Amazon Beats Google to the Fan-Fiction Punch

By Rick Munarriz – May 30, 2013 at 8:00PM

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Kindle Worlds once again makes Amazon a haven for self-publishing.

Amazon (AMZN -2.56%) introduced Kindle Worlds last week, teaming up with Time Warner (TWX) to allow fans of Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, and Pretty Little Diaries to cash in on fan fiction by publishing their works through the leading online retailer's digital bookstore.

Google (GOOGL -1.23%) has often been the haven of cottage industries in cyberspace, arming webmasters with the ability to seamlessly serve up contextual ads through AdSense and giving video makers revenue-sharing deals through Google's YouTube Partners program. However, Amazon's been the one taking the lead with aspiring writers, and now it's the first to cash in on licensing fan fiction.

In this video, longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz explains why a little fan fiction can go a long way for Amazon.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Amazon.com and Google. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.