Introducing BookShout!
Every once in awhile I receive a request to check something out on the web and blog about it. The tech savvy and faith filled folks at BookShout! asked me to check out their new addition to social media and reading.
This groundbreaking platform allows you to purchase and read select free books from Random House and other publishers.
BookShout! is a new social/e-reading platform that has relationships with 120 publishers whose books are available via the app, including most Christian books and now it is forming relationships with most of the big mainstream publishers. Random House has already partnered with BookShout! and many other publishers are in the works.
The app is currently only available on iPhone and iPad, but android and web-based versions will follow soon. BookShout! has impressed users by not only allowing them to read a book but to further experience, discuss and dialogue about it with others. Bookshout! connects people around reading, and its simple and elegant user interface takes interacting and note sharing to a whole new level.
Unlike other reading platforms which only display random public highlights, BookShout! users can create personal reading groups – known as “reading circles” – of any size, which can be made public or private. Each reader can see and interact with others’ notes and comments with a unique multi-colored highlighting system.
Caitln Murr wrote a post about BookShout! for author media.com.
“Think of BookShout as an online book club…on steroids.”
From Christian Post Reporter Alex Murashko:
“Rethink Books says that through their Facebook connections, users can create “reading circles” of any size, which can be made public or private. It can be a virtual group or a group with a physical location. Each reader can see what others in their reading circle highlight as well as read their notes and comments with a unique multi-colored highlighting system. Other readers’ notes can also be turned off without having to “un-friend” them.”
I signed up for free for a look-see. The hard part for me is I’m a Droid user, and the app isn’t ready. There are free books to choose from but scrolling through, many are samplers. I have a decent mix of FB friends who are in the writing industry, and they aren’t signed up yet. Yes, I can invite them, but personally, I want to see more first.
The site is clean and easy to sign up, especially through FB.
Michael Hyatt is an author and former CEO for Thomas Nelson. He’s also on the board for Rethink Books, the company behind BookShout! When his name is attached, I find it to be a quality product. His affiliation is a great asset.
Rethink Books CEO and Founder Jason Illian was the CEO for Godtube and is excited about the potential for enhanced conversations book club members can have when they use BookShout! with their reading. Instead of checking in once a week or so, members could see notes other members were highlighting. It definitely looks like a great social medium addition.
For me personally, I’m going to sit back and wait on it. Wait for the Droid app. Wait to find more people using it. I’m not a big book club person, I tend to read a lot, give a quick rating on Shelfari and Goodreads, and answer individual questions as they come. But for book club readers, I think BookShout! is on to something.
Are you a BookShout! member? What are your thoughts?
