Amazon Launches Kindle Vella, Serialized Stories in a Mobile-First, Interactive Reading Experience
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has launched Kindle Vella, an innovative mobile-first platform for serialized storytelling, available in the U.S. via the Kindle iOS app. The service allows stories to be released in short episodes, with the first three available for free. Readers can unlock further episodes using Tokens purchased within the app. Kindle Vella offers features such as tagging, following stories, and leaving feedback. Thousands of episodes are already available, with contributions from bestselling authors. The initiative aims to enhance reader engagement and cater to the growing demand for quick, on-the-go reading experiences.
- Launch of Kindle Vella opens a new revenue stream for Amazon by allowing authors to monetize serialized content.
- Strong engagement features like tagging and following may boost user retention and reading frequency.
- Availability of works from bestselling authors could attract a larger audience.
- The effectiveness of monetization through Token purchases is yet to be validated in the competitive digital reading market.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Today, Amazon announced the launch of Kindle Vella, a new mobile-first, interactive reading experience for serialized stories. Available in the U.S. via the Kindle iOS app and on Amazon.com, Kindle Vella stories are published one short episode at a time, each ranging from 600 to 5,000 words—and the first three episodes of every story are free. Subsequent episodes can be unlocked using Tokens, which are available for purchase in bundles in the Kindle iOS app or on Amazon.com. Thousands of stories containing tens of thousands of episodes are available today, with new episodes being published regularly.
Kindle Vella is a mobile-first, interactive experience with several fun features for readers, including:
- Tagging: Readers can use tags to browse for specific topics and genres to find stories.
- Following: Once a reader follows a Kindle Vella story, they’ll be notified every time a new episode is released.
- Thumbs Up: Readers can leave a Thumbs Up on every episode they like.
- Faves: Once a week, readers who have purchased Tokens will receive a Fave to award to the story they enjoyed most that week. Amazon will feature stories with the most Faves in the Kindle Vella store to help other readers discover popular stories.
- Author Notes: Authors can speak directly to their readers at the end of episodes to share story insights and behind-the-scenes content.
- Sharing: It’s easy for readers to share the Kindle Vella stories they love right from their phones through Twitter, Facebook, and other social channels or via email and text with friends.
“We designed Kindle Vella as a mobile-first experience because we know readers are becoming more and more interested in stories that can be read quickly on their phones. At the same time, readers want the connection that you get from reading a story or author for a long period of time,” said David Naggar, vice president of Books and Kindle Content.
“In the three months since we opened Kindle Vella publishing for authors, it’s been great to see thousands of authors begin publishing thousands of stories, totaling tens of thousands of Kindle Vella episodes across dozens of genres and microgenres. Today we’re excited to make all these stories available to readers,” said Virginia Milner, principal product manager, Kindle Vella.
Kindle Vella stories include new work from bestselling authors—including Audrey Carlan’s witty romance The Marriage Auction, Hugh Howey’s memoir Death and Life, and C. G. Cooper’s gripping thriller Daring Hope—as well as breakout debuts like Bard Constantine’s young adult fantasy The Pale Lord, Ryan King’s science fiction story Earth’s Exiles, and Callie Chase’s dystopia Bug.
“I’ve published close to 30 novels, and I’m enjoying the adventure of writing The Marriage Auction in this new format,” said #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author Audrey Carlan. “Kindle Vella works perfectly for an author who really wants to dig into their story and characters, and give the readers something they’ve never read before.”
“Publishing with Kindle Vella was pretty much a no-brainer. Kindle Direct Publishing was already a game-changer for me, and I expect Kindle Vella to continue the trend,” said Bard Constantine, the emerging young adult fantasy author who wrote The Pale Lord. “I’m excited to continue writing and publishing new episodes so my readers can dive deeper and deeper into the story.”
Kindle Vella is available in the U.S. in the Kindle iOS app and on the web at https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/.
For more information about how to publish Kindle Vella stories in the U.S. using Kindle Direct Publishing, please visit kdp.com/Kindle-Vella.
About Kindle Direct Publishing
Kindle Direct Publishing, or KDP, is a free self-publishing service that enables independent authors to reach new audiences and publish their work digitally and in paperback. With KDP, the power of publishing is accessible to readers and authors worldwide, allowing a more robust and diverse set of voices to share stories with a wider audience than ever before.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
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FAQ
What is Kindle Vella from Amazon (AMZN)?
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