Amazon Vella vs. Other Platforms: Which is Better?

Better is a highly subjective term so let’s try looking at this from an objective point of view. I’ve already heard a lot of different perspectives on Amazon Vella – some people are excited while others are highly skeptical. It’s being said that Amazon is just creating a cash grab on the recent popularity of short serialized fiction.

This isn’t exactly untrue. But aren’t all business ventures based on popularity (demand) when you dig deep into their concept? What people need to consider is whether or not the setup is unique to similar programs on the market. Large corporations have a habit of waiting for new opportunities to be vetted before investing in them.

I will say that one of the biggest reasons Amazon is doing this is to keep readers away from other platforms. So they might be willing to lose money on this venture if it means keeping people on Kindle.

Taking a Look at Other Serialized Platforms

Radish

Radish is probably the biggest player in the serialized short story market but it’s never been consistent. Amazon will likely pull authors away from Radish by paying more. Plus it exposes those authors to more readers since we know Amazon will be pushing this program hard.

Patreon

Patreon has become one of the most amazing platforms for content creators to monetize their content. Authors use this platform to provide unique content to their readers in exchange for monthly pledges. This won’t be a direct competitor to Amazon but it’s a platform that proves readers are willing to pay for unique short content.

Wattpad

Wattpad has a huge audience but is marketed to readers looking for free stories. I see Amazon easily pulling authors away from here with a consistent pay structure. Plus freebie readers are far harsher than subscribed readers.

What to Expect with Amazon Vella

This didn’t exactly catch me by surprise. It’s been coming for quite a while. Even though there’s a demand for serialized short stories, no one has exactly capitalized on this opportunity. For better or worse, Amazon will likely dominate this market.

I imagine readers are going to be able to earn free tokens initially by engaging, so authors are highly advised to get onto this platform immediately. The real question is why would readers be willing to pay more?

Quality is the answer. Platforms that pay well are more likely to attract high level authors. Plus there are other benefits to publishing through Amazon. They get a lot of eyeballs on their products so authors are more likely to be discovered.

Be prepared for this new opportunity by having at least 10 episodes written and have at least 5 available at the time the program is released.