Novels written on Cell Phones make it big in Japan
From the New York Times: Japan’s best celling authors (LOL) are using their thumbs to write. The authors and readers are mostly young women and the stories are mostly about tragic love. Sentences are simple and descriptions are limited. The writing resembles text messages, with shorted slang and smily faces. :) Cell phone authors upload their text to various cell novel websites where they are displayed in serial novel form. Publishers have started reissuing these books as published hard copies, where they have gone on to become best sellers.
OMG, I think this is crazy cool – talk about empowering the masses! The internet has opened doors to new forms of literature and self expression. Take blogging – now anyone can be a journalist! E-publishing has expanded the number of authors and types of books that are published. (Though the traditional publishing world is still wary of it – At the PNWA conference we were warned away from self-publishing on the internet.) And why shouldn’t we embrace new opportunities for creativity? I don’t think I’ll be reading a cell phone novel anytime soon (I hate tragic stories) but I applaud my generation for its entrepreneurial spirit. Pick up those iPhones and set your thumbs a-tapping!
(PS this is a picture of my beautiful baby Shadow. He’s 17 and a half and I adore him! :) )
Tags: cell phone novels, Japan, publishing, writing
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
January 23, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Hello Ciara, if you like this concept, you should check out storymash.com!
January 30, 2008 at 4:14 am
17.5, that’s brilliant! My Tigger only made it to about 11 before she had to be put down. Yay for Shadow :-)
Have a lovely day! :-)