreement with the group, which holds the rights to popular titles like Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and the Vampire Diaries. Amazon hopes to sign other deals with other property owners as the service expands.
Writers who published stories with 10,000 words or more will receive 35% of the royalties from each sale. Those who write shorter pieces between 5,000 and 10,000 words will receive a digital royalty of 20 percent of the sales price. Royalties will be paid monthly.
“Our goal with Kindle Worlds is to create a home for authors to build on the Worlds we license, and give readers more stories from the Worlds they enjoy,” Philip Patrick, director of business development and publisher of Kindle Worlds, said in a statement. “We look forward to announcing additional World licensing deals in the coming weeks.”
The new store will open its digital doors in June with 50 stories. It will include stores from previously published authors. The launch will also include the self-service submission platform to allow budding writers to submit their own work of fan fiction.
You can find out more about the program at the Kindle Worlds web site.
Leave a Reply