The Emperor's New Clothes: On the Release of Kindle Singles and the Rise of E-Everything
I've always related to the child in the story, The Emperor's New Clothes. In it, said kid can't figure out why everyone around him sees something that isn't there. I can't remember how the story ends, but I know from real life people hate the poor dufus who points out the obvious. Especially when said person shines a light on facts no one wants to believe.
In 2005, no one wanted to hear that it might not be a good time to buy a house. My family thinks I'm a loon when I talk about climate change. Similarly, whenever bloggers report trends showing that e-books are overtaking print, commenters always cry foul.
While I agree that sales data can be spun a number of ways, the data kinda obviously show that e-books are gaining momentum. And given that, objectively, print sales are declining, it stands to reason…
And this is where people insist on seeing The Emperor's New Clothes. Print books smell better! You can read them at the beach/in the bath/etc. Paper has something to do with apple pie, social justice, the republican party, and abstract concepts of right and wrong.
Print MUST survive, because it's like…um, "better."
Lately I've been thinking about story length and e-books. I prefer to read shorter stories in an e-format than I do in print, and I've been wondering whether the e-shift will engender a trend towards shorter works. Harlequin Spice Briefs, for example, are great for a Sunday afternoon read. Plus, I've noticed several publishing houses run lines for short stories– Nocturne Bites, Lust Bites, etc. Similarly, Ravenous Romance standardizes it's books to a short-novel length and sets it's pricing at $4.99 per book.
So when I saw Kindle's new platform for cheaper, shorter-length non-fiction (aka Kindle Singles) today, I felt vindicated– but also frustrated.
No one wants to hear that e-books will spark a movement to shorter, cheaper books. Sure, the success of Spice Briefs and Lust Bites illustrates the market demand for brief reads. Of course, time and again readers state e-books should be cheaper and argue they won't spend over $4.99 for an e-book from a new-to-them author.
But why listen to numbers, facts, and market research, when 90,000 words at $9.99 "feels" so much better? That stupid Daisy Harris! Doesn't she realize that 90,000 words is a book length dictated by the almighty?
After 38 years living on earth, I've come to realize I'm incapable of seeing The Emperor's New Clothes. I can't force myself to believe something just because I'm supposed to or everyone else does. And because I'm an effin' idiot, I can't stop myself from acting like the kid in the story.
The emperor is naked. He just is. Oh, and in a few years everyone will read e-books. 
