By Chris Lee

The craze for self-publishing is evidenced by the success of CompletelyNovel, a UK-based platform for budding writers. Launched in February 2009, the site now attracts 12,000 new users each month and claims to differ from other self-publishing platforms such as Lulu or Shelfari by providing enhanced social media functions.

NMK caught up with the site’s founder, Oliver Brooks, who founded the site after talking to writers and found out for himself how difficult it was to get work seen by a publisher.

Brooks on Books

“There seemed to be a great deal of inefficiency in the way that books were selected for publication and a lot of writers felt like they were banging their heads against a brick wall,” Brooks told NMK. “The idea for creating an online community which links everyone within the publishing industry and allows them to interact more easily and effectively was then born.”

Brooks said that CompletelyNovel, hosted by ServerBeach, gives writers the tools to be able to prove their work to publishers and make it fun for them at the same time. Writers can work with the community of readers on the site to improve and promote their books.

Brooks says that the CompletelyNovel platform gives writers access to the latest industry tools such as print-on-demand and home-grown technologies like its BookStreamer, an online embeddable reader.

“The site works on a feedback and ratings basis, whereby once a book is published it is critiqued by the online community,” said Brooks. “Equally, publishers use the forum to identify new authors who already have a following and are therefore a lower-risk investment. Added to this, a ‘print-on-demand’ model means that authors and publishers alike can print as few or as many copies as needed without the traditional costs associated with publishing, particularly with smaller print volumes.”

According to Brooks, CompletelyNovel enables writers to become agents of their own success and access the same low cost tools as the industry does, and publishers don't have to take the risk of backing unknown writers and can acquire new proven talent at a very early stage.

“Readers get free online content and choose which books succeed,” Brooks said.

24 hour party people

One of the company’s recent campaigns was its “24-hour book” project, which brought together a team of writers who invited contributions from subscribers via Twitter and other social media. The writers then transferred these thoughts into a novel which was written, edited, printed and distributed within 24-hours.

With the project demonstrating how a close-knit online community of writers can quickly write, edit and produce a book, where does Brooks see publishing in five years time?

“The online publishing industry is set to grow over the next few years with the advent of digital readers such as the Kindle and iPad, and a greater demand for eBooks,” Brooks concluded. “In five years time we want to be the technology backbone behind small publishers and writers providing everyone access with new routes to market. The challenge now is making sure the technology behind us can handle this.”