When Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN)
launched the Kindle Singles program a little over a year ago, nobody
knew whether there was a market for e-books that are shorter than
full-length books but longer than most magazine articles. It was not an
idea that had been tried before. Since Kindle Singles’ launch, other
publishers have also tried the format, but it’s unclear well these mini
e-books are selling.
Recently, though, Amazon shared some data about Kindle Singles with me, and allowed Kindle Singles authors to share their sales figures with me as well.
Amazon launched
Kindle Singles in January 2011 as a home for “compelling ideas
expressed at their natural length.” There are now 165 Singles, and
Amazon adds around three more each week. Authors and publishers have to
apply to have their work included. Most Kindle Singles are exclusive to
Amazon. Others come from traditional publishers—like Random House and
Hachette—or new e-singles publishers like Byliner and The Atavist, and are sold across platforms, not just on Amazon. While Barnes & Noble and Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)
recently launched sections for e-singles on their sites, they don’t
sign original authors and provide little of the marketing support that
Kindle Singles authors receive.Recently, though, Amazon shared some data about Kindle Singles with me, and allowed Kindle Singles authors to share their sales figures with me as well.
How Well Are They Selling?
Amazon says that in the 14 months the program has been running, it has sold over two million Kindle Singles. Seventy percent of each sale goes to the author or publisher, and Amazon keeps 30 percent. Amazon wouldn’t disclose its total revenues from those two million singles, but the minimum price of a Single is $0.99 and most are $1.99 (the author or publisher sets the price). So with an average price of $1.87 multiplied by two million, a rough estimate of Amazon’s 30-percent cut is $1.12 million. (How much are some authors making? See our post later this morning.)
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-exclusive-amazon-has-sold-over-two-million-kindle-singles
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