Islington News: Anna Lewis | Oliver Brook | Jon Gibraith

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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 13 March 2009

Anna Lewis, Oliver Brook and Jon Gibraith

Ace book! New site allows literature fans to chat about novels

Friends launch business that sells low-cost prints

THREE friends from Highbury have launched a revolutionary online publishing service which they believe could change the face of the book industry.
CompletelyNovel.com is an internet-based social network of readers and writers aiming to dispense with big publishers and book store chains in much the same way as Amazon dispensed with the need for people to go out and shop.
The team say they can dramatically reduce printing costs while offering budding writers new opportunities to see their books published.
Writers upload electronic versions of their books, which are tasted and rated by an ever increasing online community.
Visitors to the website can order and pay for paperback versions of the books, which are then digitally printed on demand by small print firms locally.
The author might pay about a penny a page for 300 or more pages plus about 70p to a £1 for a cover illustration and binding. With a sale price, for example, of about £6, profits are then divided between author and printer.
Former Cambridge engineering graduate, Oliver Brook, web designer Jon Gibraith and former Foreign Office adviser, Anna Lewis, work from an office in King Henry’s Walk. They believe they can offer hope for many frustrated writers desperate to get into print.
Oliver said: “As far as we know what we’re doing is completely new. We’re bringing all the different services and tools of the book industry together. But we’ve reduced or cut out all the overheads of having agents, publishers and printers.
“Readers can go on our site and read and discuss their favourite books. They can get recommendations or find out what their friends are reading.
“They will also be able to talk to the writers and give them feedback.”
The operation has only been running full-time for less than a month
Oliver added: “If you like one of the new books on offer you just click and buy it. A digital file will then be sent to the printer who will print it and send it to you.
“Quite a few digitally based companies can print books these days. They can also bind them up with an illustrated cover. It will look exactly like the book you buy from a store.”
Anna said writers find it difficult to get work seen by a publisher, let alone published.
“There seems to be a great deal of inefficiency in the way that books are selected for publication and a lot of writers feel like they are banging their heads against a brick wall,” she added.
“The idea for creating an online community which links everyone within the publishing industry and allows them to interact more easily and effectively was born. We give writers the tools to be able to prove their work to publishers and make it fun for them at the same time.
“They can work with the community of readers on the site to improve and promote their books.”

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