Author J.K. Rowling made the official announcement about her new Pottermore site on YouTube this morning. We’ve embedded the video above–what do you think?
Pottermore will be the exclusive and reportedly DRM-free eBookstore for digital audiobooks and eBooks of the Harry Potter series. Rowling promised that Pottermore will be “a safe, unique online reading experience built around the Harry Potter books,” but she didn’t mention any specific details on how fans will be able to use the site.
The site will officially open in October. However, a select group will have early access to help “shape the experience.” Rowling vaguely instructed that one needs to “simply follow the owl” to be one of the lucky few; perhaps later on there will be a goblet of fire to act as a judge.
For now, when one visits the Pottermore website they see one brown owl resting atop of a desk. According to the site, full details on early access will be revealed on July 31st (Rowling and Harry Potter‘s birthday).
This GalleyCat contributor thinks Pottermore might become a hub for Harry Potter fan fiction. Rowling herself noted that she “will be sharing additional information I’ve been hoarding for years about the world of Harry Potter” on the site. What “additional information” do you think Rowling has kept secret?