Community-Sourced Book Publisher Launched

WEbook, an online platform for authors, editors and writing groups to collaboratively create written works, has launched at www.WEbook.com. According to the company, it will publish the best works generated on the Web site in print, electronic and audio formats.

“Whether it’s a fully collaborative writing project or a case of a talented writer sharing her work with a few friends to garner their private feedback, WEbook is the first online destination that provides the tools to unleash members’ full creative potential,” says Sue Heilbronner, president of WEbook, which is backed by Greylock Partners Israel and numerous individual investors. “It also gives active writers and contributors the power to decide what gets published and what doesn’t. There’s a tremendous market opportunity for WEbook to revolutionize publishing, just as Linux did for software, ‘American Idol’ did for music and Wikipedia did for information.”

The Web site’s first published book is “Pandora,” a thriller that was collaboratively written and edited by 17 alpha members of the WEbook community. The title is available at WEbook.com, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Additionally, the first four chapters are available free via mobile phone, either by texting “WEbook” to phone number 41411 or by visiting www.WEbook.com/Mobile/Pandora.

WEbook will pay royalties from the sales of its titles to writers, editors and any other users who make a material contribution to the finished work, says the company.