Why short stories are selling for millions

It’s no secret that the entertainment industry is struggling. In the past month or so, both Sony and Disney have announced layoffs, and the number of shows and movies being made is lower than it was even a few years ago. But there is one market in Hollywood that’s hot right now: short stories.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Antonia Cereijido, senior reporter at L.A. Material, about her piece on the short story boom, which actually started with stories from a popular Reddit thread.

“The traditional Hollywood model is either you do a pitch or you basically have a whole script written out,” Cereijido said. “And this is kind of in between.”

The stories are typically in the horror or science fiction world and have been bought by companies like Amazon and Netflix.

Click the audio player above to hear the interview.