Online Book Signings
April 1st, 2009
Although the Kindle and other ebook devices are growing steadily in popularity, there is one advantage that libraries and bookstores still have: author visits and book signings.
Getting to listen to and meet an author in person is a great experience. And it's something that you can only do in person - right? Not any more. Amazon has announced a new program in an effort to recreate this experience for its Kindle customers.
The new "Online Book Signings" portion of their Digital Text Platform lets Kindle customers watch a live webcast of an author talking about their book, and ask the author questions via realtime chat.
But the best part is that people who buy a Kindle version of the book will also be able to get it personalized and signed by the author. A demo (Kindle not required) of three titles is below - click a title, type in your name, and then download the signed book to your Kindle. Pretty neat.
 The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman |
 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman |
 Just After Sunset by Stephen King |
This might start a whole new market for digital autographs - so collect all three!
April 1st, 2009 at 9:33 am
I totally fell for this. You should see my indignant response that I drafted for my site. Ended with something like “I don’t see how this could possibly be taken by anybody as anything more than a joke” – and then I remembered the date.
Nice.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:24 pm
So I was thinking “How much more virtually stupid could people get”….Ah you got me!
But, I’ll bet this is something that Amazon will be looking at (working on) now that you put it out there.
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 am
A few more April Fools-related links, from the Huffington Post: 100 Greatest April Fool’s Day Hoaxes and April Fools 2009! The Best Pranks Of This Year