Black Authors on Amazon Shorts

Back in August 2005, Amazon.com introduced Amazon Shorts, previously unpublished essays and short stories between 2,000 and 10,000 words. The Shorts sell for 49 cents and are yours to keep forever! You can read the Shorts online, have it emailed to you, or open a PDF file right after payment.

There are nearly 1,500 Amazon Shorts available today – Biography & Memoirs, Business, Children’s Lit, History, Humor, Literature, Mystery, Essays, Romance, Science Fiction, Serials, Sports, Travel, Western, and many more. Like the other Amazon products, you can read and write reviews of the Shorts, too.

With Amazon Shorts you can take a chance on an author new to you; read something new between books by your favorite author; or simply try a new genre while riding the subway. More than twenty Black authors have published more than 50 stories through Amazon Shorts to date. For 49 cents, become acquainted with:

Family Stories
* Down South: A Granddaughters Memories by Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes, Creative Writing professor.

* Country Girl by Jamaican author Lana M. Ho-Shing

* Wisdom by the Water’s Edge by South Carolina Gullah writer Thomas J. Pyatt

History
* The Liberian Flag Story & Love of Liberty Quilt by Kyra E. Hicks. True story of seven black women who stitched the Liberian national flag. Short includes pattern for queen-size flag quilt.

* The Harlem Renaissance Way Down South by Aberjhani. Learn about Savannah, Georgia’s contributions to 1920s Harlem.

Romance
* The Bright Side of Midnight by Teresa McClain-Watson. 35-page romance in the church?

* The Letters by freelance writer Pittershawn Palmer – This 11-page story has 20+ positive reviews!

* Next Stop by novelist Shamontiel L. Vaughn. 17-page short about a “quickie on the El Train.” One of three Amazon Shorts by Shamontiel.

* What I Want for Christmas! By Carol Ann Culbert Johnson

* A is for Adultery by Carol Ann Culbert Johnson (Wonder if this is the start of an alphabetical romance series!)

* Soul’s Desire by Arabesque, Kimani, and Indigo romance writer Altonya Washington

* Target Life - Love In Jo'burg by Angelina N. Sithebe. Humorous short about a 30-something single mom in Johannesburg, South Africa. Angelina is the author of three Amazon Shorts.

Fiction
* In the Dark by Phillip Thomas Duck. This Short explores what happens when a wife learns from her daughter’s baby monitor that her husband is cheating. Five stars and five reviews!

* Struck By Lightning by Kathy J. Marsh. Sonya, a fairly raional woman, is struck by lightning. She gains the power to see an imminent death – but can she stop it? Kathy J. Marsh has two Amazon Shorts for you to enjoy.

* Family Reunion by Teresa McClain-Watson Two feuding sisters, one family reunion

* Adult Swim by Veronica Chambers Two sisters, one family vacation home. Two highly rated reviews!

* If I Didn’t Know Better by mother-turned-writer Vernon Menchan

* Where Present Meets Past: A Scene from the Indigo Lounge by R&B vocalist and children’s book author Kamichi Jackson.

* A Well-Kept Secret by Jamaican novelist Hazelin Williams

Biography
* Fighting Temptation: The Damon Harris Story by award-winning journalist Stacy Brown

Gay & Lesbian
* Coming Home Tomorrow by playwright and poet Charles W. Harvey

Sci Fi & Fantasy
* Paapa’s Modernization by Nigerian teacher and journalist Dulue Mbachu.

* The Summoner by graphic artist and prolific short story writer Gregory Bernard Banks. He has three Amazon Shorts titles.

* The Hybrid by Eugen M. Bacon. She has more than 15 Amazon Shorts to her credit!

Mystery & Crime
* A Dark Place by playwright and DC cop Quintin Peterson

There’s a long tradition of African American short stories. A few favorites include J. California Cooper, Terry McMillian, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Zora Neale Hurston.

How can you get Amazon Short to publish your story? If you have a book listed on Amazon.com, you meet one of the requirements for the program. The Short remains an Amazon exclusive for six months. It takes about 4 – 6 weeks to get an approval of your story. Then another 4 – 6 weeks to have your Amazon Short go live. John Hart, Content Acquisition Manager for Amazon Shorts, is a delight to work with. Visit www.Amazon.com/Shorts for more details.

Hope you enjoy sampling the stories and essays on Amazon Shorts! Let me know what you think!