Can Twitter co-founder take an 'evolutionary leap' into storytelling?

Collaborative publishing website Medium, which aims to reinvent the blog, secures first external investmentMedium, Twitter co-founder Ev Williams's online publishing venture, has no shortage of ambition – to reinvent the blog as a digital storytelling format and match the impact of the microblogging service, no less.Williams, who launched Medium in August 2012 with Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, has said their aim is "re-imagining publishing in an attempt to make an evolutionary leap" by building a new platform from scratch that would put an emphasis on ideas, stories and collaboration. To achieve this, however, the company will have to get over several hurdles, not least addressing the confusion over Medium's perceived strategy and business model, summed up by Reuters media commentator Jack Shafer, who describes it – while not lacking potential – as up to now being "a mystery wrapped up in a hashtag concealed by a catchy URL".This uncertainty has clearly not put off investors: Medium, which employs 50 full-time staff, announced last week that it had secured its first external investment, a $25m funding round led by Greylock Partners, with participation from Google Ventures and individual investors. Initial funding for the platform came from Williams's investment vehicle The Obvious Corporation.Perhaps this enthusiasm shouldn't be a surprise. As well as co-founding Twitter, Williams launched blog publishing service Blogger in 1999 and Medium is, ostensibly, similar – with... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #move forward

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Can Twitter co-founder take an 'evolutionary leap' into storytelling?'


Facebook drives up to 7 times more traffic than Twitter. Get to know your social audience

Social media, once considered the side door to a publisher's site, is rapidly becoming the primary entry point for new readers. These readers move in and out of content differently than traditional web site visitors. Social visitors are new, they’re likely to stay that way, and even if they... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social audience #social channels #distributed platforms #google amp #sponsored content


Refinery29 co-founder explains why it’s going ‘all-in’ on video

Yesterday, at the Digiday Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado, Refinery29 co-founder Philippe Von Borries explained that his publisher is going "all-in" on video. He said that creating video for television is “one really important marker” in a company’s evolution and having a hand in all types... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creating video #video appeared #live broadcasts


John Humphrys on Twitter, TV and why 'sitting down is the new smoking'

The Today presenter spurns social media, could live without television ‘except Mastermind’ but does read books on a iPad (albeit balanced on a lectern)It will come as no surprise to his millions of devoted listeners that the veteran BBC broadcaster John Humphrys despises Twitter, doesn’t do... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #read books #worth watching #complete works #advance copy


Tributes paid to Arcadia founder Gary Pulsifer

Publisher Gary Pulsifer, who founded Arcadia Books, has died after a battle with cancer. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tributes paid


JK Rowling posts letters of rejection on Twitter to help budding authors

Harry Potter writer shares publishers’ brush-offs for first Robert Galbraith novel in attempt to to inspire other authorsThe Harry Potter author JK Rowling has shared some withering rebuffs publishers sent to her alter ego Robert Galbraith, in an effort to comfort aspiring authors.Rowling posted... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #robert galbraith #rowling posted #popular request #rejection letters #budding authors #boy wizard #@rgalbrath


Why Anthony Bourdain Is Bullish on the Future of Long-Form Digital Storytelling

Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef turned TV show host, believes there's untapped potential with digital media to dive deeper into food and travel stories.  During a South by Southwest Interactive keynote moderated by Nathan Thornburgh, chief editor and publisher at Roads & Kingdoms,... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #west bank #celebrity chef #good stories


Twitter Will Send Moments Readers to AMP Pages Any Time It Can

Twitter will automatically take mobile users who click links in its Moments section to sped-up AMP pages every time it's possible, the company said Wednesday, lending momentum to the effort to improve the mobile web experience.Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP for short, deliver content at near... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #deliver content #javascript tags #web page #mobile pages


GABBS Founder Mulls Move to New Venue

The Great American Bargain Book Show, SIBA to discuss moving the annual bargain book event to another city as vendor turnout declines over the past decade. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #past decade


Facebook co-founder sells The New Republic to rich liberal publisher

After four years of running one of magazine publishing's great trophy properties, Facebook multimillionaire Chris Hughes has found a new owner for The New Republic. Win McCormack, an Oregonian... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2016-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #magazine publishing #win mccormack


Harper Lee sales leap at national retailers

Harper Lee's death last Friday has prompted a sharp upturn in sales of To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman for Amazon, Waterstones and Foyles. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #national retailers #harper lee


Report: Twitter's algorithmic timeline may arrive next week

You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it. You may have even Tweeted about it. But it looks as if Twitter’s non-chronological “algorithmic” timeline is almost here.According to a BuzzFeed report published Friday, the company plans to unveil its algorithmic timeline “as soon as next week.” An... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2016-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ve read #ve heard #company plans


From Publisher to Artist: Drawn and Quarterly Founder Chris Oliveros’s ‘The Envelope Manufacturer’

After 25 years running Drawn and Quarterly, publisher and founder Chris Oliveros retired to write and draw his own graphic novel; 'The Envelope Manufacturer' will be published in January. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo balk at UK's Investigatory Powers Bill

The Investigatory Powers Bill may only be in draft form at the moment, but the UK government has already come in for criticism for its plans. Today, scores of pieces of written evidence, both for and against the proposals, have been published, including input from the Reform Government... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2016-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk government #issue warnings


A manifesto for digital freedom in storytelling

"Digital publishing and the innovative energy inherent in technology empower us to rethink story and storytelling," writes the author Carol Buchanan. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Recommended Reading: Don't try to shop on Facebook or Twitter

Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.I Tried Holiday Shopping on Fa... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #recommended reading #long-form writing #holiday shopping


10 tips for Twitter success in publishing

Headline communications director Georgina Moore offers 10 tips for publishers promoting new titles and seeking Twitter success. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


PW Best Books Twitter Contest: We Have A Winner

We asked our readers to pick their favorite book of 2015 and spread the word on Twitter. Congrats to our winner, @MitchRappFans, whose pick won the most retweets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #favorite book


Interactive Storytelling Phone Debuts

The entrepreneurs who launched the Call Me Ishmael storytelling project have invented a device that they hope will become a fixture in bookstores and libraries: a phone that allows bibliophiles to anonymously share stories about their favorite books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Facebook Launches Notify, a New Twitter-Like App for Following Publishers

Facebook is already dominating peoples’ phone time, and now it wants a crack at your lock screen, too. The social network rolled out a new app called “Notify” on Wednesday specifically to send you mobile notifications fr ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Storydocks: New Storytelling Start-Up from Oetinger

Oetinger, one of Germany’s largest children’s books publishers, has launched a new company, Storydocks, dedicated to interactive and digital storytelling. The post Storydocks: New Storytelling Start-Up from Oetinger appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #storytelling start- #largest children #digital storytelling