Authors in the online world

Kaleb Nation: How to write a book

When I hear the word ‘author’ I get a somewhat old-fashioned and romantic picture in my head: Sitting in his study, a man broods over his notes, the sole light in the room coming from a half burned down candle. The room, stuffed with books from top to bottom, resembles a library. Absent-mindedly his eyes wander through the familiar space, his mind traveling to never before seen places, until finally, he starts to scribble down words. Kissed by the muse a story begins to unfold, the words flowing down onto hundreds of sheets of paper. After years of writing and never leaving his study, shutting himself away from the world, the masterpiece is finished. A novel is born. Like every artist, the author is somehow peculiar and eccentric, a mystery to other members of the human species. While trying to sell his carefully composed thoughts, he is left to live below the poverty line until he dies of an incurable disease. Only years later are his works appreciated and his wit praised, but throughout his life the writer was shunned.

Today, the situation of authors is not quite as brutal as it used to be and if a writer creates an amazing story, it is more likely to be noticed within his lifetime. Technological innovations offer possibilities for easier distribution and marketing. And I dare say that there is no author out there who doesn’t use this to his advantage. Most contemporary authors are present in the online world to promote their works of art. Also, some of these talented people realize other dreams and projects with the help of the online community.

It has become kind of obligatory for all writers to have at least an official website to inform fans about their books. However, many authors also use the Internet to write blogs in which they share their thoughts on writing, book tours and other happenings in their daily life. This is a way of communicating with their fans, who get the feeling they know their favorite author in a very personal way. In a FAQ section, writers don’t just offer information about their books, but also give advice on writing for all scribblers out there. 

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, offers her fans even more interactivity than just the opportunity to comment on a blog. Rowling’s earlier website was already very interactive, enabling fans to get unpublished information by completing a particular task or solving a riddle. Though this can still be useful to stay up-to-date, her website just offers a timeline of her life now. However, a few months ago Rowling launched pottermore.com, to which fans can sign up and explore the books in detail. Like in a computer game you work your way from level to level or, in this case, from chapter to chapter: From getting your invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and receiving your wand from wandmaker Ollivander, to dueling and winning house points, you can experience Harry’s world as if you were a character in the book. In every chapter you can also discover little treasures. Some of the items that you collect release background information about the magic world and you gain even more knowledge about the characters, creatures and settings. 

Other authors like Maggie Stiefvater and Cassandra Clare host a regular blog. Aside from writing, caring for her husband and two children, blogging and maintaining her websites, Stiefvater also finds the time to make YouTube videos and create her own book trailers. Another such multi-talented person is Kaleb Nation.

At the age of 14 he hosted his own radio show. At 20 he signed a book deal and now at 23 years of age a TV show about him is due to be aired on national television in the US. Kaleb Nation’s prominence began as the first male reader of the Twilight books. At least, he was the first to admit it publicly. With his blog twilightguy.com, he entertained millions of fans of the saga, made Stephenie Meyer ‘laugh buckets’ and might also have convinced some guys to read the series. But he didn’t just write a blog, he also worked on his career as a writer and documented this in his VLOGs. Two of his books have been released so far and a third one will soon be published.

THE 60SR: Will Smith slaps reporter on video at Men in Black 3 premiere

Later, Kaleb started the 60SR show (‘60 seconds of random news’) on YouTube about the latest gossip in Hollywood. His witty way of making fun of rumors and people going crazy about something stars did distinguishes him from all the other gossip reporters on the Internet. The show earned him another few thousands of subscribers and a deal with the media company TMC to produce 60SR under their company. With a website, a blog, three YouTube channels and occasional live streams on BlogTV, in which he sometimes dresses up as a character called Captain Maritnelli, he has built himself a fan community also known as Nationeers.

Apparently not being busy enough with all that, Nation is also in the middle of producing his own TV show. That’s right! A while ago, I started asking myself whether Kaleb actually ever sleeps. From YouTube to television, from YouTube personality to television star - he probably lives the dream of many people on the video-sharing website. The show named Kaleb’s nation will present his life as author and YouTuber. Unfortunately, an air date hasn’t been fixed yet. The reason for this is that they’re also filming him working on his secret project, his latest novel. And as long as there’s no release date for the book, there won’t be an air date for the TV show. Having followed him and his career for years, I can’t wait to find out what he’ll be up to next. With his own TV show and two published books, how much more can he achieve? Will the secret project become the next New York Times bestseller? Possibly. This guy is reaching for the stars and has been able to grab a whole lot of them.

The romantic picture I painted in the beginning of my blog post might still exist in some form or the other. These authors will certainly sit in their office and write, but more likely on the computer than on paper. Their imagination travels to places never seen before, just like that of the author in my vision. But luckily, creators of wonderful stories are more likely to be noticed during their lifetime – not just after their death. In fact, artists can express themselves over the Internet in every way possible. And seeing what they’re able to create is extremely inspiring to me. The idea of doing what you like to do in the sense of living your passion. To design anything you want and enjoy it. Doing something just for the fun of it and then it might work out so well that it becomes something bigger, as these artists have demonstrated. This is what encourages me to believe in my dreams and reach for the stars myself.