Amazon will pay some authors based on how many pages you read
Authors are normally paid a consistent amount for every e-book you download, no matter how much of a page-turner it is. Amazon might just shake up that model before long, though. As of July 1st, the internet giant will pay Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners' Lending Library authors based on the number of pages you read. In theory, this compensates writers for their hard work on longer titles while encouraging quality material. And no, they can't pad things out by using a larger font or extra spacing, like you would in a college essay that's just a page too short. Amazon is using a normalized page count that accounts for how much content is actually there, so the rate should be the same no matter the layout.
How well this formula will work is still up in the air. Images will count as content, so you may see novels with a few extra illustrations that weren't really necessary. The move may also inadvertently punish authors of industry guides, textbooks and other material that you aren't likely to read cover-to-cover. More importantly, there's a concern that writers will compromise stories by including lots of cliffhangers, epilogues and anything else that might keep you reading for a little bit longer. The impact may be limited given that subscriptions are only one part of Amazon's strategy, but it won't be surprising if the per-page revenue shapes certain authors in the same way that serials influenced the likes of Charles Dickens.
