Ebook publishing sensation Hugh Howey and Kindle Select

Remember all of those rejection letters from print publishers to which you sent manuscripts? Many unpublished writers can now thumb their noses at the big NYC publishers and do it themselves through digital self-publishing.  In fact, many are making on average $10,000 a year and then there are some raking in only $500.  But the world of digital self-publishing has many new superstars in its ranks--namely Hugh Howey, 37-year-old author of a popular dystopian series "Wool."  A recent article on CNN's website reported that Howey earns on average $150,000 per month.  October 2012 he sold 20,000 copies of "Wool" in one day!  Guess what he used to get his digital publishing career started?  That's right the Kindle Select program.  I'll post more details about the Kindle Select program and how it works.

Who gets published on Kindle Singles?

Curious as to whether or not my little book stood a chance of being accepted by Kindle Singles, I did a little digging around on the Amazon Kindle Singles site.  Since it's launch in January of 2011, Kindle Singles has published 3 new titles each week.  Their editor received around 50 unsolicited submissions each week, so Dave Blum's job leaves knee deep in manuscripts every day.  Most of the lucky ones who are chosen to live on this list of Kindle Singles are exclusive to Amazon, meaning this is mostly original material.  Others accepted come from traditional publishers and also e-singles publishers The Atavist and Byliner.  More about those sites later.
Most authors covet the Kindle Singles list over the Barnes & Noble Nook Snaps and Apple QuickReads because they receive more marketing and promotion help from Amazon.  Also, you've got to admit most people use Amazon not only for book shopping but for looking up info on a book in mind.  It's like a library helper site as well as a book seller.
So in a nutshell the answer to the question "Who gets published on Kindle Singles?" is the lucky ones.  Also, I've got to admit the talented ones.  So I guess even if you do have a flashy book cover, it's still not going to fly with Kindle Singles because they are looking for quality; not just bling.

What is an ASIN number on Amazon.com Kindle Direct Publishing?

If you’d like to promote your book on your website or blog, you’ll definitely want to insert some links to your book on the Amazon.com store if that’s where it’s published.

Amazon.com won’t allow you to put their trademarks on your website or blog, but you can link to the Amazon.com page that gives the details of your book.

Use the following URLS, but replace “ASIN” with the 10-digit ASIN or Amazon Standard Identification Number that’s listed on your book’s detail page on Amazon.com.  You’ll see it near the publisher and ISBN number area.

For example, here’s how the link to my book on Amazon looks:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MJG0KI

See the number at the end?  That’s my ASIN number.  You’ll see it on the page when you go there.

For Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN

For Amazon.co.uk
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004LX069M

For Amazon.de
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B004LX069M