Amazon kicked open the door this afternoon to bloggers of all stripes to get their work on the book seller’s breakout e-reader device; the Kindle.
Previously you could subscribe to a handful of pre–selected blogs on the Kindle, but Amazon now lets all publishers submit their feed for sale in the Kindle marketplace. Prices range from $0.99 – $1.99 a month for a subscription; and Amazon shares this revenue with you, the blog owner.
Creating an account and submitting your blog is pretty straight-forward. I had this blog up and running in a couple of minutes (though it takes Amazon 24-48 hours to review and accept your blog).
Right now there’s a mad land rush to corner the blossoming market for e-readers (witness the Kindle DX’s launch only 3 months after the Kindle 2). New devices from makers like Plastic Logic and a long-rumored Apple tablet stand only to accelerate the changes in the way we consume the written word in the coming months.
This move towards digital ink has a fundamental impact on the way organizations, brands and professionals (Realtors indeed) will communicate with customers. Case in point, delivered electronically to a Kindle, your local newspaper comes stripped of advertising, thus eliminating one traditional touch point for marketers.
But imagine instead a monthly real estate market report delivered wirelessly to a widely distributed network of opt-in (paying, even!) wired consumers via Whispernet. Much more valuable than any ad could ever be.
I truly believe these devices are game changing and will be speaking on the subject at this summer’s Real Estate Connect conference in a panel titled “How the Amazon Kindle Will Change Your Business” (natch). Make sure you register and snag a pass quickly!
In the meantime, if you have already Kindle, head out and subscribe and read FOREM on the go. Let me know what you think.
