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Monday, August 22, 2016

Duo Developing App to Create Open E-Books

A small startup based in Ann Arbor, MI, is trying to raise money to develop an open-source application called PageKicker that would find open content online and repackage it into an e-book almost immediately.

“The problem we are solving is one that most people take for granted: Writing and publishing a book takes months of effort and costs tens of thousands of dollars in fully loaded labor costs,” says the PageKicker website. “We are changing that, and the world of writing and publishing will never be the same.”

The app would use an algorithm to search for relevant topical content, analyze the material, convert everything into an e-readable format, assemble the finished product, and deliver it within a few minutes. “Push a button, build a book,” PageKicker promises.

Founders Fred Zimmerman and Ken Leith claim to have a prototype ready, but are looking for investors to help complete development of a 1.0 version for Android and iOS.