Amazon is reinventing the literary journal for the digital age with the advent of their new imprint, Day One. It will be a weekly publication dedicated to short fiction—including work from debut authors and stories from around the world translated into English—and poetry. Day One will showcase one writer and one poet per week. The first issue is available today and features the short story “Sheila,” by Rebecca Adams Wright, and “Wrought,” a poem by Zack Strait.
“Literary journals have long been an important part of giving a voice and a platform to new and undiscovered authors,” said Daphne Durham, Publisher, Adult Trade and Children’s Group. “We are trying to add to that tradition in a digital age. Day One, with its weekly focus on writers and poets, allows us to showcase unique stories and poems and shine a bright light on these authors.”
Each issue will be delivered to your Kindle e-Reader, Tablet or via the companies official apps for iOS or Android. An annual subscription to Day One is priced at $19.99, but for a limited time, Day One will be available at an introductory price of $9.99 for an annual subscription—52 issues in total. You can check out or sign up for the service HERE.
Amazon promised the launch of more imprints when the leader of Amazon Publishing in New York, Larry Kirshbaum, announced that he was leaving the company early next year. There is an air of uncertainty regarding the publishing future because the new CEO Daphne Durham is based in Seattle. Amazon Publishing as a whole is not a major player in New York and their bids for exclusive books has waned due to Barnes and Noble and other retailers refusing to stock the books in their stores. Day One might do well because it lives in a digital only environment, which may be an indication on the new direction o f Amazon Publishing.
Michael Kozlowski has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past twelve years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.