Literature-Loving Island Visionaries Create New E-business

The debut publication of eNotatedclassics.com, Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocum, as notated by Chris Thomerson.

“This is where we’re starting; we’d love to make this an Orcas project.”

John Ashenhurst, David Sarver and Chris Thomerson are leading the charge to bring classic literature to future generations, using the ever-evolving technologies of electronics.

The three men, all self-confessed “literature lovers,” have been bouncing around ideas about reviving literature classics through e-readers such as Kindle and  Nook. The men have the benefit of years of experience in forming sustainable businesses, providing internet technology and making it reliable and accessible, and the study of literature.

Now they are ready to announce the arrival of their brainchild — classical literature, notated by knowledgeable readers and available on internet reading devices of all sorts. The adventure in e-publishing is extended to Orcas Islanders who may share the passion for keeping the classics alive through the millennial “Readers’ Companions” that the eNotated books provide.

(To cut to the chase, go to www.enotatedclassics.com )

Ashenhurst, who has always been motivated by exploring technological advances and finding new uses for them, said the germ of the idea began when he tackled the labyrinthian references in James Joyce’s Ulysses. He thought it might be easier to read a Kindle copy of the book. While the Kindle has a built-in dictionary, Ashenhurst found the dictionary could answer only about 20% of his questions; he then found himself juggling the slim e-reader with his laptop, as he researched obscure words, geographic and historical references.

While the new reading devices are practical for pleasurable reading, they fail to take advantage of the potential of electronic devices, Ashenhurst says.

In his search for a more practical, less laborious process, it occurred to him: Why doesn’t someone else do all this and put it into the Kindle? He began to see ways that new technologies could address the existing shortfalls of reading the classics.  He looked around for existing software, but was unable to find any.

Talking over the idea with his friends Sarver (who has a background in accounting and law) and Thomerson (whose background is in engineering and computers), the group recognized the potential of starting a business with no money but a great idea — to put a layer of annotation behind the original text.

Ashenhurst started to write software and discuss the complications of various models. Being in the vanguard of the arc of technology, they all realized it was just a short matter of time before someone brought the idea to reality. Ashenhurst says, “This is a real step in not just making the written word electronic, but making reading devices usable.”

Like Ashenhurst, Sarver and Thomerson all share a commitment to community involvement as well as a love of good words and slick technology: Ashenhurst has served as President of the Library Board, Treasurer of the Crane Island Association and past moderator of the Orcas Island Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; Sarver is currently Chair of the Orcas Medical Center board; and Thomerson is President of OPALCO and the A Cappella board, as well as an avid sailor and photographer.

Indeed, Thomerson’s passion for the historic “travelogue” Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum served as the first publication of enotatedclassics.com

A second Slocum book, Voyage of the Destroyer, has also been enotated by Thomerson and the two books currently form the inventory of enotatedclassics.com. The books are available on Amazon, with a third book — Voyage of the Liberdade, Slocum’s account of building a ship in Brazil and transporting his family back to New York — is expected to join the repertoire. Other eNotated publications are expected soon.

We now have an idea, a tool set and an actual product — “proof of concept,” Thomerson says.

Recognizing the level of cultural knowledge, scholarship and education of many Orcas Islanders, the trio came naturally to the conclusion that their enterprise could involve other islanders, to the benefit of all. “We think Orcas has lots of people who can share their knowledge and who like the idea of e-notating, and want to share in the cultural evolution of reading and books and technology,”says Ashenhurst.

“The classics of any kind are works of enduring interest and influence; they have survived because of their relevance to succeeding generations, [but] as we move further away in time, the classics become less accessible,” he adds. But the problem of historical distance has its upside, as it circumvents the problems of copyright law.  Any book published before 1925 may be eNotated and published without the author’s permission. In fact, the e-publishers are willing to take on any book for which they can obtain clear copyright; but for starters, they’re focusing on the classics.

What’s required to join the band?

• People involved in a start-up venture have to have some sort of passion for it, you can’t “draft” people, explains Ashenhurst.
• “Classics are books of significance,” he adds;  does the enotater have expertise or understanding in this area to make their notation accessible, understandable and rich?
• Can the person write “for the format,” providing a layer of information behind the primary text, with a sense of whom they’re writing for?

“This isn’t an academic exercise,” says Ashenhurst, and a brief look at Slocum’s and Thomerson’s Sailing Alone bears this out, with most references being just a line or two.  At the same time, the businessmen recognize that more complicated literary works could involve several pages of individual annotations. Likewise, the future will incorporate further “layers”  such as subject indexes

“We have a sense of the possible and what people will benefit from, by tapping the capabilities that technology now has and using Orcas expertise to make the classics relevant,” says Ashenhurst.

Relationships will develop  among those involved in the project: “there’s no right way or wrong way, but there’s an art to it,” he says. “This is where we’re starting; we’d love to make this an Orcas project.”

There is no payment in advance, but eNotaters will share revenue through payment for the finished product. The process is not demanding, with easy-to-use software and phone and in-person meetings. Minimal electronic equipment is required — Windows XP (2003) or Mac OS X, version 10.5 or later.

The business’ eNotaters have access to all books available in the Amazon  catalog. “It’s not by chance they have the biggest share of the market, ” Ashenhurst says. “They have the best distribution system and they are eager to help independent publishers, understanding how to get the best exposure in a rapidly changing situation.

“Amazon wants to develop as an accessible publishing platform; they make it possible for independent publishers to get their books out in the hands of the reading public. They’ve gone to a lot of trouble ,” he says, adding that Amazon now sells more electronic copies that “paper” publications.

Ashenhurst says, “We’re taking the long-term view: we hope to play a role in the changing notion of reading and publication, taking advantage of technology. We’ll evolve with more eNotaters, better technology and improved distribution so that this can carry on beyond our involvement. We want to create an institution and expand the accessibility of classic books.”

For further information, contact info@enotatedclassics.com