How Author James Patterson is Making Fiction for the Digital Age on Facebook Messenger
*By Jacqueline Corba*
James Patterson is a fixture on the vaunted New York Times bestseller list. But this year, the author of canon thrillers like "Juror #3," "Pop Goes the Weasel," "Zoo," "Jack & Jill," and the "Alex Cross" series is using an unlikely platform to deliver his latest work: Facebook Messenger.
"I call it unofficially 'a bookie.' It's a book meets a movie, there's a lot of text and then video," Patterson told Cheddar Monday. "Nobody has done that before."
Patterson, whose books are often adapted into films, said his latest work, "The Chef," will yield "a 360 experience."
For Patterson, sustaining his readership is a matter of staying current. And that means the web.
"It's so important to me that books keep up ー that they enter the modern age and who knows where it's going to end up. But wherever it goes a lot of it will end up online," he said.
The goal, he said, is to drive more readers to new platforms ー but ideally, the format will allow his fans to have a more immersive experience with his stories.
On Facebook ($FB), embedded videos and clues will enhance Patterson's latest whodunit.
"Unfortunately, the publishing business has been a little sleepy, and we keep trying to wake 'em up," he said.
Patterson's murder mystery "The Chef" will be available on Facebook Messenger on Oct. 30 and the print edition will be available in February of 2019.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-james-patterson-is-teaming-up-with-facebook-for-his-latest-novel).
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