Yahoo! was generous enough to donate their venue for last Summer’s iPhone Developer Camp. During the event, I was finishing the last chapters of 140 Characters.

To follow up on that experience, Yahoo! visited my office for a Developer Spotlight on the history of iPhoneDevCamp, Twitter, my book, and the iPhone App.

I met Tracy Sheridan at Lunch For Good, where she bought a copy of 140 Characters using Square. It was still in private Alpha then, so when it launched I met her again. This time at Sightglass Coffee & Roastery.

Here’s a clip of us using Square to sell Tracy her second copy of 140 Characters:

We also talked about the beginnings of Twitter, the genesis of the book 140 Characters, and the book iPhone App. Also included are some thoughts on being a Square merchant.

Thanks Tracy for capturing this.

I have been testing Jack and Jim’s new invention Square since April 2009. Jack bought me breakfast, then proceeded to charge me for it, using his iPhone.

I became a Square merchant in May. Since then I’ve been documenting a new 140 character space: the credit card line item.

Right now, I’m one of a handful of active merchants using an Alpha version of this new payment system (including Sightglass, Lilybelle, and Willotoons). I can process credit cards without the need for a merchant’s account to start. I use Square to sell copies of my book 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form.

Powered by the force of my swipe, the scanner is designed to fit into any smart device (read: Google, Blackberry, etc). Development is planned for the other devices (see Jobs), but the Beta is only for iPhone or iPod touch at the moment.

For more information, sign up for the Square Beta (opening soon to a few more merchants), follow @Square and keep a lookout for @SquareBook.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Co-creator of Twitter Dom Sagolla releases 140 Characters for iPhone and iPod touch, a new form of hypertext book continuously updated with fresh content.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: 140 Characters, A Style Guide for the Short Form has been released worldwide via the iTunes App Store. Distinctly different from the Kindle edition, the text has been updated and expanded with an additional chapter and exclusive multimedia features.

• Regular updates to the Hypertext Book, with In-App Browser.
• Read-only Twitter client with hooks into the mobile version of Twitter.com.
• Comments and Copy/Paste throughout.

Read the work as it was originally intended, as a companion to the text edition published by John Wiley & Sons.

See a brief demonstration of the App.

140 Characters demo from Dom Sagolla on Vimeo.

Press Resources for the App

press@140characters.com
415-287-7775
http://140characters.com

In 140 Characters or less, the App:

The Full Mention
@Dom’s @BookApp 140 Characters for iPhone & iPod touch, a hypertext book continuously updated with fresh content. http://j.mp/140-t

The Big Mention
@Dom’s @BookApp 140 Characters for iPhone & iPod touch. http://j.mp/140-t

The Short Mention
@BookApp 140 Characters for iPhone. http://j.mp/140-t

The Tiny Mention
@Dom’s @BookApp http://j.mp/140-t

The Nano Mention
@BookApp http://j.mp/140-t

The Landing Page
http://dom.net/1

Facts.

Shipped: November 18, 2009.
Publisher: DollarApp
Rating: 9+

The App icon code.

<a href=”http://j.mp/140-web” title=”140 Characters App Icon by Sagolla, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2638/3988595268_ea3b582f88_t.jpg” width=”100″ height=”100″ alt=”140 Characters App Icon” /></a>

Press Resources for the Book

Same as for the App, except:

The Full Mention
@thebook by @Dom Sagolla. 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form. http://j.mp/140-chars

The Big Mention
@thebook by @Dom Sagolla. 140 Characters http://j.mp/140-chars

The Short Mention
@thebook 140 Characters by @Dom http://j.mp/140-chars

The Tiny Mention
@thebook by @Dom http://j.mp/140-chars

The Nano Mention
@thebook http://j.mp/140-chars

The Amazon
http://j.mp/140-chars

The Borders
http://j.mp/140-chbo

The B&N
http://j.mp/140-chbn

The List
http://j.mp/140-list

Facts.

Ship Date: October 12, 2009.
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 0470556137

The book jacket code.

<a href=”http://j.mp/140-chars” title=”140 Characters in 3D by Sagolla, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2440/4009911664_f49ae378a1_m.jpg” width=”175″ height=”240″ alt=”140 Characters in 3D” /></a>

Thanks for blogging, linking, tweeting, emailing, and generally promoting this work.

The Hypertext Edition of “140 Characters” is a new book format that is constantly updated with fresh content.

Twitter Co-creator Dom Sagolla covers all the basics of great short- form writing, including the importance of communicating with simplicity, honesty, and humor.

This is the first writing guide specifically dedicated to communicating with the succinctness and clarity that the Internet age requires.

“A code of honor for the new way of doing business.”
-@24kLogos

• The equivalent of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for today’s social media & marketing messages
• Inspiring quotations from comedy to poetry from some of the best writers
• The authoritative approach to Twitter, written by its creators to include other social networks like pure text messaging

“The book is awesome, but the app is sexy.”
-@atebits

140 Characters is a much-needed guide to the kind of communication that can make or break a reputation online.

“This is game-changing.”
-@schwa

Features:
1. Built-in Web browser, with Bookmark

2. Regular updates to the text
3. Integrated Twitter streams of all 140 “characters” to follow

4. Additional Video and Photo content

The text is also supports Copy/Paste throughout.

Even if you have the Kindle edition, this condensed and updated text will provide the freshest reading experience. Tune in to the @bookapp Twitter account for the latest developments.

Keywords: Twitter, Facebook, social, networking, writing, book, links, lead, value, master, evolve, accelerate.

Now Available in the iTunes App Store.

I enjoyed speaking with Henry Tenenbaum on Sunday morning.

I see the future following the model of the past, which is: we started out with this SMS application.

Thank you, @HenryTen and @KRON4News for a great experience!

It’s been an amazing couple of weeks on the Book Tour and now back in San Francisco. More great news is coming but I’d like to share with you a list of recent press, bound to entertain:

• San Francisco Chronicle: Big companies competing in app marketplace (11/11/09)
• [audio] Social Media Hour: #31 (11/10/09)
• The Bulletin: 10 Books to Read in November (11/06/09)
• [audio] KKZZ-AM 1400: Coach Ron Tunick’s Twitter Intervention (11/06/09)
• [video] Haraka Haraka Haina Baraka: Dom Sagolla and the “140 Characters” Book Premiere (11/04/09)
• [audio] Swarthmore News: Twitter Co-founder Dom Sagolla ‘96 on the Short Form (11/02/09)
• [audio] Two Jacks in the Hole: Trick or Treat Huff’s Birthday Tweet w/ Guest Dom Sagolla (10/29/09)
• lalawag: Highlights from the #140conf (10/29/09)
• Publisher’s Weekly: San Francisco Panel Urges Publishers to Keep Experimenting (10/29/09)
• [video] 140 Characters Conference Presents: What’s Next in Social Media? (10/28/09)
• The Daily Gazette: Dom Sagolla ‘96 Presents New Book About Twitter (10/26/09)
• Zahid Lilani: Book Review: 140 Characters by Dom Sagolla (10/22/09)
• Swarthmore Phoenix: Twitter Co-founder, Alum, to Speak About New Book (10/22/09)
• [video] PBS: 5Across: How to Deal with Technology Overload (10/08/09)

Review copies have shipped, and now 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form will be appearing in stores across the US and Canada.

Look for it, snap a picture, and post it here! Once you’ve read it, please post a review to Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble.

Don’t forget: in one week I’ll be speaking in San Francisco and signing books.

• Tuesday October 20, 2009
• 7:00pm
• BookShop West Portal
• 80 West Portal Ave.
• San Francisco, CA 94127
• Get Directions

Meanwhile, enjoy a wonderful review of the book from Tucker Bradford.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Twitter Co-creator Dom Sagolla to publish “140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form.”

Printed by John Wiley & Sons, the book is scheduled to appear in bookstores in the US and Canada on 10/19/09. The product of four years of research and writing, this field manual to social media has three major features:

1. The definitive history of Twitter, from an insider’s point of view
2. New grammar rules for short-form writing, and a catalog of writing styles
3. Inspiring quotations from comedy to poetry from some of the best writers, including the Twitter creators

Three ways to think about 140 Characters:

• The equivalent of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for today’s social media & marketing messages
• A handbook to help you develop your own unique short-form writing style with simplicity, honesty, and humor
• The authoritative approach to Twitter, written by its creators to include other social networks like pure text messaging

For marketers and business owners, social media is an increasingly important avenue for promoting a business-this is the first writing guide specifically dedicated to communicating with the succinctness and clarity that the Internet age demands.

140 Characters is a much-needed guide to the kind of communication that can make or break a reputation online. Appearing alongside the printed edition, an abridged Hypertext Edition will also be published specifically for iPhone by DollarApp in San Francisco. For more information please visit http://www.140characters.com.

Press Inquiries

• press@140characters.com (Dom & Wiley PR) – 415.287.7775 (Dom)
• Book Jacket Art
• Author’s Photograph
• Author’s Biography

Book Premiere

Tuesday October 20, 2009
7:00pm
BookShop West Portal
80 West Portal Ave.
San Francisco, California 94127

Press & Blog Coverage of 140 Characters

• Teknision: Celebrate the Short Form (08/20/09)
• La Informacion: Casi 300 páginas… para aprender a twittear en 140 caracteres (08/19/09)
• Haraka Haraka Haina Baraka: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Tweetie (08/14/09)
• Christian Science Monitor: Sued for a tweet: How not to deal with complaints on Twitter (08/01/09)
• [video] YouTube: @dom on ‘140 Characters’ (08/01/09)
• Wall Street Journal: ‘Twitterature’ to Hit the Bookstores (06/24/09)
• [audio] Strange Love Live: Live from Bar Camp! (05/03/09)
• Christian Science Monitor: Oprah tweets, Twitter arrives (04/17/09)
• [audio] @ThePodcast: Interview with Dom Sagolla, The Guy Who Helped Create Twitter (04/08/09)
• [audio] Westwood One Radio: Twitter Turns Three (03/21/09)
• [video] Nightline: Sign of the Times (02/26/09)
• New York Times: Anatomy of a Tweet: Twitter Gets a Style Guide (02/13/09)

Join Twitter co-creator Dom Sagolla as he debuts his first book, “140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form.”

Bookshop West Portal is a local, independently-owned bookstore frequented during the creation of the text.

Event includes a brief presentation, question and answer period, and book signing.

More about the author.

• Add to calendar
• Invite Friends