Much was written in 2012 about the emergence of a new publishing form. Not a hardback book, not a paperback book, not a newspaper or magazine article, but a digital piece between 5,000 and 30,000 words that is priced below $5 and downloaded to an ereader, tablet, or app for smartphones, pc's and macs.
Laura Hazard Owen of PaidContent.com interviewed authors who found success selling their work as Kindle Singles. These authors worked with Kindles Singles editor Dave Blum, who published about 280 pieces in 2012 (with heavy Amazon.com promotion on the Kindle), according to Owen.
This is not exactly self-publishing, since Blum is the gatekeeper and standard-setter, though writers say he does only light editing. In 2012, he received about 50 unsolicited submissions a week, so the acceptance rate was about six percent. But as the Kindle Singles program grows in notoriety, there will inevitably be many more submissions, so the acceptance rate will go down. And if the program becomes too big, it will be difficult to distinguish outstanding titles in a cluttered Kindle Singles marketplace.
Musician Mishka Shubaly earned about $129,000 on three Kindle Singles that sold 93,000 copies. Men's Health writer Oliver Broudy made $65,241.16 on two Kindle Singles that sold about 46,800 copies. Philadelphia journalist Will Bunch made $8,845.55 on two Kindle singles that sold about 6,300 copies. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank Gilroy made $17,412 for a Kindle Single called "Lake," which sold 12,500 copies. Journalist David Dobbs earned $55,720 for a Kindle Single called "My Mother's Lover," which sold 40,000 copies.
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