How One Author Found Success With Digital Books

It's said that print is dead — and not just newspapers or magazines, but maybe short stories too. After 20 years working in print, former Chicago magazine editor Dick Babcock found the perfect platform for his short story: Kindle Singles.

Babcock's short story tops the best sellers list on Kindle Singles.

The 5,000-word piece titled, "My Wife's Story," has sold 24,000 digital copies. It sells for $0.99 a copy — not much money for most writers — but it provides a place to publish works and the opportunity to build a brand.
Kindle Singles publishes short stories and journalism pieces with a minimum length of 5,000 words and a maximum of around 25,000 words. So far the platform has published 138 titles covering a variety of genres.

Kindle Singles' appeal: the stories are much less expensive than regular-sized ebooks. When the program was announced, writers and bloggers speculated that it could help new and unknown authors gain notoriety. Instead of many small works ending up in an anthology, Kindle Singles could give authors their own spotlight.

Although small, the Singles store so far has shown to be a place for unknown, as well as famous, authors to publish short stories.

Writers can work with editors, or self publish their stories. Such stories often have a quick turn-around time from publishing to selling.

Babcock sat on his story for 20 years while he edited the magazine.

"I would wake up at 5 a.m. and write before going to work," he explained. He made a limited attempt to get the short story published and then forgot about it. That is, until he retired from the magazine earlier this year.

Kindle Singles have been able to showcase fiction and provide exposure and sales for authors, says Kindle Singles Editor David Blum.

"We've had great short stories from well-known novelists like Stephen King, Lee Child and Tom Rachman, as well as emerging authors like Matthew Ducker, a young MFA graduate from the University of Virginia — and now Dick Babcock, in his return to fiction after a distinguished career in magazines. All have been among Kindle Singles' top-selling authors," Blum said in an email. "Most of our authors have been published before, but Kindle Singles has allowed many writers — both in fiction and nonfiction — to reach a wider audience of readers than ever before."

Babcock enjoyed a successful career as a publisher and writer. He retired in April. Early in his career, he said, there were many more literary magazines with long stories, but not so much anymore. He said he saw major potential in online publishing of short stories, like the ones on Kindle Singles.

Babcock has published two novels and is working on a third, which he said, he would love to have published for the Kindle.

What do you think of Kindle Singles — as either a reader or writer? Please tell us in the comments.