Orbit Books is getting into e-zines, to a degree. Specifically, the sf imprint of the Hachette Book Group is now offering “to publish digital editions of all original short fiction written by its authors. The digital editions will be distributed widely through major retail channels, for reading on a variety of devices. Authors will be paid a royalty for each story sold.” The stories should begin appearing this autumn.
Orbit’s Publisher, Tim Holman, said “We know that writing short fiction is important for many of our authors. By offering to publish their short fiction—and to publish it quickly—we will be providing a new way for them to connect with readers. The initial response from our authors has been great, and we are looking forward to launching the first stories later this year.”
Holman told Publishers Weekly that the short fiction market “has largely dried up with the closure of print publications” and that he “hopes the digital program will help create a new marketplace for short fiction.”
Stories will be priced at $1.99, with authors’ royalties “in line with Hachette’s prevailing rate of 25% of net receipts.”