Denise Oswald on Twitter Novel Deal

By Jason Boog 

frenchrevolution.jpgWhen GalleyCat reported that author Matt Stewart had landed a book deal after publishing his his 480,000-character debut novel “The French Revolution” entirely on Twitter, readers around the country offered these comments. Fascinated by this mix of controversy and praise, GalleyCat caught up with Soft Skull editor Denise Oswald, finding out what drew her to this Twitter-ized manuscript.

Oswald explained: “The manuscript drew my attention initially. I thought Matt handled the twitter campaign brilliantly. It was the right time for something like that and he had the vision to jump on that opportunity. I think you’ll see a lot of writers following suit but I’m doubtful it will be to the same effect, unless they can find a way to make that kind of broadcast their own.”

She concluded: “I [was drawn by] the shear outrageousness of it. The characters, the plot, the conceit, are all completely out-sized and wildly entertaining. The whole book is meticulously plotted, yet it feels like it could run off the rails at any moment–but it never does, which makes it all the more exciting.”