Could Amazon soon be marketing long-form journalism?

Amazon could be edging towards getting into the long-form journalism business with the launch of Kindle Singles. It's clearly intended for book excerpts, essays or works in the 10,000 to 30,000 word range (30 to 90 pages), but it raises the possibility of magazine journalists marketing meatier articles this way. The singles will have their own section in the online Kindle store and be priced much less than a typical book, Amazon said in a release.

"Today’s announcement is a call to serious writers, thinkers, scientists, business leaders, historians, politicians and publishers to join Amazon in making such works available to readers around the world," the release said.

“Ideas and the words to deliver them should be crafted to their natural length, not to an artificial marketing length that justifies a particular price or a certain format,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. “With Kindle Singles, we’re reaching out to publishers and accomplished writers and we’re excited to see what they create.”

Techcrunch observed:

This new format is is important because Kindle Singles opens up a market for new authors. Singles gives bloggers and writers out there who don’t have time to write a book the opportunity to publish a pamphlet or shorter work. And it seems fairly easy for writer to publish these works. Amazon will work directly with publishers and writers to publish Kindle Singles. Amazon says that “Any rights holder can use the already popular Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP) to self-publish work in the Kindle Store, and this include Kindle Singles.”

Singles will be able to be read on Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, and Android-based devices.Writers who want to be considered for Kindle Singles can contact digital-publications[at]amazon[dot]com.