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Kindle Worlds:  An Excellent Opportunity for Aspiring & Established Writers Alike

By Melissa Storm / I'm a huge fan of Amazon's KDP platform and the many new and inventive ways they pioneer to support—and truly make the careers of—indie authors. Recently, I was invited to take part in one of their newer and lesser-known programs, and, of course, I jumped at the chance.

Kindle Worlds is Amazon's contribution to the realm of fan fiction—and fan fiction has been buzzed about since the dawn of writing, and especially since a certain vampire fan fic became an international bestselling sensation.

Whether or not, you enjoyed a certain erotic trilogy, there's no ignoring that fan fiction has become increasingly embraced by the masses in one form or the other. And Amazon never likes to be left in the dust when it comes to new—or resurgent—reading trends.

Enter Kindle Worlds, originally launched in mid-2013, this platform encourages authors to work together to bring new layers into beloved book series, TV shows, or film franchises. That's right, the original creators of the much-loved work—loved enough to pick up attention and an offer from Amazon anyway—have to sign off on the creation of a world based on their stories. In exchange, the royalties from that work are split between the original creator and the fan fic creator. Also contributors to the world get a chance to hob-knob with the storytellers who inspire them to take their fiction to the next level.

So when Melissa Foster, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Love in Bloom series, asked if I knew anyone who might like to participate in her upcoming Remington Kindle World, I jumped on the chance. And so began a crazy dash of questions, planning, and—of course—writing.

In the end, which came about a month after the beginning, I had a brand new novella to call my own, and it's one I'm pretty danged proud of since it forced me to stretch and explore new limits within my writing and publishing.

Ultimately, Amazon owns the publishing rights to stories produced through Kindle Worlds, which means they are only available as Amazon-exclusive eBooks for the U.S.—at least as the time of this writing. Amazon makes sure that each author understands the established KW process as well as the individual rules for the specific world. I won't discuss contractual details, because they vary on a case-by-case basis, but I will tell you what I—and my Remington Kindle Worlds—co-authors have gotten out of this whirlwind-like process.

1. Support and encouragement from a bestselling author in a genre I'm still trying to break into.
2. New friends through the other eight authors participating in the launch of the Remington Kindle World.
3. A direct line to Amazon, a real person I could reach out to with all my myriad questions about KW and otherwise.
4. A built-in audience outside of my existing readers, thanks to Melissa and all the other launch authors.
5. A pretty danged awesome book, if I do say so myself.

So is Kindle Worlds the right move for you? Maybe. I mean, for us, it definitely was. And it was for the amazing author who inspired this new world too! Here's what Melissa Foster had to say about the experience:

It's been exciting to see how this incredible group of authors brought their characters, stories, and literary talents to my Remington World, giving readers a host of exciting stories. On a personal note, working together has been rewarding on many levels–the buzz of collaboration never fails to disappoint! From support to cheerleading, working on a Kindle World is a great adventure!

Want to learn more?

• Check out Melissa Foster's Kindle Worlds FAQ page to learn more about this program from the original creator's—or licensor's—side.
• Take a look at the amazing books that launched today as part of the new Remington Kindle World! P.S. My contribution is A Texas Kind of Love by Melissa Storm, which is my Sweet Romance pen name.

Here's what the other Remington World authors had to say:

• I loved getting to know a great group of authors all motivated, helping each other, and driven by a very tight deadline, especially the generous Melissa Foster who opened her world to other writers. – Elle James
• I loved the idea of working with a like minded group of authors for a common goal and getting to know so many talented authors better. I love the opportunity of participating in new and exciting projects. – Elena Aitken
• My favourite part of doing this project was how excited my readers got when I told them! Many of them know Siena Remington, the character that had a cameo appearance in my book, and it made the story extra-special. I got a real kick out of their reactions. – Zoe York
• Participating as an author in a Kindle Worlds project was a new adventure for me. I loved creating a story set in Siena Remington's world of New York City high-fashion models. I'm a big Melissa Foster fan and was thrilled to be a part of it. Working as a team with a group of amazing authors was my favorite part. – Kaira Rouda
• My favorite part of this experience was having the opportunity to work with some amazing authors and the project as a whole. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity! – Aimee Manemann
• The best part of Remington Kindle Worlds is loving and living in Melissa Foster‘s world. Both Siena and Dex sparked wonderful inspiration for me, and I surprised myself with the depth of story for Kerry and Finn added to my usual fun and games. Working along with eight other awesome authors was stimulating and thrilling. – Rachelle Ayala
• It's not easy jumping into a world that has already been created and is so well known, but it is extremely invigorating. Being able to use what has already been created and add my own fresh spin to it was very exciting and rewarding. Would I recommend it? If you're up for a challenge – then I certainly would. – Stacy Eaton
• For me, the best part was the support I received during this project. Not only from the totally awesome Melissa Foster herself, but Amazon and the other ladies in the group! Beyond that, I just had fun — despite the frustration of battling technical gremlins — writing in Melissa's Remington world and introducing readers to some fresh characters to go along with the family you've all come to know and love! – Margaret Taylor

Have questions? Just leave a comment below.

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Melissa Storm was born with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). Novel Publicity’s mascot is a sun conure, thanks to her obsession with birds–and she gets to decide anyway since she is the company’s founder and president. Her first novel, Farsighted, won the prestigious Writer’s Digest Self-Published Novel of the Year award in 2012 for the YA category. She now writes most of her fiction under her real name, Melissa Storm. Learn more or connect with her her author website:  www.melstorm.com or via Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.