A relatively new trend in Christian fiction caught my
attention recently. Electronic short stories—or eShorts—are popping up
everywhere you turn. The neat thing about these miniscule books is that their
authors have discovered several different ways in which to use them.
Others choose to give their readers a bonus book to share
more details about a supporting character the readers fell in love with in a
full length novel. Roseanna M. White gave us a glimpse of Isaac Fairchild’s
life beyond Ring of Secrets with her
eShort, Fairchild’s Lady.
In an
upcoming eShort, available for pre-order now at only 99 cents on Amazon.com, You Made Me Love You delivers the much
anticipated (at least by me!) bonus story of what happened to Seth Rayner after
Beth K. Vogt’s Wish You Were Here.
Another style in this growing trend took me by surprise,
mostly for its uniqueness. Joanne Bischof’s Heartfelt
Recipes is part cook book, part mini-story. Both accompany her Cadence of Grace series. She’s called it
a cookbooklet, which I think is a cool term.
Then there’s a series of novellas written by different
authors, all with similar themes. A prime example is the Year of Weddings series. It features authors such as Deborah Raney,
Rachel Hauck, Katie Ganshert, and Denise Hunter, among others.
Still another type of eShort I’ve enjoyed is the stand-alone
connector. Authors of this kind use them to connect two non-series books
(a.k.a. stand-alone novels). Kim Vogel Sawyer released one recently, called Just As I Am, that fits between her
novels What Once Was Lost and Echoes of Mercy.
With such variety in this new trend, I’m sure authors of all
styles of writing will be able to find one that works for them. And I’m sure
their readers will love getting their hands on these bonus books. I, for one,
am eager for the next one to come across my Kindle!
Which of your
favorite authors has tested the eShort waters? Are you a fan of this growing
trend? What trends have you noticed lately?
Don't forget, I've recently updated my website here at Writing to Inspire. Now there's a page about the proofreading services I offer. Feel free to share it with your writer friends!
Don't forget, I've recently updated my website here at Writing to Inspire. Now there's a page about the proofreading services I offer. Feel free to share it with your writer friends!
7 comments:
I am not really a novella person,the story just tends to end too soon.
I agree I don't like eshorts or novellas. I think it is a gimmick to take more money from the readers. If the author really needs to have them then add it to the book. Could it be the editors are cutting too much out of the authors stories? I hear all the time about how books editors go thru master books with a red pen. By the time the editor is done the story is soooo different.
One more question what happens to the readers when that person does not have a kindle, nook or etc.? The novella in most cases are not in print form. Does this ruin the connection to the new book?
This is just a thought from me. I do not like novellas or eshort stories.
Thanks for popping by, Rebecca! I'm glad to have your input. Even though I enjoy a good novella, I agree that they end way too soon. Blessings to you!
Jayne, thanks for visiting today! I appreciate your taking the time to comment.
In a way, yes, novellas and other short stories are money-makers. But also they are intended to bring joy to the readers. That is why writers write after all, to share stories with their readers. These short stories are ways for authors to give even more (at cheaper prices!) to their readers.
As for not having a Kindle, is there a way to download it to your computer? That might be a possibility.
Blessings to you! I hope you come back soon.
I am loving this trend. I'm so glad e-shorts/novellas are becoming popular. Especially since I am working on 3 novellas. I'm about to write my contemporary and I'm currently researching a historical and a second contemporary. :)
Wow, Alyssa, you sound very busy! Thanks for joining the conversation today. Have fun researching and writing your novellas. I can't wait to read them.
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