HarperCollins Opens Public Voting in BookSmash Challenge

Posted on September 21, 2013

HarperCollins has opened public voting on the finalists of The BookSmash Challenge. HarperCollins created the contest to challenge developers to "break the binding" and come up with something that reimagines the book. Twenty developers submitted applications and the public can vote for their favorite entry in the Popular Choice category at Booksmash Challenge.

Some of the apps submitted include SlushPiles! An Adventure Game of Literary Agentry, Classical Literature Interactive, Library Atlas and ReadTweet. Voting is open now through Friday, September 27. There $25,000 in prizes for the developers.

The Grand Prize and Runner Up winners will be selected by a judging panel consisting of entrepreneur and author of Curation Nation Steve Rosenbaum, Paul Vidich, co-founder of N3TWORK and former Apple Executive Erik Lammerding, CEO of LiveDeal, Inc. Mike Edelhart, HarperCollins Chief Digital Officer Chantal Restivo-Alessi, Head of Corporate Development for betaworks Sam Mendal, and Senior VP and Publisher for HarperOne Mark Tauber. The prizes will be announced on October 10th.

More than a dozen HarperCollins authors made their content available for the challenge. HarperCollins Chief Digital Officer Chantal Restivo-Alessi had this to say about the contest: "We are thrilled and inspired by the responses we received to The BookSmash Challenge. HarperCollins is pleased to be working with authors and developers in order to further expand the digital potential of our creative content."