A self-published author has sold more than 50,000 copies of his book after scooping a top literary prize.
David Leadbeater thought he had struck gold when his archaeological thriller, The Relic Hunters, landed a £20,000 award in 2017.
But little did he know that it would go on to become a top-ten selling Kindle book and an Australian number one in its first year.
Amazon Kindle Storyteller Award
Leadbeater was joined by contemporary fiction writer Hannah Lynn who picked up the Amazon Kindle Storyteller Award last year.
Lynn has since published three further novels since her book, ‘The Afterlife of Walter Augustus’, landed the prized gong less than a year ago.
And now Amazon is calling on the nation’s budding authors once again to enter the third UK Kindle Storyteller Award.
Read by millions
Winners will be awarded a cash prize, a marketing campaign to support the book and the opportunity to have their book translated and read by millions.
Finalists will also have a chance of seeing their work made into an audiovisual production with Amazon Studios for Prime Video.
Mariella Frostrup will be part of the judging panel, along with last year’s winner Lynn and other leading figures in the publishing industry.
Open access to the literary world
Frostrup said: “I’m incredibly proud to be a part of an endeavour that champions, at its heart, open access to the literary world.
“Often the arts are perceived to be on a pedestal, out of reach and little more than a dream for the average person.
“With this award and Kindle Direct Publishing writers, both new and established, have the opportunity to tell their story and have it read by millions.”
Limitless writing talent
Candice-Carty Williams, first time author of ‘Queenie’ also voiced her support of the award, adding:
“The amount of writing talent in the world is limitless, but for many authors, the barrier is getting your story in front of the right people.
“The Kindle Storyteller Award gives all authors, experience, gender or background aside, the opportunity to have their work seen and enjoyed by readers around the world.
“If you have a story in you, fiction or non-fiction, you’ve got to enter.”
Kindle Storyteller Award is open for entries through the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform until 31st August 2019.