How Crypto And Blockchain Technology Could Disrupt The Publishing Industry
The tech thriller Catch-42: A Novel About Our Future by Felix Holzapfel is scheduled for release on May 13th.
Thinkers 360 recognized Felix Holzapfel as a Top 10 Global Thought Leader in Digital Transformation. Thus, it’s no surprise that Holzapfel uses his book not only to offer readers a mind-blowing tour of the potential impacts of AI, biotech, quantum computing, and robotics, all within a suspense-filled story, but also to illustrate some current and future possibilities of how NFTs could be used to publish, promote, and distribute books and other digital items.
Holzapfel teamed up with Australian digital and crypto artist Nate Hill to produce the first crypto art book cover, using Hill’s “Back to our World” piece. Together, they offer an exclusive limited-edition NFT containing the book cover’s artwork and a signed copy of the book within an auction on Superrare.co, one of the leading platforms for crypto art. The auction takes place before the official release date of the book and before the book will be available on traditional sales channels like Amazon.
“I love a good story. I also love to create imagery that can speak to people in its own way. When Felix approached me and told me about his story, we both felt that there was a wonderful synergy between my art and his words,” says Nate Hill.
Non-fungible Tokens (NFT) are a hot topic within the tech and art scenes. But since the sale of the digital artwork “Everydays: The First 5,000 Days” for $69.3 million on March 11, and the Kings of Leon’s NFT “golden ticket” release of the new album, “When You See Yourself” on March 5, NFTs are beginning to receive a lot of coverage in mainstream media as well. Time to take a closer look at how NFTs could disrupt other industries, like the publishing industry.
“Currently, NFTs are in their infancy. There are still a few teething problems to be ironed out before the technology reaches the mainstream market. But once these issues are solved, the technology has the potential to fundamentally change the publishing industry. As with any new wave of technology, applications will soon emerge that go beyond our current imagination. I expect self-publishers and small indie publishers to be the first to take advantage of the new opportunities and associated benefits.
Large companies will have to follow very carefully and quickly if they want to avoid the market shifting to their disadvantage. That was the case with the triumph of the web at its inception in the late 1990s and the mobile revolution about a decade later. I see no reason why it should be any different this time with NFTs and the underlying technologies. We want to contribute our little share to the overall discussion about the possibilities of NFTs but also the challenges that we believe need to be solved before NFTs can unfold their full potential and start their great triumphant march in the publishing industry and beyond,” adds Holzapfel.
The sale of the NFT via an auction will be the kickoff for further marketing activities highlighting Catch-42’s story, Felix Holzapfel and Nate Hill’s work, and the possibilities of the NFT and blockchain technology. For example, there will be challenges starting in April in which users can earn points and win additional exclusive NFTs around the artwork and book.
These exclusive NFTs will also be available for a fixed price and used for further marketing activities.
