Booker shortlist to be available online

[rixte]

This is not NEW new news, but it's relevant today since they just announced the Booker short: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1122

The relevant passage is:

[iAs soon as the shortlist is announced on 9 September avid readers will be able to text MBP to 60300 to listen to or read a free extract of each of the titles. If the reader enjoys the extract, they will also be able to use their mobile phone to purchase the book and have it delivered direct to them. The cost will be added to their mobile phone bill.[/i]

Reading through their FAQs, they only seem to have information about the audio, not the text versions. And nothing about the format. Plus there's the whole oddity of adding the cost directly to the mobile phone bill, so I despite the fact that it says later that <i>For mobiles outside of the UK enter mbp.gospoken.com into your mobile web browser</i>, I don't know how well that it works - I just go to the main page, but since the prize was announced less than 30 minutes ago, I don't know if it's an issue with having an american number or they're just not up yet.

It's interesting, though.

[HarryT]

The shortlist is:

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
The Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh Murray
The Clothes on Their Backs - Linda Grant
The Northern Clemency - Philip Hensher
A Fraction of The Whole - Steve Toltz

None of which, I have to confess, I've ever heard of.

[rixte]

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
A Fraction of The Whole - Steve Toltz

These three were actually already available at fictionwise, which made me incredibly happy. The other three are, I believe, from small, independent presses (maybe not the Hensher, which is the one I liked least anyway )

[Liviu_5]

Originally Posted by rixte

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
A Fraction of The Whole - Steve Toltz

These three were actually already available at fictionwise, which made me incredibly happy. The other three are, I believe, from small, independent presses (maybe not the Hensher, which is the one I liked least anyway )

A Fraction of the Whole is quite interesting - it attracted my attention when browsing in a bookstore and I bought it - it's "very Australian" in a good way. It's available at BoB too btw and for people in New York a 3 week lending Mobipocket copy is available from eNYPL ready to download from home with a NYPL card

[SimonSpoken]

Originally Posted by rixte

Reading through their FAQs, they only seem to have information about the audio, not the text versions. And nothing about the format. Plus there's the whole oddity of adding the cost directly to the mobile phone bill, so I despite the fact that it says later that <i>For mobiles outside of the UK enter mbp.gospoken.com into your mobile web browser</i>, I don't know how well that it works - I just go to the main page, but since the prize was announced less than 30 minutes ago, I don't know if it's an issue with having an american number or they're just not up yet.

It's interesting, though.

Hi rixte,

I work at GoSpoken as a developer. Thanks for your comments on the FAQs - I'll be sure to get them updated ASAP.

Paying on your mobile bill, for some, is not ideal. We initially chose this route because it's just easy. A few clicks, and the payment is made - no messing around entering card details and the like. That said, we're working on implementing card payments in the coming months.

mbp.gospoken.com doesn't work - very odd. I'll look into that. For now, however, you could try the following URL on your mobile:
http://gospoken.com/a/mbp08

If you have any more comments or questions, then please let me know - either by replying to this thread, or drop me an email directly - simon.maddox@spokengroup.com

Cheers,

Simon