Social networking around books has always been a little tricky, despite the success of some networks such as GoodReads. Even with recommendation services that incorporate books along with movies and music, books tend to come after the other two major media types. It’s because books were always a step behind in terms of digital accessibility, making it more difficult to create virtual networks around tangible products. You sit down to read the book, then go back to your computer in order to socialize around it.
The popularity of the eBook reader could change all that, however. Amazon and Sony are making big plays on the eBook reader space, with smartphones providing platforms through which more eBooks can be distributed. The result is an increasing ability for us to more efficiently socialize around written content. That’s where the Copia eBook platform comes in.
Copia is working on the launch of a social networking platform for bookworms along with two eBook readers, giving you a direct link between your content and your contacts. The platform itself, still in private beta, will give you a profile, where you can share your reading and purchasing activity. Rate and buy books directly through the Copia platform, and receive recommendations from friends. You’ll also be able to create groups.
According to Gizmodo, Copia will also be offering a platform to be hosted by hardware partners. It sounds like a white label solution that gives other book readers the option of launching an associated social network as well. In all, Copia is betting that the merging of technology and social networks can finally bring books into the new socially-oriented, media-sharing experience.
It all sounds well and fine, though there is still the growing popularity of mobile eBook readers. Already robust and heavily featured, readers such as Stanza have seen a great deal of success. The ability for these readers to become imminently social, especially if they further leverage platforms such as Facebook’s for these social features, could ultimately push Copia out of the running.
Nevertheless, we’re seeing a widening array of devices that do all the things we’ve been wanting gadgets to do in the past few years. That means a number of companies are in better positions to create, market and sell their new devices to a hungry population. In all, the supported experimentation and real life demands of consumers will give us a resulting shake-down in such products. Either way, I’m excited about the increasing support for socially-oriented reading options.