Six Reasons Kindle Vella Might Be For You

Kindle Vella is a way for me to keep a promise I made to myself.

More about that in a bit...

Kindle Vella is Amazon's answer to the serialized stories that have been populating internet sites, like Wattpad, for years. Amazon is banking on the shifting dynamics in how customers consume video content - fast, short, highly specialized, binge-worthy, mobile-first storytelling - spilling over into how people consume stories.

Amazon launched Vella in July 2021, and they are highly motivated to succeed. To attract quality authors (and to overcome the sting of much lower royalties than authors are accustomed to from KDP), they're sharing profits (called bonuses) with authors who play the game the right way: great content and consistent uploads of new episodes.

Episodes are typically 1500-5000 words. Anyone may sample the first three of any serialized work for free. Beyond installment three, readers use tokens to unlock stories, episode by episode. The higher the episode word count, the more tokens required to unlock. Currently, readers may purchase 200 tokens for $1.99, which unlocks approximately 8 episodes of any Vella story. At 50% royalties, this makes your author's profit abysmal. Truly. But before you say, "Um, no...next!" consider the following:

• Bonuses are coming in for Vella authors significantly higher than story revenue.
• Amazon won't continue the bonuses forever. If you're tempted to try this platform, now is the time.
• Vella offers authors six (!) ways to engage with readers: follows, faves (leaderboard), crowns, thumbs up, polls, and a special author's note section after each episode. This also means six ways (!) for readers to give you immediate feedback about your story.
• Readers enjoying Vella probably aren't your dedicated readers. That means new exposure and new momentum for your published novels/backlist.
• 30 days after you upload the final episode of your story, you can combine all episodes into one book and sell it on KDP/paperback without taking it off Kindle Vella. That means you can get paid two ways for the same story! 
• Right now, Vella is only available in the US. That means less competition for tokens.

Ready to team up?

Pick the level of Vella partnership that best meets your goals:

A Vella Consult is a 3-hour, highly individualized assessment of your project, goals, market, how-to instructions, and decisions unique to this platform. After the consult, the client is responsible for all uploads, scheduling, and content. $199.

No Vella story will be effective without meeting reader expectations of quality. Episode edits (developmental and line) before posting ensure your readers will pay tokens to keep pushing ahead in your story. Select the number of story edits that work best for you: $35 per episode; $100 for five episodes; or $899 for up to 100 episodes. One editing pass per episode. 

Full Vella Support means that I use my skills to adapt your project (including ghostwriting, if needed) and upload at a schedule of your choosing. Take advantage of this growing market, revitalize unfinished or problematic manuscripts, and free yourself to focus on the part of being an author that brings you the most joy. $1999 for a project's entirety or up to 100 episodes. Don't forget: when your story is complete on Vella, you'll have a quality story ready to publish in e-book, paperback, or audio.

I encourage you to visit the Kindle Vella portion of Amazon's site and browse your genre to familiarize yourself with the platform. How much of an impact Vella will have on the publishing industry is anyone's guess. It's essential to know your why for becoming a Vella author. 

Me? I've been blessed to have a thriving freelance business, but it has not come without a cost. My why is to consistently devote time to my personal writing and find readers who respond to my voice. A promise to myself, kept.

If you think Vella might be for you, head to my contact page or drop me an email (la-mitchell@la-mitchell.com), and we'll discuss if it's right for you.