Have you discovered Thin Reads? It’s a web site created by digital media pro Howard Polskin. The site is devoted to e-book singles – short fiction or non-fiction that’s longer than a magazine article but shorter than a book.
Here’s what he had to say about his latest venture and the growing e-book industry.
What inspired you to create Thin Reads?
I met with John Tayman, one of the co-founders of the wonderful e-book single company Byliner.com. He told me about this new form of content he was publishing. Before I boarded my flight back to New York, I downloaded two e-book singles from Amazon. By the time I landed, I was hooked on the form.
But I wanted someone to guide me on what to buy and give me a heads-up on what was good. There was nothing in the market. That’s when the light bulb went off to create Thin Reads.
What does Thin Reads offer readers?
For readers coming to my site, there are four simple things we offer: reviews, author interviews, news and analysis of the world of e-book singles, and the world’s largest database of e-book singles (nearly 1,000). At the end of every review, there are links to digital retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple’s iBookstore where readers can buy the stories. Most e-book singles cost about $2.
How do you see the e-book industry growing in the next 5-10 years?
That’s a hard question. If you had told me 10 years ago that we’d all be obsessively squinting at electronic gear in the palms of our hands, reading, I would have said you were crazy. On the other hand, all those millions of smartphones are the perfect platforms for readers to access e-book singles. I think the market for all e-books – long-form and short-form – will keep growing.
Which e-book singles would you recommend?
Have you got an hour? Seriously, there’s a lot to recommend. I just finished “A Phony Oral History of J.D. Salinger,” which is by far the funniest e-book single of the year. My reviewer loved the Lee Child e-book fiction story “High Heat.” Any nonfiction e-book single by Mara Altman is also worth a read.
Which e-books are on your virtual book shelf? What are you reading now?
I’m reading Homer Hickam’s new e-book single memoir “From Rocket Boys to October Sky.” I find there are too many good stories to read and not enough hours in my day. It’s my occupational hazard.
To discover Thin Reads for yourself, visit www.thinreads.com.
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