Kindle Vella

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I've received 5 author newsletter pushing their Vella books so some authors seem to be seeing the value in it. One of them is apparently going to release a full length (300+ pages) novel in Vella sized chunks. A bit of quick calculation suggests that I would be better off buying a published in one chunk ebook instead.

You don't have to be Oppenheimer to know that the economics are not in Vella, for the reader/buyer.

Hitch

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You don't have to be Oppenheimer to know that the economics are not in Vella, for the reader/buyer.

Hitch

I don't know about that. Webtoon, Tapas, etc. are very successful using this piecemeal business model. I'm surprised Wattpad hasn't embraced it. Amazon isn't targeting a patient demographic for this model who would rather wait for the novel to be finished to get more bang for their buck. They're going for the demographic that chomps at the bit to read the next installment and doesn't mind paying for the privilege.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Cootey

I don't know about that. Webtoon, Tapas, etc. are very successful using this piecemeal business model. I'm surprised Wattpad hasn't embraced it. Amazon isn't targeting a patient demographic for this model who would rather wait for the novel to be finished to get more bang for their buck. They're going for the demographic that chomps at the bit to read the next installment and doesn't mind paying for the privilege.

Webtoons are VERY successful indeed in East Asia, and some have been running for years, waiting for the story to be finished not an option in many cases. I guess the question is whether Amazon can grow that culture outside of Asia using Vella.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You don't have to be Oppenheimer to know that the economics are not in Vella, for the reader/buyer.

Hitch

It's been a few years, so I can't remember the series, but there was one sold for Kindle that ended up running to 40+ individual purchases. When the author started, each "chapter" was $.99 to $1.99. I remember being amazed at the high feedback both on Amazon and Goodreads. I thought paying $1-2 for 30-40 pages was ridiculous.

Once the author completed the series, she started bundling the chapters, 2-4 together for $3-$6. and I think she finally combined them all into 1 book for $9.99.

Early buyers would have paid over $45 for the complete book. The great American novel it was not. Just a regular bodice ripper. This was back in 2009 or so.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

It's been a few years, so I can't remember the series, but there was one sold for Kindle that ended up running to 40+ individual purchases. When the author started, each "chapter" was $.99 to $1.99. I remember being amazed at the high feedback both on Amazon and Goodreads. I thought paying $1-2 for 30-40 pages was ridiculous.

Once the author completed the series, she started bundling the chapters, 2-4 together for $3-$6. and I think she finally combined them all into 1 book for $9.99.

Early buyers would have paid over $45 for the complete book. The great American novel it was not. Just a regular bodice ripper. This was back in 2009 or so.

Perzackly that.

And so far, from what I've seen, the quality is...well, terrifyingly bad. I mean, even worse than your usual slapped-together Kindle eBook. (I also admit that I'm not a fan of the skinny block-style layout, but that's cosmetic.)

Hitch

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by aimabaig

Maybe Stephen King should use this as an excuse to complete The Plant.

Oh, hell, why not?

Hitch

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

It's been a few years, so I can't remember the series, but there was one sold for Kindle that ended up running to 40+ individual purchases. When the author started, each "chapter" was $.99 to $1.99. I remember being amazed at the high feedback both on Amazon and Goodreads. I thought paying $1-2 for 30-40 pages was ridiculous.

Once the author completed the series, she started bundling the chapters, 2-4 together for $3-$6. and I think she finally combined them all into 1 book for $9.99.

Early buyers would have paid over $45 for the complete book. The great American novel it was not. Just a regular bodice ripper. This was back in 2009 or so.

I did this once. An author I adored, via a publisher, released a series of 17 ebooks, one per month, just novella length, 15000 words if that, each one was about $3, just telling one story. After the series was complete the publisher released all the individual stories in one ebook, cost around $8. Once the publisher closed and the author republished it as the complete ebook I bought it.

Not something I’d do again. Don’t get me wrong, I adored the series and looked forward to each story but cost wise it was a rip off.

[jhowell]

Back when I read books on paper I would spend the extra money for a hard cover whenever a new book from a favorite author came out. I understand the lure of paying more for immediate gratification. These days I get most of my reading material from the library but still occasionally buy for something especially exciting to me.

I would read a Vella if one of my top favorite authors did it but otherwise I have no interest.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Back when I read books on paper I would spend the extra money for a hard cover whenever a new book from a favorite author came out. I understand the lure of paying more for immediate gratification. These days I get most of my reading material from the library but still occasionally buy for something especially exciting to me.

I would read a Vella if one of my top favorite authors did it but otherwise I have no interest.

ATM--and this is a soft rollout, we all know that, so...{shrug}, there is zero danger that I'll ever even expend my 200 free tokens on Vella. Seriously, I haven't seen a single story that I could tolerate for more than 5 paragraphs. I am very very obviously NOT the target market. I can't read tense switches and POV switches 2x in the same paragraph, rampant typos, grammar errors, etc. I just can't.

Hitch

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I can't read tense switches and POV switches 2x in the same paragraph, rampant typos, grammar errors, etc. I just can't.

Hitch

I think that there's a huge market for it among those who're used to reading WIP's (Works in Progress) in fan fiction. In that arena, there seems to be a high tolerance for bad spelling, bad grammar, Out Of Character portrayals, plot holes, and endless drama.

As well as a huge willingness to start a story that may never, ever get finished because the author didn't get enough praise with their first efforts to stay interested in their own work, so they start five or six more.

I don't get it, and I don't care for it, but it seems to be pretty entrenched. I just hate to see it spread.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

I think that there's a huge market for it among those who're used to reading WIP's (Works in Progress) in fan fiction.

Only if it's free.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Only if it's free.

For some. I've seen more than a few say that they're all into the idea of paying for bits and pieces of fiction.

Buying chapters with 'coins' apparently is very popular with enough readers in other countries that it's worth them making it a business. In China, I believe they're called 'web novels'.

There's more and more fishing in fanfic groups from publishing companies that work that way, for authors to join.

I think that that's the model Amazon is going with.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

I think that there's a huge market for it among those who're used to reading WIP's (Works in Progress) in fan fiction. In that arena, there seems to be a high tolerance for bad spelling, bad grammar, Out Of Character portrayals, plot holes, and endless drama.

As well as a huge willingness to start a story that may never, ever get finished because the author didn't get enough praise with their first efforts to stay interested in their own work, so they start five or six more.

I don't get it, and I don't care for it, but it seems to be pretty entrenched. I just hate to see it spread.

Sure, you see this on fanfiction.net, etc. but as Quoth rightly points out, that's free. There's a vast difference between WIPs and readable fiction when you're paying for it! And not "only" paying, but paying a huge amount more than you would for an equivalent book (length-wise).

I am ABSOLUTELY NOT going to pay for the privilege of being someone's instructor, beta reader and proofreader. That's...that's an obscene idea. Pay for the privilege of reading incomplete, unready work? Not in this girl's lifetime. It's hard enough to do it when being paid!

Hitch

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Sure, you see this on fanfiction.net, etc. but as Quoth rightly points out, that's free. There's a vast difference between WIPs and readable fiction when you're paying for it! And not "only" paying, but paying a huge amount more than you would for an equivalent book (length-wise).

And as I stated, there are people who would pay for it overseas since it seems to be a big business, and people in the US who've stated they'd pay for it. I believe that's why Amazon is giving it a fling.

I wouldn't. I dislike the idea a lot. I don't even read the WIP's for free. But that doesn't mean it's going to flop, or lose money in the US. It could really take off.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

And as I stated, there are people who would pay for it overseas since it seems to be a big business, and people in the US who've stated they'd pay for it. I believe that's why Amazon is giving it a fling.

Yes, so I understand, but is it WIP stuff or finished work, do you know? I freely admit, I don't. I know that "webnovels" are a big thing, but to me...I guess I always assumed (and yes, we all know what that is) that it was simply serialized, properly-done fiction, not WIPs. ???

I wouldn't. I dislike the idea a lot. I don't even read the WIP's for free. But that doesn't mean it's going to flop, or lose money in the US. It could really take off.

I freely admit...when I saw all the whingeing and whining about it, on certain forums and then followed up to see the submitted V content from some of those whingers...sweet Moses on a Pony, I was bloody horrified. I mean...some of it was literally unintelligible. Some was like...text messages from a 12-y.o. on Crack. Some was your basic "Junior in HS writes their first CS assignment."

I quite seriously have not seen one, not ONE, that I would continue reading and I'm not talking juvenile fiction. I mean. I'm not dissing the ubiquitous quasi-porny werewolf stuff that seems to be the literary diet for 17-y.o. girls right now. I'm simply talking about ANY semblance of professionalism or even raw writing talent.

One had the "As You Know Bob" openings. Almost hilariously so. Another had a group of teens talking to search other, so each piece of dialogue was akin to "So, Tracy, I think that.." "And I think, Sue, that we should..." and on and on and on. No beats, no action, no tags, NADA. Just dialogue back and forth which each person naming the other constantly. Made my eyes hurt from wincing so hard.

I mean, wow. Apparently, teens have a huge disposable income available, and satisfactorily high tolerance levels for crap writing, that Amazon can exploit. I'm glad that Kindle didn't start out this way, because honestly, it would have died a terrible horrible death in 3 months.

[smh]

Hitch