HarperCollins' inkpop: Another Step in the Digital Publishing (r)Evolution

Note to all those with stars in their eyes about Apple's iPad: it's not going to be the savior for the beleaguered business of book selling. Sure, it will change the way consumers purchase and read books. But the responsibility for creating sustainable (and profitable) new business models rests squarely on the publishers' shoulders.

And the one who's been stepping up its innovation game is HarperCollins.

Amid the hubbub of the iPad announcement, HarperCollins quietly launched its new interactive writing platform for teens, aka inkpop. The potential is huge. In terms of numbers, it's growing rapidly. Beta testing began in November and attracted more than 10,000 members and nearly 11,000 submissions, including novels, poems, essays, and short stories.

But it's also a definitive way to shake off the old school business-model chains. Think about it: teens contribute their work on the site, vote for their favorites and (most exciting) get a shot at being evaluated by a team of professional editors. In return, HarperCollins gets a captive and engaged audience handed to them on a virtual platter.

So while Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books, touts this as a channel that should "encourage a passion for writing," I'm glad she's also admitting it's a direct way to "discover new trends and opportunities in this growing and important community."

This is just the latest smart move from the publisher who recognizes the value of community. First, it introduced a new business model with the HarperStudio imprint. HarperStudio authors are paid a 50-50 profit-share, rather than traditional royalties. Then, these authors are encouraged to start building an audience through video blogging as soon as they are signed (courtesy of HarperStudio-issued Flip cameras).

Chatty clips can have a serious impact. Consider Gary Vaynerchuk's Wine Library TV (affectionately known as The Thunder Show) through which the affable "social media sommelier" catapulted his family wine business from $4 million to $60 million in five years. HarperStudio was watching. They made a beeline to his door, and in collaboration with Vook, a California-based multimedia company, published Vaynerchuk's Crush It!, an interactive book on brand building featuring video interviews with the sharp young author.

With regards to iPad, it is no secret that HarperCollins has been in talks with Apple. Though Debbie Stier, associate publisher of HarperStudio, told me that she doesn't know what company is planning to offer on iPad which has both eReader and Web surfing capability, it may turn out to be just one more way to integrate social media into the revenue process, as my colleague Diane Mermigas pointed out.

Either way, HarperCollins should be first in line to benefit from downloadable revenue as well as residual income from ads and product placement. inkpop will eventually include contributions of photography, art, and video. If so, there's no reason it can't be a money generator for others.

Apps creators, are you listening?