The new digital publishing model has changed all that. It’s allowed writers who have been constantly rejected from New York as being “unmarketable” to now earn an audience. A global audience. It’s also helped writers like me who have previously been published by major New York publishers but who didn’t earn our a mid-six-figure advance, to once again enter into the game, but this time with books that will remain in print and in electronic form, forever and ever.
But the digital age has also offered us something more. Something very mighty, yet at the same time, very small in length. I’m talking about the Digital Short. Known to most of us as the plain old short story, the Digital Short is more than that. Written to read like a short novel or novelette, the DS is published by your traditional book publisher with its own striking cover, and alluring product description. When you go to Amazon.com to checkout a new DS for the first time, you feel like you’re looking at brand new, novel- length book. But in reality, the story might comprise 5000 words or even less.
Unlike traditional short stories, the Digital Short, as it’s name implies, will never see print. It will however be made available to legions of fans who either already by that author’s books or who are curious about that author and want to get a taste of his or her work without spending too much money. Speaking of money, the beauty of the DS is that it costs less than a buck. For less than a small, rancid cup of coffee at your average roadside gas station you can enjoy a lifetime of reading and viewing pleasure from a Digital Short. All you get from the pricier cup of coffee is heartburn.
My new Digital Short, Pathological, published by Stone House Ink, is actually adopted from a crime short that was previously published it two literary journals. It’s not only mean to keep my faithful readers happy but it’s also used as a marketing tool to lure more readers to my full-length fiction. And the story seems to be popular. After only one day on Amazon and Smashwords, Pathological, is already approaching bestselling numbers. It is solidly propping up my brand new bestselling thriller, The Remains, and will continue to do so for months, up until and including the novel’s Trade Paperback publication and audio publication come this November.
So, what are the four main ingredients to a successful Digital Short?
Just like a full-length novel it requires:
-A striking cover
-A great price
-A catchy but brief product description
-A great, great, great story
Both me and my publisher plan on digitizing more of my short fiction and creating a series of Digital Shorts. When we have published ten of them, we’ll put them together in a full-length publication that will be as striking as the original, individual stories themselves.
The price will be right, the cover will rock, and the product description will make you want to die before not buying the book.
And of course, the stories will be great!
If you like heart pounding, page turning, can’t put down, read late into the night thrillers, mysteries and suspense, then check out these 3 reads, I promise, you won’t be disappointed!!!!!
***I just got the word……the very busy, Vin Zandri, has generously offered to stop by all weekend to answer any questions you may have or reply to any comments. So grab a seat, get comfy and ask away !!!!!!!!!!!!!! ***
