Amazon to Catapult Unknown Author into the Mainstream for Christmas

To help celebrate Christmas this year, Amazon has launched the search for a modern day version of Twas the Night Before Christmas as a gift to families for bedtime reading this Christmas Eve.

Twas the Night Before Christmas, the renowned poem widely believed to have been written by Clement Clarke Moore, was first published in 1823 and has remained hugely popular ever since.  Nearly 200 years on, Amazon has announced that it is looking for a modern day equivalent to this Christmas Eve classic – while at the same time helping launch the career of an emerging storyteller and rewarding him or her in the process.

The nationwide writing competition is open to all adult UK residents, with the winning story to be illustrated and published ahead of Christmas Eve. Alongside the opportunity to have his or her work professionally illustrated by esteemed artist Aless Baylis, the author will receive a £2,000 Amazon gift card, a top of the range Fire tablet and royalties from the book for years to come, following the initial five-day giveaway this Christmas.

Aspiring authors can submit their stories from 11th November by emailing their entries to christmasonkindle@amazon.co.uk to be judged by a team of Amazon books editors and the illustrator.

The winning tale will be turned into a book and published in the run up to Christmas to a potential audience of millions of readers around the world. Anyone will be able to read the book for free on Kindle e-readers and Fire tablets, as well as the Kindle reading app for iOS and Android, in the run up to Christmas, including for family bedtime reading on Christmas Eve.

“The fact that there are so many versions of Twas the Night Before Christmas available on the Amazon store is testament to the popularity of the story,” said Amy Worth, UK Kindle Content Director, Amazon. “We want people to continue to read this tale forevermore, and we believe that by creating a modern day equivalent, we will be able to shine a spotlight on the original and launch the career of an aspiring storyteller.”

Aless Baylis, a Brighton-based illustrator recognised for children design and patterns, commented: “I am really looking forward to seeing the range of stories from storytellers across the UK.  Today Christmas means lots of different things to each of us, so I am sure that we will get a really diverse selection of stories. I hope that together with the author, we will be able to create a story that resonates with readers for years to come.”

Aspiring UK-based authors should submit their 350-700 word Christmas Eve stories in English before 27 November. The winning story will be made available on the Kindle store around the world in the run up to Christmas.

The story will be published through Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s independent publishing programme, which enables authors to retain their copyrights, keep control, distribute globally, and earn royalties of up to 70%.  The author will be enrolled into KDP Select, meaning that their book will be available through Kindle Unlimited. 

The competition is now open for entries. For more information, writers can visit www.amazon.co.uk/christmasonkindle.