Publishers looking towards the future of the mobile phone applications should listen to Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor’s popular electronic band has created a mobile phone application that could help authors looking to interact with readers.
According to Wired, the mobile app extends a controversial model–giving away music, photos, and videos for free, while selling concert tickets to show and limited edition albums through a huge online community. The new app uses Google Earth to connect fans in real life, from rock concerts to coffee shops. These tools could help publishers build productive relationships with book clubs and fan fiction authors.
Here’s more from the article: “The one part of NIN.com that Reznor had custom-built is the piece that sits at the center of it all: the database of fan info that has been harvested from the registration process that’s required to take full advantage of the site. That database, created by Sudjam, is what makes the tie-ins with Flickr and YouTube work, but it’s also given Reznor 2 million e-mail addresses–which adds up to a pretty powerful distribution network.” (Via MobileContentToday)