A little over three years ago, I walked into Dutton Publishing in New York and pitched the idea of the Digi-Novel. The Digi-Novel, as defined, is an interactive crime thriller, which allows the reader several levels of engagement: (1) you can read the book cover to cover like any traditional novel, (2) every 30 pages or so, you enter a “code,” provided in the book, at Level26.com, to watch a “cyber-bridge” – a five minute motion picture scene which continues the story cinematically, and (3) the Digi-Novel will have a website dedicated to aggregating a robust community into the mythology of the “Dark Series” and give people access to the creator of "CSI."
A year later, "Level 26: Dark Origins" achieved “international best-seller” status, but internally we didn’t consider ourselves a success. And like any self-respecting perfectionist, I put the project under a microscope and asked the toughest question: “Where did we go wrong?” More specifically, “Where did I go wrong?”
First off, "Level 26: Dark Origins" is dark. The cyber-bridges were even darker. Back then, I was of the opinion that “I wasn’t going to do TV on this project.” I was really going to push the envelope. However, I might’ve pushed it off the table. The villain, Sqweegel, was very violent. Our hero, Steve Dark, a “Special Circs” CSI out of Quantico, took a back seat to my uber-villain. The cyber-bridges were directed by a first time director: me. Not to mention, the website allowed "CSI" fans direct access to yours truly, but I wasn’t prepared for all of the different types of people that live on the net.
So, to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed after launch was an understatement. Nonetheless, I was determined to get it right. Why? I believe in the interactive experience as the “future of reading” and the “future of cross-pollinating content.”
I never wanted to rob the traditional reader of their imagination. It’s one of the greatest gifts of being human: the ability to get lost inside your mind with a little help from our world’s most profound authors. I wanted to give the reader something new and engaging that they’ve never experienced before. For "Level 26: Dark Origins," we gave the reader 20 five-minute motion picture scenes with recognizable actors and high production value. We wanted to give the Digi-Novel consumer full ability to meet other fans, create profile pages, exchange content, and build a home for the Dark Series fan.
Despite feeling underwhelmed by "Dark Origins," I was given a chance to improve upon the Digi-Novel with the second book of the series, "Dark Prophecy: A Level 26 Thriller Featuring Steve Dark," which will be released Oct. 14. I believe this to be the more defined iteration of the Digi-Novel format. Version 2.0 if you will. Even the cover is more commercial and engaging to the traditional book reader.
