The Multimedia Experience

[imagegod]

Why aren't more books 'Multimedia Experiences'? Why don't they have specific, related websites? (Not auther blogs...websites with fictional stuff, like I believe 'Lost' has incorporated:
http://www.oceanicflight815.com/noflash.html
In fact, 'Lost' has also created real fictional books from so-called 'fictional' writers...I believe).

Related music CD's (especially if one of the characters is a musician)...related online artwork (especially if one of the characters is an artist), related fictional blogs from fictional characters...I could go on. It's very inexpensive to create...where's the imagination?

Just asking...not saying people should do it...just wondering why it isn't done more (if at all).

Thanks!

[justpat]

That is something to think about.

[Chris Grey]

If that question is a theoretical, the answer is: because it's a lot of work.

The synergy is easier for some forms of media than others. TV - film - video game - comic book. All translate easily into another. Take 300 - the film is pretty much a translation of the comic, and could conceivably be translated into a miniseries without much change or work; add some button mashing and you've translated it into a video game, and the soundtrack CD is a no-brainer. An affiliated website is also a no-brainer at this point.

Book, though? There's work involved translating any of the above into a book, and even more work translating a book into any of the above.

If you already have one of the above, it's relatively easy to make one of the other. In, say, 300, you already know what it's supposed to look like, the original was pretty specific there. If you start with a movie or TV series or video game, you know what it's supposed to look and sound like. Nobody can watch the Gilligan's Island movies and complain, "That's not how I imagined Gilligan to look!"

Books are different. There's only one medium involved: the reader's imagination. There's no reference, no easy adapt-and-paste. The greatest descriptive prose still depends entirely on the reader's perception. Anybody can watch The Lord of the Rings and complain that they don't agree with Frodo's hairstyle.

If that makes any sense, that's what I posit as my answer to a theoretical question.

[ClaudiaGray]

Actually, a decent number of authors do have MySpace pages or blogs for characters, post links to playlists of sample soundtracks, etc. I'm sure the number will only grow. I plan to do a fair bit of this before Evernight is published next year.

However, as I've been mulling over my plans, I've realized the limits of what I can do. If I do a promotional blog in, say, my MC's voice, won't I end up spoiling the big plot twists and ending of my own book? It's something to consider. You have to leave the big revelations to the book, ultimately.

[imagegod]

If that question is a theoretical, the answer is: because it's a lot of work.

The synergy is easier for some forms of media than others. TV - film - video game - comic book. All translate easily into another. Take 300 - the film is pretty much a translation of the comic, and could conceivably be translated into a miniseries without much change or work; add some button mashing and you've translated it into a video game, and the soundtrack CD is a no-brainer. An affiliated website is also a no-brainer at this point.

Book, though? There's work involved translating any of the above into a book, and even more work translating a book into any of the above.

If you already have one of the above, it's relatively easy to make one of the other. In, say, 300, you already know what it's supposed to look like, the original was pretty specific there. If you start with a movie or TV series or video game, you know what it's supposed to look and sound like. Nobody can watch the Gilligan's Island movies and complain, "That's not how I imagined Gilligan to look!"

Books are different. There's only one medium involved: the reader's imagination. There's no reference, no easy adapt-and-paste. The greatest descriptive prose still depends entirely on the reader's perception. Anybody can watch The Lord of the Rings and complain that they don't agree with Frodo's hairstyle.

If that makes any sense, that's what I posit as my answer to a theoretical question.
A thoughtful answer...and certainly valid to a great extent.

But I'm thinking more along the lines of a 'multimedia addendum'...for example, when movies give a fictional phone number (555-xxxx), I never understood why they never create an actual number you could call, for say movie related shlock.

I'm not thinking of a full-blown translation into another medium, per se. Rather, why can't a YA novel, for quick example, have their dysfunctional MC post an online blog complaining about their dysfunctional mother?

Or a website with related photographs. Or a website where someone posts a MC's 'found' diary. The ideas are endless...and simply NEVER pursued.

[Tish Davidson]

Plus, publishing is so slow that by the time a book comes out, the author often is involved in writing another book, and going back to a previous work is not especially appealing.

[Chris Grey]

A thoughtful answer...and certainly valid to a great extent.

But I'm thinking more along the lines of a 'multimedia addendum'...for example, when movies give a fictional phone number (555-xxxx), I never understood why they never create an actual number you could call, for say movie related shlock.

I'm not thinking of a full-blown translation into another medium, per se. Rather, why can't a YA novel, for quick example, have their dysfunctional MC post an online blog complaining about their dysfunctional mother?

Or a website with related photographs. Or a website where someone posts a MC's 'found' diary. The ideas are endless...and simply NEVER pursued.

But how much of the MC's diary or blog could you actually post? If you do too much, as Claudia said, you run into spoilers. Maybe you could do an ilovebees approach and stop it right before the book begins, but then how's it different from just being a creative promo page? To do anything more would require a lot of work, and the effort would probably be best put to use in writing a second book.

Also, don't some studios use numbers they own in movies for promotional purposes? Can't think of any examples, but after 867-5309 I think everyone in the marketing biz wants a nice number like that.

[imagegod]

Plus, publishing is so slow that by the time a book comes out, the author often is involved in writing another book, and going back to a previous work is not especially appealing.
I don't disagree...and I understand the sentiment.

But the effort is so (relatively) minimal and the payoff is relatively large...that is, the payoff of increasing interest in the work, increasing enjoyment (at least potentially), while increasing its power to touch and move people.

But again, I'm not saying writers should do this...just wondering why they don't...which you've answered, at least in part.

Thanks!

[veinglory]

I would say it is because readers on the whole don't care. The estimate I saw was that only 15% have ever looked online for supplimental information about any book or author (not counting just looking to buy the book itself). Even websites for major TV shows are so woefully unused by fans that I have a sideline being a paid forum poster for one (currently airing, hit show).

Also what is the benefit? If they haven't read the book the site is of no interest. If they have, they've already paid all they are going to. Buying more books in the series is bound to be 99% determine just by the quality of previous books.

[Chris Grey]

I would say it is because readers on the whole don't care. The estimate I saw was that only 15% have ever looked online for supplimental information about any book or author (not counting just looking to buy the book itself). Even websites for major TV shows are so woefully unused by fans that I have a sideline being a paid forum poster for one (currently airing, hit show).

Also what is the benefit? If they haven't read the book the site is of no interest. If they have, they've already paid all they are going to. Buying more books in the series is bound to be 99% determine just by the quality of previous books.

Half those 15% were probably for series' readers wondering when the next book is coming out after getting hooked on the series by a friend who pushed it on them three books in, all shaking their e-fists and emoting "what do you mean you're not done with book 4? lol" and stuff.

[imagegod]

but then how's it different from just being a creative promo page?
If it's very creative than it's very different...but I understand your point.

[Tish Davidson]

I don't disagree...and I understand the sentiment.

But the effort is so (relatively) minimal and the payoff is relatively large...that is, the payoff of increasing interest in the work, increasing enjoyment (at least potentially), while increasing its power to touch and move people.

But again, I'm not saying writers should do this...just wondering why they don't...which you've answered, at least in part.

Thanks!


Depends on the demographic of your book. I'm not convinced the payoff is that large. People who spend a lot of recreational time on the Web tend to assume that everyone else does too, but I think once people get into the kids, family, climb the corporate ladder demographic, recreational Web time is one of the first things to go.

[justpat]

So, is this the kind of thing you're talking about? I created a website for my book, it includes a game related to the story, a history of my universe, and a map, none of which are need-to-know to read the book, I just thought it would be a nice addition. www.farwalkers.com (http://www.farwalkers.com)

[Lotheus]

Hey, that looks really nice, Pat. Good job!

[Marcusthefish]

Publishers and bookstores tried to break multimedia back in the mid-1990s. I was at the 1995 ABA convention (before they called it BookExpo), and you couldn't walk the aisles without tripping over a display of PCs showing how books could become "multimedia." Remember when every Borders bookstore had a multimedia section? I think they were gone by around 1996.

The problem was that nobody would buy them. Why? Because paper is cheaper and more durable and portable than a PC plus CD-ROM, and turning a book into an experience for the screen takes a lot more than a poorly-paid author, editor, designer, and printer, and is consequently much more expensive.

MTF

[Prawn]

Orson Sctott Card has a website (http://www.hatrack.com/cgi-bin/ubbbattleschool/ultimatebb.cgi) where people actually play the game described in his book Ender's game. Let me check the post count...just the game alone has more than 20,000 posts, and that is just one part of the site.