The Twitter Read-a-thon

[intertext]

Have you heard about "One Book, One Twitter"? If you follow Neil Gaiman, you will have, because his book, American Gods is the chosen book. The idea is to get all of Twitter reading one book and presumably tweeting about it. I'm skeptical, but I'm at least going to follow @1B1T2010 out of academic/professional interest and curiosity. I want to see if the tweets are universally banal, or if it's all RT's of @neilhimself, or what. Or maybe there'll be this amazing conversation, and it will be something that I can point to and say "see? look how cool this is"

I don't know if I can read American Gods, though I might try, again just to be part of the project. I bounced off it badly the first time I tried it, but do at least still have my copy.

Comments

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

Or maybe there'll be this amazing conversation, and it will be something that I can point to and say "see? look how cool this is"

I'd be curious to see if Twitter can sustain something like this. My adventures in Twitter have not been successful. It seems to require one to be constantly engaged with it, and to be friends with a huge number of quasi-strangers in order to follow a conversation, and I really don't have the time!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I think I'd be more excited if someone who already doesn't have mega PR coverage was chosen--and something new.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Perhaps if the idea catches on, they could try some less well known writers and books in the future?

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I found it quite fun at first, but the novelty soon wore off and, as you say, it doesn't really work unless you engage with it through the day. I already spend too much time on the computer; I don't need another time sink.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I dunno, my gut instinct is that Gaiman's fans will eagerly get on board, but as for everyone else? I doubt it. For something to go viral, there needs to be a more visceral, and immediate hook.

Of course, I could be 100% wrong. As usual. In any case, I feel that life is too short for Twitter, so I won't know how it goes.

[arian.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I love the idea of it, but I just won't be participating with this book. I really like the book, and that's perhaps part of the problem. I don't want to do this as a reread. I would want to do it discovering something new and to bounce ideas of others for what might happen next and how the chapter I just read was awesome for the following reasons...
I would love to do this for perhaps an older book that doesn't get the attention it deserves and open it up to a new audience.
To be honest, I suspect most of the people following will have already read this book and the project will lose something as a consequence of that. But even though I don't use twitter, I can't help rooting for it to work out and for there to be a book I haven't read next year!

[intertext.livejournal.com]

I find it can be interesting to follow hashtags, where the conversation is focussed on one topic. But I know what you mean about needing to pay attention to it. I do like it for getting quick updates to links of interest and for news.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

There was some kind of vote with quite a number of choices originally. I didn't participate, but was vaguely aware of it. I think if you go to the webpage linked from the @1B1T2010 page, it takes you to the list. Of course, Gaiman tweeted about it and encouraged people to vote for him by saying "don't vote for me."

You may hear about how it goes - I'll follow up if anything interesting comes of it.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll try reading it again, seeing as it will be for all intents and purposes the first time. I gave up after the first chapter iirc.

I think it's a cool idea, too. That's why I'm going to follow along, at least for a while.

[(Anonymous)]

I know a lot of people who love his other books but can't get into that one. For me, I certainly enjoyed it better the second time around because I found it quite slow to get started.

Sometimes I think I need to join twitter and then I remember how much I procrastinate already :) And you've just reminded me thart I have to replace my Moomin writing paper...

[arian.livejournal.com]

Argh. Sorry. Forgot to sign in!