[arg_discuss] White Paper: ARGs in Publishing

[Michael Andersen]

Hey all,

A while back, Brooke mentioned it might be a good idea for people writing
sections of the upcoming white paper to post their ideas for feedback and
suggestions.  That seems like a fairly awesome idea to me, so below is a
rough sketch of what I intend to be discussing with the section on ARGs in
Publishing.  I figure we're more likely to provide thorough and (probably
even more importantly) concise coverage if we're not operating in silos with
this.

*An ARGish History:* this section will serve as a brief look back at a few
projects that embraced the ARG aesthetic prior to *Cathy's Book*, where the
ARG term started getting used for it. This isn't intended to be a
comprehensive history, but I'll refer to Dennis Wheatley's Murder Dossiers
from back in the '30s and armchair mysteries like Kit Williams'
*Masquerade* (which
I didn't read, but saw referenced in the NYTimes article on *We Lost Our
Gold*).
*
*
*ARGs as Storytelling: *this section will focus on the use of ARGs in the
publishing world as an integral part of the storytelling experience. I'll be
looking at implementing ARGs in publishing through the use of evidence packs
(as previously mentioned, this idea goes at least back to the Murder
Dossiers), along with the trend of utilizing paired media with a central
social platform (Level 26).

I'll also be discussing how the current trend skews for this type of
storytelling working exceptionally well with children's literature / YA
materials and as a franchise builder since the audience is a bit more media
savvy and the transmedia elements help bridge the publication gap between
books.

*ARGs as Promotion:* I'll also discuss how ARGs have been used as promotions
for the book's release, looking at how ARGs can drive behavior, reward
existing fans, and introduce the story.

*Concluding Thoughts on Ownership: *this section will briefly describe a
growing trend I've noticed (and analyzed in a bit more depth elsewhere)
towards corporate ownership of these ARG/transmedia book projects.

Each section will be discussed in light of particular properties, and I plan
on referencing *Cathy's Book*, *Personal Effects*, *Skeleton Creek*, *Level
26*, *Clock Without a Face*, *39 Clues*, *First Among Sequels*, *Therapy*,
and *The Whisperers*. When possible and as space allows, I plan on including
a brief description of media used and a short walkthrough of how readers
interact with the book ARG type projects, incorporating statements from the
people behind the projects (gleaned from past interviews, TED speeches, and
articles).


So...any thoughts? Concerns? Glaring omissions? Praise? Recriminations?

-Michael