Short-form e-book programs have been attracting attention
among university presses as a way to provide in-depth, quality content in a
brief format. Princeton, following the lead of Amazon’s Kindle Singles format,
launched Princeton Shorts last year, with Stanford and the University of North
Carolina presses getting into the business this past spring.
It’s hoped the shorter works will hook readers into buying
the original, much longer version. The titles could also be a useful format in
course adoptions where instructors want to assign chapter-length reading
material. Or it may show how university presses can stay ahead of the
technological curve, according to a post by the American Association of University Presses.
While it’s still too early tell, short-form e-books
have so far not stopped people from buying the complete work. at least not at
Princeton.
“The paperback of [best-selling economics book This
Time is Different] has been selling well and steadily since its release not
long before the release of the short,” said Rob Tempio, editor in charge of the
Princeton Shorts project. “Did sales of the Short drive that? Doubtful. Did
sales of the Short detract from the sales of that? Almost certainly not.”
