submit to reddit

blook.jpgHackoff.com: An Historic Murder Mystery Set in the Internet Bubble and Rubble is a “blook” by Tom Evslin, who’s making a blog, a wiki, discussion forums and an RSS feed an essential part of his new murder mystery. Not only that: the first chapter is terrific.
This book surely will bring about dozens, if not hundreds of other blooks, and a sea change in staid old publishing. I’ve always thought book publishing was a front for something else because so few books get any kind of promotion or achieve any kind of sales.
Evslin’s version of the book tells it his way. On the wiki the community can develop its own version. Evslin says a “blook” is an online book distributed on blogs. “There are only a couple of them in existence so we are making up the rules as we go along.”
His four reasons for creating a blook:
– First, blogs are where the readers are.
– Second, readers find blogs without the help of traditional gatekeepers; blogs are “discovered” and become successful (or don’t) in an interesting democratic way.
– Third, online distribution makes it economically feasible to distribute free copies of the book.
– Fourth, an online book should do things a print book can’t.
The hardcover is scheduled for 2006. As Seth Godin has pointed out, the hardcover will be a souvenier of the online experience. Godin has given away many of his books online, and promoted them with blogs, but never made a blog an integral part of the plot.
, ,