Collaborative electronic books
View Patent ↗The present invention provides techniques relating to collaboratively authored stories and electronic books, and the writing thereof. Techniques are provided in which a template relating to a story, and a set of rules governing collaborative writing of the story by multiple user authors, are obtained. Writing contributions, for integration into the story, may be obtained from each of the user authors. A completed story is obtained, in which forming the completed story includes integrating the writing contributions. Access to the story, such as in the form of an electronic book, is provided to users, such as for a fee.
1. A method comprising:
using one or more computers, obtaining and storing a template for a story;
using one or more computers, obtaining and storing a set of rules for governing collaborative writing of the story by multiple user authors;
using one or more computers, obtaining, from each of a set of multiple user authors, a writing contribution, of a set of multiple writing contributions, for integration into the story, and storing the set of multiple writing contributions, wherein user authors bid for user author roles;
using one or more computers, obtaining and storing a completed story, wherein forming the completed story comprises integrating each of the set of multiple writing contributions; using one or more computers, providing, to a set of users, access to the completed story; and
using one or more computers, targeting electronic advertising to user authors based at least in part on characters in the story with which the user authors are associated.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising targeting electronic advertising to particular user authors based at least in part on content of writing contributions provided by the particular user authors.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein user authors collaborate online regarding writing contributions.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the template comprises plot elements of the story and character elements of the story.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of rules comprises rules governing participation of user authors.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of rules comprises rules defining and limiting roles of user authors with regard to contributing in relation to the story.
7. The method of claim 1 , comprising a user editor having a role in integrating writing contributions of the set of multiple writing contributions.
8. The method of claim 1 , comprising a master author who forms the completed story at least in part by integrating writing contributions of the set of multiple writing contributions.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein particular user authors are selected at least in part to provide writing contributions relating to particular characters in the story to which the particular user authors are matched, and wherein a particular user author is matched to a particular character in the story based at least in part on a profile of the particular user author being similar to a profile of the particular character in the story.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein candidate user authors bid for user author roles.
11. The method of claim 1 , comprising publishing the completed story.
12. The method of claim 1 , comprising publishing the completed story as an ebook.
13. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing revenue to user authors based on sales relating to the completed story.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the completed story is a fictional novel.
15. A system comprising:
one or more server computers coupled to a network; and
one or more databases coupled to the one or more server computers;
wherein the one or more server computers are for:
obtaining and storing a template for a story;
obtaining and storing a set of rules for governing collaborative writing of the story by multiple user authors;
obtaining, from each of a set of multiple user authors, a writing contribution, of a set of multiple writing contributions, for integration into the story, and storing the set of multiple writing contributions, wherein user authors bid for user author roles;
obtaining and storing a completed story, wherein forming the completed story comprises integrating each of the set of multiple writing contributions;
providing, to a set of users, electronic access to the completed story; and
targeting electronic advertising to user authors based at least in part on characters in the story with which the user authors are associated.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the access to the completed story is provided for a fee.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the template comprises plot elements of the story and character elements of the story.
18. A non-transitory computer readable medium or media containing instructions for executing a method comprising:
using one or more computers, obtaining and storing a template for a fictional novel,
wherein the template provides plot elements and character elements of the novel;
using one or more computers, obtaining and storing a set of rules for governing collaborative writing of the novel by multiple user authors;
using one or more computers, obtaining, from each of a set of multiple user authors via an Internet-based graphical user interface, a writing contribution, of a set of multiple writing contributions, for integration into the novel, and storing the set of multiple writing contributions, wherein user authors bid for user author roles;
using one or more computers, targeting electronic advertising to user authors based at least in part on characters in the novel with which the user authors are associated;
using one or more computers, obtaining and storing a completed story, wherein forming the completed story comprises integrating each of the set of multiple writing contributions; and
using one or more computers, providing, to a set of users, access to the completed story.