That’s how I’m feeling about the demise of Kindle Vella. I was really hopeful the platform would be amazing, but they certainly blew it.
Yes, it’s officially gone now. February was the end of the platform I championed from the beginning, way back in July of 2022. I mean, I had two stories running at launch! Third Time’s a Charm AND True Tales of Elliot Shaw, Adventurer, the second of which I wrote specifically for KV. You see, I really enjoy the serial story format. Can probably blame the hours of my youth wasted in front of a television – for that, and my nearsightedness – but I just find it such a delightful way to tell stories.
I find it a rather relaxed format to work in. I can spin small yarns or larger ones to weave into even greater tapestries that span years or even decades. It’s a beautiful bridge between the short story and the novel and I find it perfectly suitable for today’s fast paced consumption of story.
“I’m a formerly voracious reader” is a line I often break out at conventions, and it’s true. Back in school, I’d read 25-50 books a year on top of whatever classes assigned (My choices were so much better) and loved every second of them, but then adulthood responsibilities and a generally hectic life quashed that downtime and I had to fight for every second I got with the page. Which then further shrank when my own writing took over those moments.
SO, I decided to make the most of what little time I did have, and write tightly and with intent – cramming as much wonder and thrill into as small a package as I could. I started off with flash fictions, as you may have read, but it left me wanting.
Enter Elliot Shaw, an adventurer who sells stories – ones he lives so you may tell. Stories within stories, perfect for the serial format. Then along came Felix and hooo boy did that take off. Each chapter a full story, building to grander tales and schemes, arcing through three full books – each complete in and of themselves, all while their sum is far greater. A story you can pick up and put down at leisure, never having to remember exactly where you where, because more often than not Felix doesn’t either.
I’m now looking for new homes for my serials. There aren’t a whole lot of options. I’ve investigated Wattpad – being initially drawn to it for the promise it held – but have discounted it due to the toxicity of the community. Royal Road is a great option for serials, just nothing I write. It tends to skew much more to LitRPG and Progression Fantasy, neither of which I currently write. Ream has a lot of drama surrounding it, as far as I can tell, and tends to skew more Romantasy – which I also don’t write. I could always just go Patreon, but there’s such limited discoverability there. And I just don’t know how Substack is for straight fiction.
Inkspired is currently the front runner as it has a structure I really like, but OMG the incessant ADS in the reading space from questionable sources. I currently have Elliot up there as a trial, but if you check it out, make sure your adblock is working properly or you use a browser such as Brave.
So yeah, the death of Vella has me feeling some kind of way.
I’ll be eternally grateful it existed for as long as it did. The platform and its bonus program incentivizing new content and engagement let me bridge the gap between full time job and full time author at a time in my life I was desperately needed at home (but that’s a separate blog post) and also provided that dopamine hit of new readers enjoying my words that really pushed me to produce. I mean, I now have five solo titles to my name and am about to launch three more thanks to that push. Just wish they hadn’t fumbled it sooooo hard.
Anyone have any better ideas? Wanna start something new? Bueller? Bueller?