Literature meets social media

Popular SNS poet Choi Dae-ho's "Ilgeobosijip" is shown on his Facebook page. He published a collection of his poems early this year, which were posted on his SNS accounts. / Captured from Choi's Facebook

Amateur writers turn to social networking services to promote work

Ha Sang-wook's "Seoulsi"

Lee Hwan-cheon's
"Literature Salon"

By Chung Ah-young

Literature has been slow to adapt to social change and the rapidly changing tastes of readers. But in this digital era, authors are breaking out of tradition and turning to digital platforms to promote their work and expand their readership.

Although the pros and cons of digital platforms in promoting literature are still debatable, social networking services (SNSs) have already been shown as effective tools for strengthening the connections between readers and writers.

The so-called "SNS poets," such as Ha Sang-wook, Choi Dae-ho and Lee Hwan-cheon, have expanded their horizons, having started out as SNS sensations and then proving themselves as legitimate authors, demonstrating the potential of SNSs as new a literary medium.

Ha's "Seoulsi," a collection of his poems, has sold more than 100,000 copies since 2013. Ha pioneered "SNS poems" by posting short poems such as "Sleep" and "Anipang," the latter of which was inspired by a mobile puzzle game. His poems immediately went viral, as the poems appealed to the literary tastes of SNS users.

His witty works are inspired by daily events and experiences and thus, are very relatable to the readers. In "Using Up Toothpaste," he writes, "Where is your end/Your potential," while in "Photoshop," he writes, "Your real image/My real image/All gone." In "Monetary Gift for a Wedding Ceremony," he writes, "Thinking about our relations," and in "Hair Shop," he writes "Is it a difference of thoughts or a matter of misunderstanding?" In "Charges," he writes, "What have you done for me?"

Ha majored in visual design in college and worked in an office before becoming a star SNS poet. He expresses his thoughts concisely and clearly. Most of his works reflect what ordinary today people feel and think. He writes about subjects that he can share with ordinary SNS users, and because he writes for these readers, he doesn't care about critics' reviews.

"The wide penetration rate of smartphones and the SNS's growing role have changed people's reading habits in recent years. So, the publishers' marketing strategies have changed," Han Ki-ho, head of the Korean Publishing Marketing Research Institute, said in his blog.

He pointed out that people turn to SNSs when they want to instantly share what they have read with others, instead of enjoying reading alone.

"This trend shows a change from passive reading to proactive reading. Readers share with others the memorable quotes and the feelings they get from the books, deepening their understanding. Consequently, a slew of publishers are turning to SNS marketing," he said.

Choi's "Ilgeobosijip," a collection of his poems that he posted on his SNS accounts, was published early this year. Choi posted his first poem, which was handwritten, in January 2004 on his Instagram. Like Ha's poems, Choi's depict his feelings about daily events in simple, understandable words.

His works have gained popularity among young people, who could relate to his problems, such as having difficulty landing a job and being frustrated with his height. Choi's poems feature "twists" in the end of the poems.

The page Lee Hwan-cheon's Literature Salon on Facebook has been gaining popularity for witty and humorous poems.

Likewise, Facebook group Chaekbeolre (Bookworm) has 220,000 members. The group runs literary programs, such as podcasts and lectures, and plans to launch expand into literary, cultural and overseas tours.

Some critics say "SNS works" can hardly be considered literary works, but they have garnered a significant following because they convey the emotions and desires of ordinary people in their daily urban lives, break social norms and are poignant, witty and humorous. The digital platform is lowering the entry barriers for amateurs to make their literary debut.

"Although the books make the headlines in vernacular newspapers, such publicity's influence on the sales of the books is limited. Also, advertising on online bookstores is not that effective. However, brief exposure in the SNS channels can turn works into huge sensations, which affects the whole structure of production, circulation and consumption," Han said.

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