Techcrunch reports that Amazon is planning to launch a new serialized fiction platform. Details are a little sketchy, but the aim seems to be to deliver serialized narrative fiction in audio, print and Kindle editions. The Techcrunch report claims that eight to twelve titles are currently in the works, to be released via various Amazon-owned imprints.
This is nothing to do with KDP, but it’s not hard to see how Amazon could open up the new platform at some point to KDP authors. Many self-published writers – such as Hugh Howey and Sara Fawkes – have found that publishing shorter works as part of an overall series can be both popular and lucrative, and Amazon apparently wants to take a stake in the market for serialized fiction.
While it’s possible that Amazon will make an announcement about this new initiative today (September 6th) when it launches its new Kindles, it seems more likely that we’ll have to wait a little longer. Nevertheless, serial fiction has a long and interesting tradition that looks set for a comeback. The only part of the story that doesn’t really make sense to me is the print angle; why would people buy short instalments in print formats? This seems tailor-made for digital, so it’ll be interesting to see how the scant details in the Techcrunch report are eventually fleshed out when the platform launches.
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