Novel Released on Twitter, now available in Bookstores

In a world... where 140 characters is the limit... One man dared to defy the rules, and publish an entire book (140 characters at a time).


I just read on the Publishers Weekly Blog about Matt Stewart's The French Revolution (released yesterday by Softskull Press).  Apparently, Mr. Stewart, in 3700 tweets, published his book last year on Twitter.  It was enough to get the attention of a publisher, who released his first novel for Bastille Day (July 14) to coincide with the birthday of one of the characters.  The book has gotten several good reviews from CNN, The Boston Globe, SF Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, PW, etc. and should be an interesting one to watch.


One hitch, the book has been released in paperback only. I guess the publishers weren't sure enough of the book's ability to sell. What this means for collectors, however, is that there is probably a smaller print run - and if the book takes off, the first edition (even if a paperback) could hold some value.


Synopsis (From PW): Stewart's whimsical debut (originally published on Twitter as 3,700 tweets) finds vague inspiration in the French Revolution and begins in 1989 when former pastry chef Esmerelda Van Twinkle, through a series of wacky events and coincidences, becomes involved with a coupon vender named Jasper Winslow. They have two kids--Marat and Robespierre--and after Jasper disappears, Esmerelda and the kids move in with her drunken mother, whose house has been "in boiled suspension" since her husband disappeared at sea. Despite an unpleasant stay, Esmerelda's kids are smart and determined: they put their obese mother on a diet and make their own way in the world--Robespierre in politics; Marat in the criminal underworld, then the military, and later back to the first.


Check out PW's full article here.


Matt Stewart's Web site also has some free, downloadable add-ons to the book - another nifty gimmick - including recipes, virtual tours, etc.


Powells, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.com are all selling the book.



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