Short ebooks: don't let one bad experience ruin a literary phenomenon

Penelope Lively's recent short ebook for Penguin drew criticism for its brevity – but readers should not be put off the genre as a whole"Overpriced", "ridiculous", I feel cheated". Amazon reviewers haven't been wholly positive about a digital short Penelope Lively has written for Penguin Specials. On the evidence of the story itself, it's not Lively's fault. Abroad is about a pair of art students who travel to 1950s Spain in search of picturesque peasants and are disappointed when they don't live up to expectations. It's funny and evocative of a time when rural Europe was still exotic.It also peters out after just 4,000 words, so I sympathise with anyone who felt ripped off by its £1.99 price tag. These days you can buy two whole novels for that. The sad fact is, publishers don't make any money if an ebook costs less than £1.99. Amazon does, because singles are the literary equivalent of a gateway drug.This was brought home to me on finishing Susan Hill's latest effort, Printer's Devil Court (99p), a haunting tale about pre-second world war medical students who experiment with resurrection. More substantial than Lively's, it's a great, old-fashioned ghost story, whose chilling impact was somewhat undermined by turning the final page to find Amazon ordering me to rate, review, tweet, Facebook and buy more books by Susan Hill. Was the ebook I'd enjoyed little more than a trailer?Singles are a clever marketing tool. But it would be a shame if readers short-changed by one... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Short ebooks: don't let one bad experience ruin a literary phenomenon

Penelope Lively's recent short ebook for Penguin drew criticism for its brevity – but readers should not be put off the genre as a whole"Overpriced", "ridiculous", I feel cheated". Amazon reviewers haven't been wholly positive about a digital short Penelope Lively has written for Penguin... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I Think Most Short Stories Are Glorified Therapy Sessions: Am I the Literary Asshole?

Hello, readers! I’m your host, Kristen Arnett, advice columnist (and Dad) extraordinaire. I’m excited to welcome you back to yet another special episode of Am I the Literary Asshole?, an advice column that asks if “head empty, just vibes” is simply a nice way of describing a hangover. My head?... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-05-30 13:32:53 UTC ]
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Anuja Varghese's short story collection Chrysalis among $25K Governor General's Literary Award winners

The awards recognize the best in Canadian books across 7 categories in both English and French. Other winners include Kyo Maclear, Hannah Green and Cliff Cardinal. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-11-08 12:00:00 UTC ]
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LitAg Short Takes: Kalem Agency and Italian Literary Agency

Quick snapshots from two long-time Frankfurt veterans, Kalem Agency and Italian Literary Agency, on their latest projects. The post LitAg Short Takes: Kalem Agency and Italian Literary Agency appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-20 12:05:43 UTC ]
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Canada’s Literary Press Group: Accessible Ebooks

Close to 600 titles will be part of the new, accessible 'Ebooks for Everyone' initiative from the Literary Press Group of Canada. The post Canada’s Literary Press Group: Accessible Ebooks appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-09 14:58:40 UTC ]
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Children's book on Governor General's Literary Award short list a win for Indigenous publishing, author says

A children's book shortlisted for a 2021 Governor General's Literary Award was written by a University of Guelph associate professor who specializes in the history of Indigenous Peoples and illustrated by an Ojibway multidisciplinary artist. ... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2021-11-02 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Zadie Smith’s debut short story collection is a dazzling experiment in form and genre

The “White Teeth” author is witty and eviscerating in stories sprinkled with current events. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-28 16:43:26 UTC ]
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White's 'astonishing experiment in literary form' to Faber

Faber is to publish The Fountain in the Forest, an "astonishing experiment in literary form" by Tony White. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Subway Reads' gives NYC straphangers free ebook shorts and excerpts

Have you ever been on an NYC subway? If not, let me tell you -- it is often horrible. Air conditioning can be broken, leading to high temperatures. Even worse, some people bring their food below ground, resulting in a stinky train car -- yuck! Don't even get me started on the performers --... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2016-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google launches ebook 'experiment'

Google has launched a new digital-only bookstore "for books that cannot be printed". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google experiments with ebooks designed for your phone

E-books are just digital recreations of what you can get on paper. Wouldn't it be better if they took advantage of internet-connected mobile devices to tell new stories? Google, at least, wants to give this a shot. It just launched Editions At Play,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mandela ebook short from Zed Books

Zed Books' first ebook short is an essay by Elleke Boehmer on Nelson Mandela. The essay,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebooks Still Lack a Category Defining Storytelling Experience

Surveying the ebook discussions at BookExpo America, it's clear that despite their popularity, ebooks still lack their own category of breakthrough storytelling experiences. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Star Tribune's eBook Experiment Pays Off

Many newspapers have tried ebooks as a new revenue stream, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s “In the Footsteps of Little Crow” stands out. Curt Brown’s extensively researched narrative of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Joseph to launch ebook short from Keyes

Michael Joseph is launching a digital campaign to support publication of The Mystery of Mercy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New ebook short from King

Authors Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan are embarking on a new short fiction project to be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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M&B seeks Shades success with ebook shorts

Romance specialist Mills & Boon is to resissue 12 backlist titles as digital shorts with new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lonely Planet offers ebook "experience" guides

Lonely Planet is launching two new ebook series, one offering guidance to the enjoyable... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First enhanced ebook from Short Books

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 24/10/2011 - 08:10 Short Books has produced its first enhanced ebook for the digital version of Birdwatching with your Eyes Closed (3rd November), the new book from Simon Barnes, author of How to be a Bad Birdwatcher. The book explores the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon rolls out the first 'Kindle Singles,' short form ebooks

By Tim Conneally, Betanews Wednesday, Web retailer Amazon launched its Kindle Singles line of literature designed specifically for consumption on e-readers. The works, priced between $1.00 and $3.00, include original works of prose, essays and theses, and the the first TEDBooks.Last October,... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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