| URL | http://www.webook.com |
|---|---|
| Commercial? | Yes |
| Type of site | Online social publishing |
| Registration | Free |
| Created by | Itai Kohavi |
| Launched | April 2008 |
| Current status | Active |
WEbook (pronounced "we book") is an online community [1] geared towards discovering new writers and helping them on their path to publication. It brings together writers, readers, and almost 80 literary agents, for the purpose of finding new talent, and helping them get published. [2]
The vision of Israeli entrepreneur, Itai Kohavi, WEbook launched in April 2008. With corporate offices based in New York City.
Contents |
WEbook helps writers through two primary services: 1) PageToFame is a new kind of writing competition which allows writers to submit the first page of their manuscript for $9.95. Readers rate the pages and those that receive public approval are invited to submit a larger portion of their manuscript.[3] 2) AgentInbox is an electronic author-to-literary agent query service. Authors are matched with literary agents who are interested in their manuscript's genre.[4] In late April 2010, WEbook made an announcement saying that AgentInbox would soon have a fee.
Authors
WEbook as honors that are put on a members page. One of these honors are "Top Writer". 100 of the best writers on the website are added. To become a "Top Writer" one must have high ratings(ratings 1-5 stars, 5 being the best), views on their posts and must tend to their stories a lot. Some of the TOP WRITERS are: Stiped10 Squishy Wenniepoo Meghan97 and 96 others.
WEbook started as a collaborative book publisher. WEbook published, 101 Things Every Man Should Know How To Do.[5] 101 Things was written by 28 different authors and greenlit for publication by the WEbook community.[6] The how-to guide includes entries such as how to grow a beard, bribing the cable guy and looking good in a Speedo. It is currently being sold through online booksellers, as well as its own site.
Also, under the heading of Jan 20 2009: True Stories, Real People, One Day, WEbook collected stories about Inauguration Day 2009. [7] The book, which included entries from 58 authors, launched on President's Day 2009 through the WEbook website and online booksellers. All profits from sales benefited 826 National, a nonprofit tutoring writing and publishing organization.[8]
In April 2008, WEbook was named one of the best online spots for writers to work together in Washington Business Journal[9]
In October 2008, WEbook was profiled by E-Commerce Times as a "startup to watch"[10]
In October 2008, WEbook was named one of the first publishers specializing in the online publishing genre by Forbes.com[11]
In March 2009, WEbook was named among the best sites on the World Wide Web on BBC News[12]
In August 2010, WEbook was named Finalist in Lead411's New York City Hot 125[13]
Founded in February 2007, WEbook received a Series A round of "between $1 million and $5 million" from Greylock Israel Partners -- an early investor of Facebook, Digg and DoubleClick[14] -- in June 2007. One of the company's six angel investors included ICQ co-founder Yair Goldfinger, who is now a WEbook board member.[15] In September, 2008 WEbook raised $5 million in funding. The round was led by WEbookâs new investor, Vertex Venture Capital and its existing backer, Greylock Partners Israel. The round also included investments from eight unnamed angel investors.[16]
http://www.webook.com/topWriter.aspx