Librarians working with teens have a new website to talk about: EpicReads.com, an interactive community that connects readers with some of their favorite authors and books.
Launched by HarperCollins, the site acts as a hub that features all HarperTeen books and more than 400 YA authors, including Meg Cabot, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfeld, and Walter Dean Myers. Epic Reads has two channels, or sub-sites, that consists of Pitchdark.com, a curated list of dystopian and paranormal fiction, and Storycrush.com, which highlights lighthearted romance reads and contemporary fiction.
“Epic Reads is the natural evolution of our teen digital strategy,” says Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books. “The incredibly passionate community of YA readers will now have a destination to easily share what they love and to engage with authors directly. In addition, we’ll continue to showcase our authors and their works across the social media landscape with this powerful, integrated platform.”
Once readers sign up using their Facebook or Google accounts, they post their favorite books and content to their social networking profiles. Users also can upload art, photos and videos, create lists, enter sweepstakes, take polls and quizzes, browse new releases, and chat in the forums. In addition, they can read more about featured books and click to buy them on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other sites All three sites include author profiles, where favorite writers can add their own enhancements—such as blog posts, social media links, photos, and news-to their pages. Authors can connect with readers by participating in chats.
“The site is a great resource for busy teen librarians who want to keep up with HarperCollins teen books, authors, and programs,” says Margot Wood, Epic Reads’s community manager, adding that librarians can use the site’s content for their own book clubs, reading discussions, or on their own blogs and other social media. “Another useful way librarians can use Epic Reads is for reading recommendations-if a patron at the library wants to know what they should read next and the librarian isn’t sure, our forums and members are a great resource to get personalized recommendations. ”
Since its June 15 launch, Epic Reads has amassed more than 1,000 registered members. The site was developed by web design firm Blue Fountain Media. Stay tuned, HarperCollins also plans to launch a summer reading ad campaign in the coming weeks.
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