Amazon’s launch earlier this year of its Kindle Singles program marked a significant and groundbreaking milestone in the sea change taking place in the world of book publishing. What Amazon now offers is a storefront for short articles from 10,000 to 30,300 words. Amazon spent the previous three months working with a group of authors to create a small collection of launch-ready items. Until then I had been comparing the emergence of e-books to the iTunes phenomenon and the shift from artifacts to digital music along with the associated role MySpace plays in allowing individuals and bands to showcase their material.
However, there is another relevant precursor to the punk and post-punk movements in the late 1970s and 1980s, when many small independent record labels sprang up both in London and, more importantly, across the country in Liverpool, Leeds , Manchester, Sheffield, Glasgow and Edinburgh. . Suddenly, the single re-emerged as a cultural artifact with currency and value, something to be appreciated, cherished, and discussed. The concept brought together musicians, singers, photographers, designers, entrepreneurs, journalists, and fans to collectively drive the creative cultural process.
One of the biggest frustrations I often hear from aspiring writers is how hard it is to get noticed by publishers. Just for them to read a manuscript. No problem if you know someone or have celebrity status or even notoriety, but otherwise no answer. On the other hand, self-publishing is very, very unlikely to be a route to stellar success (although it could be!). No, what schemes like Kindle Singles offer is a platform for today’s vinyl records and kitchen postcards to bring together like-minded writers and then promote their work to the appropriate audience. The move from physical to digital books not only offers new distribution channels, but offers a sea change in audiences as the iPod generation embraces a new medium. A generation that has grown up with Facebook and Gmail is going to have a different perspective on the epistolary novel than the generation that was taught the difference between sincerely and faithfully.
Of course none of this is new. Many writers now known for their novels began by publishing sequentially in small chunks simply to get a cash flow. Raymond Chandler contributed to Black Mask magazine, Charles Dickens was published in London’s monthly magazine. The short story has always been a popular format among both readers and writers. The fact that stories have traditionally been published in collections, either thematically or by author, is primarily to manage publishing costs, including binding, distribution, and promotion. The release of Kindle Singles changes all this. Posting work sequentially works for writers in a number of ways, and not just financially. Writers can do other things with their time. Completing work at the facility may fit with a broader modus operandi that involves other activities.
So how do I embrace this new world of accessible publishing?
The following steps are taken from Amazon’s extremely clear instructions that are available on the Kindle website along with videos and other informational material.
Step 1) Build the book
Amazon recommends using Microsoft (another Seattle-based company, note) Word as your text editor, which is a safe bet for the lowest common denominator to be fair. Files should be saved in the classic.doc format instead of newer.docx or any other format. Formatting should be minimal, avoiding bullet points, headers and footers, etc. Page breaks should be used to delimit the chapters. Images can be inserted as centered jpegs, but note that the Kindle is monochrome.
Step 2) Create the title page
A simple title page should be created, and copyright, dedication, and preface pages can also be added, each with their own page breaks.
Step 3) Check the format of the text
Amazon recommends checking section breaks, indents, paragraphs, etc. before proceeding. Indexes are not possible; however, bibliographies, appendices, notes, or glossaries with page breaks in between may be added.
Step 4) Save as Filtered HTML
To prepare for the preparation of the e-book, save your Word document in the web page, filtered format (*HTM and *HTML).
Step 5) Convert to an eBook using Mobipocket
This file can now be converted into an eBook. Amazon recommends an app called Mobipocket Creator. This is freely available from their website (Mobipocket Creator). During this import and creation process, you will have the opportunity to add an image to your book cover. Obviously, this image must be legal and available for use. (It is interesting how people’s attitude towards copyright issues can change when they deal with creativity in different fields.) While you can generate your own artwork relatively easily today, if visual creativity isn’t your forte (or even if it is) you may benefit from a partnership with a professional who can add an extra dimension to your publication. This is summed up in a sentence I recently read: talented designers can draw; great designers can attract people.
Step 6) Checkbook with Kindle Previewer
Amazon offers a separate application, also free, with which to consult your eBook. It is available here: Kindle previewer. This obviously applies to many devices, including the Kindle and iPad, etc. on which the Kindle application can be run.
Step 7) Upload the eBook to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Finally, all that’s left is to submit your ebook to Amazon’s Kindle site. For this you need an Amazon account. You can use an existing Amazon.com account or create a new KDP account by following the instructions on their site. Once saved, the eBook should appear after 24-48 hours. More details will appear after another 2-3 days.
That’s it, your book is published. So what happens next? Overnight sensation or a long, slow slog to build a reputation? Yes, social networks, both virtual and real, can help. Advertising works too, but it costs money, and more skill is required to make it work efficiently and cheaply. There’s a reason ad executives drive Ferraris. My feeling is that the independent record label model offers a route for new authors to establish themselves within a community of like-minded readers. Smaller established publishers could fill this role if they have a niche market. Specialty websites like http://www.readinasinglesitting.com could play a part, but I’m sure other sites will emerge to focus even more on genres and themes.
One of the reasons the new independent record labels of the ’80s were so successful in such a short time is that they acted as a nexus for a collection of the most talented creative people of the time. I’m sure Love Will Tear Us Apart would have become a classic anyway, but the fact that Joy Division was signed to Tony Wilson’s Factory Records (released as FAC 23) and had a cover art designed by Peter Saville, all played apart. in creativity. symbiosis. Kindle Shorts offers fantastic opportunities for alternative pathways for emerging and established writers to try different creative jobs, but building an audience for such work will require the emergence of new systems and services to bring new audiences and communities together.
If you follow these instructions, you could be a published writer at midnight and online all over the world in a few days. If you go this route, please let me know and I’ll add a link to your Kindle Single on the Manifesto Books website.
There has never been a better time to start writing.