On Tech and Hybridity, or, What's a Vook?
Hybridity is a word I’ve heard quite a bit in academe. And as a student of postcolonial (or is it post-colonial?) literatures, I've certainly seen my fair share of theories with which I take some issue. But I'm having a hard time not liking the idea behind the Vook. What the heck is a Vook? Well, that was my first response. I might even have made an off-color joke or two about the name. But then, I spoke with Jack Sallay, the company's VP of marketing, who explained the concept.
A Vook is a blend of, you guessed it, a book and video–high-quality multimedia content that's designed to complement the text. Available in web-based and mobile form, a Vook takes 6-8 weeks to make, according to Sallay, and features work from the company's roster of more than 10,000 independent film producers. The company is working with Simon & Schuster, harperstudio (a division of Harper Collins), and independent authors. So far, Vooks offered on the site range in price from $2.99 to $6.99. I took a peek at the Sherlock Holmes Experience they developed with the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and was intrigued. What would a Vooked version of, say, Clarissa, look like, sound like? Beloved? Would this complement the reading experience or simply lead my students to "watch the video" rather than engage with the text?
"We’re still learning what the right genre is and what works well as a Vook," says Sallay. "The case for non-fiction is clear. Video has a clear value add to the proposition of a text. Fiction is a bit interesting, different. Some people have absolutely fallen in love with the medium and the piece of candy they get—reading, then watching a video, then going back to the text. Some people hate it, because they say it interrupts the reading."
And still, there is one unanswered question, especially for independent authors: How much does it cost to Vook a book?
What do you think? Does the Vook leap over eReaders like the Kindle and Sony's device, or is this just a fad?
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yeah, it's interesting. I guess my concern would be on the content creation side. Who pays for a book to get Vooked? How much does it cost? Barrier to entry for self-published folks? In terms of texts like the classics, they're working with publishers, but what about contemporary works with all the rights issues that Google and Amazon have been facing.
I like the idea of the Vook, I just need more questions answered.
It seems like an interesting concept. I can see where it could be a useful tool. I guess the question will be whether Vooks will be available for use on other devices besides the web and iPhone. I haven't tried the eReaders yet (though I want a Nook), but this does seem to take the electronic reading experience to another level.