Amazon’s Kindle Storyteller Award has returned for the ninth year to the UK, with entries now open to authors who self-publish their story via Kindle Direct Publishing.
The Kindle Storyteller Award is a literary award celebrating the best of self-published storytelling, championing independent writers across any genre, both new and established, with the winner receiving a £20,000 prize fund.
Previous winners have included Stateside by JD Kirkand King Of War by Peter Gibbons. Since winning the award in 2024, JD Kirk has gone on to write his first psychological thriller, which is due to be released later this year.
The competition is open to authors aged 18 or over writing in English in any genre, who publish their work through Kindle Direct Publishing between 1st May and 31st August.
Readers play a pivotal role in helping to choose the initial shortlist of stories with bestseller rankings and reader reviews taken into account. A panel of esteemed judges, including top figures from the world of publishing and Amazon Books, and JD Kirk, the prize’s 2024 Winner, will judge the shortlisted titles to decide who should be crowned this year’s winner. A range of factors including plot, originality, creativity of content, and the quality and style of writing are taken into consideration. The winner will be announced in November.
Last year’s Kindle Storyteller Award saw some brilliant entries spanning multiple genres, and writing from debut authors to those more established who have penned multiple series. Being able to champion authors at different stages of their careers is always a highlight, and it’s exciting to see the wide variety of stories entered for the award. We are looking forward to seeing what 2025 has to offer.
– Jen Barrett, UK KDP Manager
It has been several months since I won the Kindle Storyteller prize, and I still don’t think it’s quite sunk in! Winning the prize helped bring new readers to my books, and with the support of them, my existing fans, and Amazon’s KDP team, the success of my self-published titles has only continued to grow.
– JD Kirk, winner of the 2024 Kindle Storyteller Award
The Kindle Storyteller Award is open for entries until 31st August. All titles must be enrolled in Kindle Direct Publishing Select while they are in the competition. For further information, visit amazon.co.uk/Storyteller
