Faces In The News
Bezos Puts Short Stories In Amazon.com's Cart
Danit Lidor, 08.19.05, 3:18 PM ET
Finally, something for Internet shoppers with short attention spans.
Perhaps that's why Amazon.com's (nasdaq: AMZN - news - people ) Chief Executive Jeffrey Bezos is launching a new service called Amazon Shorts. For 49 cents--that's less than the price of a cup of coffee--readers can download short stories, essays and memoirs by both established and new authors.
The idea is to provide an accessible source for hard-to-market short-form literature. And to provide authors with an opportunity keep in contact with their audiences between books and/or to write something outside their genre. Bestselling authors such as fantasy writer Terry Brooks and romance novelist Danielle Steel have contributed to the effort.
Reminiscent of Apple Computer's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) iTunes? You bet it is, but with some adjustments for the text format: buyers can read the story directly from a Web page, print it out, download it as a .pdf file, or send it to an e-mail address. With a Bluetooth-equipped handheld, readers can take the story--and their $2.50 coffee--to go.
And unlike the paid music service, Amazon Shorts permanently contains the story in an Amazon "digital locker" and allows for unlimited print copies. The stories will not be available off-line.
Amazon Shorts is not likely to be a profitable venture, but the billionaire Bezos can afford to throw a little money at a niche experimental market. At around $43.50, Amazon shares are trading at the highest they've been since February.
