Amazon, in what it described as a “tough resolution,” is winding down Kindle Vella and shutting it down utterly in February 2025. When the corporate launched the serialized story platform in 2021, it mentioned Vella was a approach for readers to find new fictional tales and a brand new approach for authors to earn from the Kindle Direct Publishing service. However it hasn’t caught on because it had hoped, Amazon explains on its website, and it has determined to throw within the towel three years after Vella’s debut.
Authors can solely publish tales on Vella till December 4, which can also be the final day readers should buy tokens. Whereas readers will not be capable to buy tokens after that, they will proceed utilizing these tokens to unlock episodes till this system closes in February. The excellent news for individuals who’ve been following particular authors or tales on Vella is that they will not lose their entry to no matter episodes they’ve already unlocked even after the platform shuts down. They’ll at all times learn the tales they’ve bought of their library within the Kindle app for iOS and Android, although they will not open them on the net. Any token they do not use by February will likely be refunded.
Responses to Vella have been fairly lukewarm because it grew to become out there. Some authors favored the truth that they might use it to earn cash from unfinished tales, whereas some readers mentioned they’d favor getting an entire ebook as a substitute of paying for installments. Personally, as somebody who follows numerous indie authors, I solely know of 1 who publishes on Vella and really, only a few readers who really use it. Amazon tried drumming up curiosity earlier this yr by making the first ten episodes of a narrative, as a substitute of simply three, out there to readers free of charge. The corporate has additionally tried holding authors on the platform by giving away bonuses, however its methods in all probability did not work sufficient to make it contemplate holding Vella round longer.
For those who purchase one thing by way of a hyperlink on this article, we could earn fee.
Trending Merchandise