In a move to expand its programming efforts, online retail giant Amazon.com has announced its content development division, Amazon Studios, is now accepting proposals for original children’s and comedy series that could potentially be distributed through its digital video streaming service, Amazon Instant Video.

Beginning today, writers, animators and filmmakers from around the world have been invited to submit series proposals to www.studios.amazon.com/getting-started/series. Ex-National Geographic Kids head Tara Sorensen has been tapped to head up series development with ex-Fox exec Joe Lewis.  The plan is for the studio to option one project each month to add to its development slate for audience testing.

If Amazon chooses to distribute a full-budget series, the project creator will collect a US$55,000 payment up front and up to 5% of Amazon’s net receipts from toy and t-shirt licensing, other royalties and bonuses.

Submissions must include a five-page description of the concept,  an 11-minute pilot script for children’s shows(a 22-minute pilot script for comedies). Within 45 days of submission, Amazon Studios will either extend an option on the project for US$10,000 or invite the creator to add the project to the Amazon Studios website.

Amazon Studios director Roy Price (pictured) says that increased interest from content creators wanting to develop original series in both genres led to the initiative.

Since launching in November 2010, Amazon Studios has 15 movie projects currently under development, and more than 700 test movies and 7,000 scripts have been submitted.