As per the January 26, 2011 Press Release by Amazon, the online bookstore has launched Kindle Singles, pieces of non-fiction and journalism which are typically much shorter than a novel, but longer than a magazine article.
The Amazon Kindle Single is a new form of content that joins the ranks of books, magazines, newspapers and blogs in the Kindle store. These 30- to 90-page e-books are “splitting the difference between the feature-length magazine articles and shorter books.”
Because of it’s length, typically 5,000 to 30,000 words, more commonly called novellas, chapbooks, long pamphlets, or extended journal articles, these Kindle articles were difficult to sell to magazines or as books. With electronic publishing pulling ahead of traditional the Kindle Single appears to be the clear choice for the writer and consumer.
Kindle Singles on Amazon.com
“Launch of Kindle Singles includes never before released content from popular writers such as Ian Ayres and Jodi Picoult, as well as the first-ever written works published by TED”.
The Kindle Singles will have their own section in the Amazon bookstore, and will be priced much less than a typical book– from $1 to $5. The Kindle Singles will also be available for consumption on any Kindle platform including the Kindle, smart-phones, and Amazon’s Kindle for Mac or PC. Prices for the singles range from $1 to $5 and are formatted perfectly for cell phones and tablets.
Another Option for E-Publishers
Kindle Singles may be used as a means to sell individual chapters of a book, allowing individuals to benefit the most as the format makes it easier for them to self-publish. With the limitless electronic publishing expect to see more Amazon Kindle Singles fielding their way into the mainstream market.
Another possibility is etailers offering works specifically in this format, which in turn creates an additional revenue as well as marketing stream, and thus causing print-publishers to print more short-form books.
It is ironic to find that the Internet, cell phones and other portable computers are saving the very industry we all thought it would kill.
What do you think of Kindle Singles?
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I guess “novella” has an old fashioned feel to it, so Amazon.com is now calling them singles, a much hipper sounding word. As a writer, I welcome these opportunities for new authors to introduce themselves to the reading public – and readers get to sample them without a large expenditure of time or money.
Dixon, I agree. I like the term novella – sounds so nostalgic. Singles makes me think of food- like hamburgers. lattes or ice-cream cones. ;)