Amazon, in what it described as a "difficult decision," is winding down Kindle Vella and shutting it down completely in February 2025. When the company launched the serialized story platform in 2021, it said Vella was a way for readers to discover new fictional stories and a new way for authors to earn from the Kindle Direct Publishing service. But it hasn't caught on as it had hoped, Amazon explains on its website, and it has decided to throw in the towel three years after Vella's debut. Authors can only publish stories on Vella until December 4, which is also the last day readers can purchase tokens. While readers will no longer be able to purchase tokens after that, they can continue using those tokens to unlock episodes until the program closes in February. The good news for those who've been following specific authors or stories on Vella is that they won't lose their access to whatever episodes they've already unlocked even after the platform shuts down. They can always read the stories they've purchased in their library in the Kindle app for iOS and Android, though they can no longer open them on the web. Any token they don't use by February will be refunded. Responses to Vella have been pretty lukewarm since it became available. Some authors liked the fact that they could use it to earn money from unfinished stories, while some readers said they'd prefer getting a whole book instead of paying for installments. Personally, as someone who follows a lot of indie... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-10-29 12:00:30 UTC ]
As the owner of a Kindle, I normally get all my ebooks from Amazon. It is a great experience, as not only can I read the book on my e-reader, but thanks to the Kindle app, my smartphone and tablet too. Quite frankly, I never considered getting an electronic book anywhere else. If you are a... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2017-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As part of the blitz of new features in the Windows 10 Creators Update (see our full review here), Microsoft has added e-reading capabilities to its Edge browser. It’s a bit quirky, given its infancy, but with a bit of practice you can be lounging by the pool with an electronic novel in no... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
CompletelyNovel's 'Lord of the Book Covers' competition revealed many indie authors are using the same professional designers as traditional houses. The post Why Self-Published Book Covers Are Better Than You Think appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Writing can be a lonely endeavor, and self-publishing—without the support of a major house—can be even lonelier. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Frustrated by a lack of opportunity for indie authors to showcase their work, two Florida writers open a bookstore of their own. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is to launch a new campaign aimed at bookshops during the London Book Fair. Called Authors for Bookstores, the campaign will launch at the Indie Author Fringe Festival, which will be held on 17th April at Foyles’ Charing Cross Road flagship. ALLi... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Kobo’s president has launched a Twitter tirade about why indie authors should beware of Amazon’s supplier negotiation tactics. Michael Tamblyn, president and chief content officer of the Canada-based ebook company, took to social media today (17th October) to warn self-published authors in 32... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Author Lee Child has come out swinging in the manner of Jack Reacher on The Passive Voice website... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Independently published authors have responded with caution to Amazon’s launch of its new... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
More than a thousand readers have signed a petition in support of Amazon in its dispute with Hachette. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amid the excitement of BookCon, self-publishing took center stage at the Javits Center in New York City on Saturday, as uPublishU offered up a day packed with programming targeted to indie authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With a debate brewing about how much indie authors can, and do, earn, PW asked Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, to weigh in. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
BookExpo America is expanding its offering for indie authors, introducing Author Hub. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The rise of programmatic advertising has wreaked havoc across digital media, giving media buyers far more leverage while pushing down the value of publisher inventory. It has also torn apart the traditional ad network business, which is one reason Federated Media, today announced it would stop... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If you've bought quite a library of Kindle books for yourself, you might have a chore scrolling through the lot to find the one you want. Thankfully for Android users, you can now organize your reading material into Collections with a new Kindle app ... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Summer’s winding down, but there’s still time to score free ebooks for any vacation reading. In this video, we’ll show you you where to go online to get free books, which are often classic novels now in the public domain. You’ll want to start with Project Gutenberg’s site, which offers the most... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If you rely on a Kindle (or Kindle app) for reading, you probably know that it supports not only ebooks, but also PDFs. In fact, if you've done your homework, you also know that your Kindle (or Kindle app) has its own email address, meaning you can send any PDF straight to your device just by... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A new Kindle app from Amazon will help blind and partially sighted people to access 1.5m titles... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
German self-publishing platform XinXii, which allows indie authors to sell their titles through mobile ebook shops, has gone live in Russia. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
For a limited time, you can score a free copy of "Get Up to Speed with Online Marketing," by Jon Reed. Read it on your PC, your Kindle, or any device that can run a Kindle app. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2012-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this