A live-streaming app has launched Book.TV, a channel created for people just like you.
The streaming service, OOOOO, began as a social media and shopping app but has set its sights on becoming one of the world’s biggest online communities.
The channel was launched on International Women’s Day by author Melanie Blake who discussed her book Ruthless Women, published by Head of Zeus.
“Book.TV is a channel devoted to celebrating talented authors, independent bookshops and bookworms, delivering a lucrative platform and much-needed boost for the UK’s publishing industry impacted by the pandemic,” a spokesperson from OOOOO told The Bookseller.
“Book.TV is an informative and interactive live shoppable channel with the aim to provide entertainment and education to the OOOOO community, immersing them in the world of written word and literature through live, entertaining and shoppable readings.”
The channel hopes to provide “the opportunity for established and emerging authors to perform live readings to a highly engaged, interactive crowd. At the same time, the audience can discover new talent, virtually ‘meet and greet’ their favourite authors and enjoy free live, intimate performances.”
Live shows will include a wide range of readings by authors including commercial fiction, crime thrillers, YA romance, literary titles, children’s books and comics.
According to the OOOOO founders, Book.TV “is also a unique, lucrative sales channel for the author, publisher or book retailer to gain earning potential during real-time performances. Copies of the narrated book, including exclusive first editions and signed copies, will be available for purchase during the show. What really makes the live-streamed experience on Book.TV inimitable is both viewers and performers can enjoy two-way interaction, with a cutting-edge integrated ‘tipping’ feature to further bolster earnings during the show. This feature enables fans to purchase and send virtual ‘gifts’ to the narrator, with each symbol representing a monetary value they receive post-show.”
Head of Zeus publishing director, Laura Palmer, describes the channel as “a game changer for the publishing industry”.
“Imagine if authors could directly sell books to their fans via twitter or Instagram?” she says “This is exactly what OOOOO.com offers. At a time when we need diverse retail channels more than ever, when book festivals are postponed and authors are unable to go to signings, OOOOO.com has come up with a solution that the publishing industry badly needs.”
Co-founder of the service, Sam Jones, said: “The launch of Book.TV is part of our wider goal to provide educational and informative channels for the OOOOO community. Book.TV will connect the audience with the wonderful world of the written word, renowned authors such as Melanie and emerging talent through a unique, live and interactive experience.”
“Our view is that the retail industry will never truly recover from this year. Instead, people will form new habits and seek new ways to earn a living. We want to be part of this inevitable shift, with Book.TV playing a key role in bolstering the publishing industry.”
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