Literary Social Network Figment Launches As Social Studying Trend Grows

Last week I wrote about the emerging online trend of Social Studying. This growing trend seeks to bring together social networks and more academic pursuits together.

The latest site to throw it’s hat into the ring is Figment. The site which launched yesterday, was founded by the former managing editor of The New Yorker, Jacob Lewis and staff writer Dana Goodyear.

The site is being viewed as an experiment in online literature. A free platform for teens where they can read and write fiction, both on their computers and on their cellphones. They are encouraged to write novels, short stories and poems, collaborate with other writers and give and receive feedback on work posted to the site.

Lewis stated that they “wanted people to be able to write whatever they wanted in whatever form they wanted…We give them a piece of paper and say, ‘Go.'” Contributions to the site so far include everything from fantasy and science fiction, to biographical work and long serial novels.

In the long term Lewis hopes that Figment will not only attract a wealth of user, but create opportunities for publishers to find fresh young talent, or promote their own authors by running book excerpts. “For publishers this is an amazing opportunity to not only reach your consumers but to find out really valuable information about how they are reading,” he said.

A number of publishers have already signed up to work with Figment, seeing it as an opportunity to get the their content in front of teenagers and constantly shifting youth culture.