Dorchester announced yesterday they are partnering with Texnovel to sponsor a writing competition looking for the next great voice in romantic fiction. If you’re a writer, have a story to tell, know how to text, use a cell phone and have an email account, then this might be your time to win a publishing contract from Dorchester. The contest is called “America’s Next Best Celler” and combines traditional publishing with social networking.
As romance readers we’ve been on the net twittering, texting and networking for years and this contest allows us, the reader to have a voice. I think it’s both unique and controversial at the same time. Here’s the deal:
“The site encourages readers to subscribe to developing works of fiction which are disseminated in chapter-length installments via cell phones and email over a period of time. Subscribers offer direct feedback to authors and vote for their favorite serials, fostering an intimacy between artist and fan similar to reality television.”
Serial books have been popular for centuries. Reading them on your Blackberry or iPhone while you’re on line in the grocery store and being able to give feedback to the author? Oh yeah. How many times have you sat alone in your room reading a book and screaming out loud into the void, “no please don’t let her get away with that”. Or better yet, “hurry it up here, I get the point already”. Or, “yes, yes, that’s exactly the way it should be”. I know I have.
So, for all you aspiring writers who have the guts to put it out there, get feedback from readers and possibly get voted off the island, I say sign up now.
As a reader, will I be downloading your chapters to my phone? You bet.
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orannia
on Jun 3rd, 2009
@ 10:33 pm:
Thank you Marisa! Yet another reason why I need to step into the 21st century and ‘upgrade’