iGO iWRITE Facebook App — Worth Checking Out?

(www.inkthinkerblog.com) — I received an interesting promo message about a new Facebook-based app to create a collaborative travel book. I have bolded the particularly interesting or amusing sections in the message below. Take a look.

I wanted to share some exciting news pertaining to the travel writing industry that I hope may be of interest to you as well as all of your readers.

So, please check it out — my business partner and I created a new web application, the next generation of blogging known as iGO iWRITE, which was recently launched in beta form with quite a lot of buzz due to its unique concept. In short, the app operates on Facebook’s platform and as such it will essentially create Facebook’s first book….actually a series of travel books that are entirely written, edited, and compiled online by fellow travel writers from around the world. As this living book comes to life, the users will ultimately publish the book in hard copy as well, and it will be sold at the usual suspects (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc), effectively blending new and traditional media so that they both support and breathe new life into one another. The best part, iGO iWRITE flies in the face of the once widely held belief that the internet would spell the end for the printed book. In iGO iWRITE’s case, things work in reverse, as the web app complements — and actually springboards back to — traditional books and print media.

If seeing your name in print isn’t incentive enough to write about your travels, a number of sponsors are jumping on board, such as the San Juan Marriott who is currently sweetening the pot a bit with free travel to their resort as well as the chance to win five years of free vacation at the resort if you get your story published after staying at the hotel.

The Director of Marketing at the San Juan Marriott Resort, Julian Cable-Treadwell, explains it like this: “Social media, such as Facebook, and user generated content is the way of the future and we are fully supportive of the process and its growing momentum. This promotion is intended to get our guests involved in the process and encourage them to voice their opinions…good, bad or ugly. He adds, “We are not soliciting positive reviews, just trying to encourage our guests to get involved in the conversation.”

Trips and travel hoopla aside, the iGO iWRITE app was made for the average person, the traveler who simply loves to explore new places and share their experiences with others, professional writer or not. With the explosion in social networking and new media, such travelers have become modern day story tellers. As a group they now have the opportunity to shape the direction of the iGO iWRITE travel series by crafting books together that represents the best travel adventures, hidden gems, and hometown heroes they meet along the way.

Thanks for listening and for your consideration. We’re just getting off the ground, and extremely excited to be the first to create a travel book in such a fashion. We welcome the support for this initiative, as it’s a community project. Also, in the next 30 days we’ll launch our new and improved version that has been created out of excellent user feedback and response.

Here’s the link to log into the app on Facebook, http://apps.new.facebook.com/igoiwrite/, or please visit our app development website at www.compleoapps.com.

I’m reserving comments at the moment, though I’m sure you can guess what I think based on what I bolded. :) But right now I’m interested in your opinion. Have you heard of iGO iWRITE already? What do you think? Would you try it?

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

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  • Joe Aug 28, 2008 Link

    Hey Kristen,
    I got almost the same thing about writing poetry almost 3 yrs ago. I posted about it then http://workingathomeinternet.com/WP/2005/11/13/113190409787278864/
    I wonder if it’s the same people?
    Makes ya wonder.

    Joe’s last blog post..Much Needed Time Off for Me

  • Debbi Aug 28, 2008 Link

    iTHINK I’m skeptical. iTHINK it sounds too good to be true. That always bothers me.

    iTHINK I’d want to know more about the business partners running this show before I got involved with this. iTHINK I’d want to know how they intend to publish the book (self-publishing? a small press they own?), get distribution in bookstores (Amazon? No problem. Bookstores? Difficult to get your books in them, even when you have a large NY publisher) and promote the book (it won’t just sell itself).

    I’ve been down the small press road before. Just getting a book published is no assurance that it will be available in stores or will sell well. Plus, if your publisher doesn’t know what it’s doing, the road to publication can wind up in a dead end.

    iTHINK I’ll pass.

    Debbi’s last blog post..Blogs and More Blogs

  • Davis Jan 10, 2009 Link

    iLIKE it. Tried it, and am a fan. Anything that gets the topic of writing out there is all good, for me at least :-)