Scribner Enlists Fan Sites To Promote Latest Robert Jordan Ebook

Posted on July 5, 2002

Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, will publish Glimmers: The Prologue to Crossroads of Twilight, Book Ten in the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan as an ebook. The release will vary from typical publishing practice because Robert Jordan fans and fan websites were invited to participate in the publishing process as well as in the promotion of the ebook. Glimmers will go on sale July 22nd, well in advance of the November hardcover publication of Crossroads of Twilight.

Two of the most popular Robert Jordan fan sites, Wotmania and Dragonmount.com, were allowed to announce the news about Glimmers to their communities before it was released to the general media. Both sites provided news about the ebook release, a large image of the ebook and links to online bookstores where Glimmers and the November hardcover can be pre-ordered.

"We wanted to bring Robert Jordan's fans deeper into the process of creating this unique ebook," said Kate Tentler, Vice President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Online. "Working with these two popular websites allowed Jordan's fans to actually contribute to the final product and will provide all readers with additional resources to enhance their experience. By bringing the fans into the fold and combining the unique community-based characteristics of the web with the capabilities of ebooks we have taken a logical next step in electronic publishing."

Glimmers, priced at $3.50, will contain an exclusive digital handwritten message and signature from the author not found in the forthcoming hardcover, along with answers to questions submitted by Jordan fans who frequent wotmania.com Dragonmount.com. Both of the fan sites will be credited in the ebook.

The ebook will also contain a link to a collection of character bios on Dragonmount to help readers track the characters who populate the world Jordan has created. Another link to Wotmania encyclopedia will provide access to a glossary of key events and places that are important throughout the entire Wheel of Time series. The idea to link to these valuable resources was proposed by the two fan sites and Scribner incorporated them into Glimmers.

Jason Denzel the webmaster from Dragonmount.com said, "It's great that the publisher listened to the fans and took our ideas and feedback into consideration. There's something for every fan in this ebook. And letting the fans know about the project first was a great bonus." Denzel added, "They've really made an effort to work with us. In fact, the original release was set for the day of my first wedding anniversary so I asked them to move it -- and they did!"

Mike Mackert, the webmaster from wotmania said, "I think that fan sites working with the publisher in this way benefits everyone, especially for ebooks. The fans get a voice and are able to make a contribution." Mackert added, "All the fan sites put a lot of work into providing a dynamic forum to talk about Jordan's books and it was gratifying that Simon & Schuster took notice and reached out to us. It was also fascinating to get a glimpse into the publishing side of the process."