# Kindle "Singles"



## etexlady (May 27, 2009)

Anyone downloaded a Kindle Single? These are short stories, supposedly about the length of a magazine article, or a novella. I think some are priced too high at $2.99. What do you think?


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## beckyj20 (Jun 12, 2010)

Considering that some full novels are priced at that price, yea I think that is too high!


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## Dlight (Apr 21, 2010)

It would seem a bit pricey for a short story. Plus, the very nature would mean you would be shopping a lot as it won't take long to read!


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

beckyj20 said:


> Considering that some full novels are priced at that price, yea I think that is too high!


I agree...too pricey.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

not all are priced at $2.99, some are $0.99.. 
yes, I think $2.99 is too high for a single short story.


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## Me and My Kindle (Oct 20, 2010)

I think Amazon should've released at least one "Single" that was free. That way people could get used to the format -- and there wouldn't be all this backlash about how they're so expensive.

I've seen complaints about the price in other forums about the Kindle, and at least one person made a really compelling argument. You can get a lot of full-length ebooks for free, or buy anthologies of several classic books for just 99 cents. And of course, I only feel this way because I'm not _selling_ a Kindle Single. If I'd written one, I'd probably be ecstatic about the high prices.

I guess Amazon has calculated that there are some people to whom price isn't an issue, and they're content to sell content to those people first. Hopefully the price for Kindle Singles will come down, eventually.


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## OliverCrommer (May 17, 2010)

This is a very interesting concept. $2.99 is WAY too high for a single. $2.99 is the price of full-length novels. $0.99 is good for a short story/novelette.


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## john_a_karr (Jun 21, 2010)

Was wondering what this Singles thing was all about. Thought it was some new Amazon Dating service. Maybe that's for the future: Two parties enter their dating preferences in their profiles, Kindle matches them up with a set of potentials, they gaze into each other's eyes via the Kindle screens ... type their thoughts on the little keyboard ...


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

etexlady said:


> Anyone downloaded a Kindle Single? These are short stories, supposedly about the length of a magazine article, or a novella. I think some are priced too high at $2.99. What do you think?


I got an e-mail about them today and had no idea what it was. I do agree that $2.99 seems high for a short story, but I'd probably be willing to go as high as $1.99. And $2.99 would be fair for a novella, because many of them are actually close to the length of a regular novel.

But then, the prices seem to be all over the place at the moment so it may be a while before things settle down.


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## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

Try Larry Niven's No Exit at $4.36 - a whopping 53kB story.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

Well, I bit, bought the one by Jodi Picoult.  I read it last night in about an hour.  I probably won't buy any more of these for $2.99.


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## jello (Dec 31, 2010)

Yeah, 3 bucks seems high for these. The problem, iirc, is that Amazon's payment system changes pretty drastically when you price something below $2.99, that's probably why that's the price point. If Amazon wants this sort of thing to take off I think they will need to reexamine their royalty setup to make some kind of accommodation for shorts/novellas.


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## JL Bryan (Aug 10, 2010)

$2.99 is too much for one short story, I think.  A novella, maybe.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I downloaded three of them but have not read them yet. The topics looked interesting and worth the money to me.

What I think is worth it will differ from what other people think is worth it.


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## RobynB (Jan 4, 2011)

PG4003 (Patricia) said:


> Well, I bit, bought the one by Jodi Picoult. I read it last night in about an hour. I probably won't buy any more of these for $2.99.


How was the Picoult? I was really curious about the letter to her son.

And I totally agree with the above -- 99 cents feels like the right price point for shorts.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

RobynB said:


> How was the Picoult? I was really curious about the letter to her son.
> 
> And I totally agree with the above -- 99 cents feels like the right price point for shorts.


Oh my gosh, Robyn, the letter to her son was beautiful. Said so many things we would all love to say to our children, but don't know how.


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## Gabriel Beyers (Jan 28, 2011)

It would be nice if authors could put up singles for free.  That would be a great marketing tool to get readers to pick up their novels.


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

Gabriel Beyers said:


> It would be nice if authors could put up singles for free. That would be a great marketing tool to get readers to pick up their novels.


Done that. You'd have to convert from epub with Calibre, but it's a non-DRMed file so that's easy enough.

$2.99 seems too much for a short story, but to me, even $.99 seems too much. If you have fifteen or so stories in an anthology, $.99 each would make the book almost $15.00.

The anthologies I grew up with were largely reprints from the s-f magazines and you got a lot of stories for the cover price. I can see how first printings of stories could cost more. For me, short stories are pretty hit or miss, even from the same author, so I would end up paying $.99 each for a number of stories I didn't much care for to find the few gems.


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## nobody_important (Jul 9, 2010)

$2.99 for a short story is very pricey.  That price point is better reserved for a novella.

(I should note that $2.99 for a short non-fiction piece isn't so bad provided that the information, research, etc. are well-done / top-notch.)


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## fictionwriter (Nov 2, 2010)

I agree, too pricey...

Many e-books that are hundreds of pages are $1.99 or less.

All Best,

Carolyn


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## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

Far too pricey for a short story, considering some authors are selling full novels for only 99cents, including me!


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

I'm actually glad Kindle has priced those shorts so high lol.  I really enjoy writing short stories that are the same length as most of those kindle singles and I have been trashed in reviews before just because the reader felt that 99 cents was a "waste of money for such a short story."  Mind you, they never mention if they liked or didn't like the story  

In many ways this legitimizes indie shorts.  Perhaps the casual shopper will be more inclined to feel that 99 cents for 3,000 word indie short story is a better deal than a $2.99 short of the same length by a "well-known" author.  So I say: stick to those high prices, Amazon!


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I've never  been a  short  story  reader.    So - not interested at  any  price.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

I bought "Piano Demon" which was a topic (jazz pianist) of particular interest to me. 
I completely enjoyed all 37 pages of it [sic]. And will keep it as reference. $1.99. 
Singles with a targeted topic of personal interest can be great, but could get pricey quick.
I like short stories, but will be very selective in purchases.


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## MartyS (Feb 3, 2011)

I picked up Alan Dean Foster's *BOX OF OXEN*, because I read just about everything of his. He wrote it for a magazine that went under before the story got published.

Read it in no time, so I'll agree with everyone here about the price being way too high for these, the price should be the same as the subscription price of most magazines, $1 or $1.50.


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## FastPop (Dec 22, 2010)

I think the price of an eBook (short or long story) is still up for debate -- it's an exciting trend to follow.


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## RobynB (Jan 4, 2011)

This just in...the #1 Kindle Single is the selection by Jodi Picoult: "Leaving Home: Short Pieces." Next comes "Lifted" by Evan Ratliff (anyone read that one?).

Read more about the top Singles here: http://www.mediabistro.com/ebooknewser/leaving-home-short-pieces-tops-kindle-singles-bestsellers-list_b5678

I'm having a wicked flashback to Casey Kasem's "American Top 40" countdown (insert voice over here): "And holding the #1 spot is a mother of 3 from Hanover, New Hampshire."


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