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BookCrossing operates on a “catch and release” system. You have a book, tag it with a number and some instructions, then leave it lying somewhere for someone else to find. Whoever finds it can read it, then register it by posting a new location (or review), then re-release it out into the wild for the next lucky reader to find. Wonderful idea. A quick look through the site shows several titles with astonishingly long legs.
You can also search for any book on their site. Search results include not only color book cover, link to booksellers, and Amazon reviews, it also includes books registered, books in the wild, reviews by those who caught the book, and who would like a copy.
The top 10 list of most registered titles reads like the NY Times bestsellers list: Da Vinci Code, Life of Pi, Five People You Meet in Heaven, etc.
For booksellers and retailers, take a look at their crossing zone program. Designate a section of your store for free bookcrossing books to bring in book lovers and avid readers into your store!
Have you heard of BookCrossing? Would you use this community to help publicize your books?
Did you see this on the New York Times last week? The Printed Blog is a Chicago start-up looking to produce a local newspaper BY REPRINTING BLOG POSTS! While I have to give them props for being innovative and trying something new, I have to say I have my doubts. Not only does this produce more environmental waste, this goes against the very nature of blogs itself! The popularity of blogs lie in their interactive nature. Readers can comment and converse with the writer, click on links in the article, watch related videos immediately, etc. The Printed Blog is pretty much planning on taking all that interactivity away!
Though speaking of interactivity, I do like the idea of having local readers vote on their favorite content to create their own newspaper. This part I can get behind.
This idea is interesting enough that I’ll have to keep an eye on how they do. Goodness knows traditional newspapers and magazines need to be revamped in some way. If you’re in Chicago, San Francisco, or New York, pick up a copy (coming soon!), and let me know what you think!
Pardon this interruption to the 2009 Social Media Prediction series as we break for a quickie PoD Review.
If you haven’t used Socializr yet, I urge you to check this company out. One of the things book publicists do all the time (maybe too much!) is to worry about events. Our authors want events, our publishers want events, our readers want events, etc. etc. Socializr is a great tool that allows companies to create profiles and CREATE THEIR OWN INVITATION TEMPLATES. That means, all an author (or a rabid fan) has to do is to click on a link and an invitation that you designed yourself can be used to organize their own book event. What a way to keep some control over your book’s brand. And users can even incorporate video and music into the invitation, link an account to Facebook, and more. Forget Evite. Have you ever tried to speak with their customer service team? DON’T DO IT. It is an exercise in epic failure. Socializr is a welcomed breath of fresh air on a hot and smoggy day.
