I got some interesting news a couple of days ago. Two short stories (fiction) I wrote last year appeared as Amazon Shorts, where they are for download at $0.49 each. It seems that the giant bookseller (and seller of other goods) has a section offering short (about 2,000 to 10,000 words each) stories, articles, and book excerpts for download at that nominal price. Only those who already have books for sale on Amazon can participate.

This program apparently has been going on for a couple of years, but I only learned of it a few months ago. It seemed like an interesting idea, so with nothing to lose, I applied. I'm always exploring new outlets for writing, both for myself and for readers of my blogs and my column. To my surprise, my two stories about senior women, "Volunteer" and "Marie's Story," were accepted. Yesterday, I watched a friend of mine buy, download, and print out one of the stories, so I know that the process works. (Unfortunately, I don't have enough friends to ensure many sales--and how much can one make on whatever the author's share of $0.49 is?)

If there's a message for my fellow elders here, it's "Never be afraid to try new things." I've never been very good at writing fiction, but I'm glad I've tried. This world is full of new things to explore and try. And if you're already a published writer, no matter how unknown, give Amazon Shorts a try.

Here's a link to my books and my Amazon Shorts. I hope my readers, if any, will write Amazon customer reviews. Tell me what you think, too.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/105-2997487-5818060?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Marlys%20Marshall%20Styne