Orbit to Publish Digital Short Fiction

Orbit, Hachette Book Group's science fiction and fantasy imprint, will launch a digital short fiction publishing program later this year.

The imprint will publish digital editions of all original short fiction written by its authors, according to a statement released by the publisher. The digital editions will be distributed through major retail channels, for reading on a variety of devices. Authors will be paid a royalty for each story sold, rather than the flat fee more common in the short story market.

“We know that writing short fiction is important for many of our authors. By offering to publish their short fiction—and to publish it quickly—we will be providing a new way for them to connect with readers," says Tim Holman, Orbit vice president and publisher. "The initial response from our authors has been great, and we are looking forward to launching the first stories later this year.”

“Publishing timely and well-priced short fiction has long been one of HBG’s goals. The digital reading revolution and the proliferation of new devices and mobile platforms now make this possible,” says Maja Thomas, senior vice president, Hachette Digital.

Orbit was launched in 2007. Its authors include Joe Abercrombie, Iain M. Banks, Greg Bear, Gail Carriger, Karen Miller, Kim Stanley Robinson and Brent Weeks.