Amazon launching mini e-book section, Kindle Singles

From CNET News.com: n an interesting move, Amazon today announced that it will launch a new category in the Kindle Store called Kindle Singles that features work that's longer than your typical magazine article or "as much as a few chapters of a typical book." The company says this shorter art form will be offered at lower prices than full-length books.

Amazon says that, "In many cases, 10,000 to 30,000 words (roughly 30 to 90 pages) might be the perfect, natural length to lay out a single killer idea, well researched, well argued and well illustrated--whether it's a business lesson, a political point of view, a scientific argument, or a beautifully crafted essay on a current event." Now authors have a place to funnel those types of creations and Amazon is calling on "serious writers, thinkers, scientists, business leaders, historians, politicians and publishers to join Amazon in making such works available to readers around the world."

There's no word on when the new service will launch--or exactly how much 'Singles' will cost and whether they'll be uploaded via Amazon's DIY DTP (Digital Text Platform). But Singles could be sold for as little as 49 cents and we assume there will some free content available.

Obviously, Amazon sees a potentially lucrative revenue stream in unearthing these shorter pieces, which haven't had a real marketplace to call home. Also, some feel that e-readers are conducive to reading shorter books and that in years to come we'll see content transformed to better suit new digital readers, which now include devices such as smartphones that have smaller screens.

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