StartupTunes

Subtext

Subtext, a start-up for making eBook reading social has raised $3 million in seed funding from Google Ventures, Mayfield Fun, New Enterprise Associates and Omidyar Network.

With social being a rage on the Internet, Subtext is looking to make eBooks more interactive, which seems like a pretty good enough idea. No wonder big investors have shown confidence in Subtext.

The start-up has announced on its launch that it is collaborating with authors who have had deals with big publishers such as Penguin, HarperCollins, Random House, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and so on.

Subtext powers the reading community by making reading books (ebooks) socially. With Subtext, you can discuss ebooks with your friends, authors, community members and experts. It is the equivalent of reading a book at home and keeping the book down for a while to discuss it with friends or an expert. Subtext is careful not to disturb your reading experience though.

Readers can exchange their thoughts about a book, add and explore links relevant to the reading of a book, share images, articles and reviews, and multimedia content from the net.

Since reading is a solitary activity, Subtext’s social angle to reading might just work in an age overcome by the chattiness of the Internet, especially in the social networking sites.

Think of it, Subtext’s author/social commentary will also deepen the reading experience, making a reader aware of multiple interpretations of a text. What is better than multiple minds analyzing the same piece of content than a single you!

All in all, Subtext seems like a very exciting project, and if it can pull it off well, there would be no solitary reading anymore.