Announcing StoryMarket, the New Network for Finding, Buying, Selling and Sharing Media Content

LAWRENCE, Kan., Feb. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- StoryMarket, a new content network for syndicators, publishers, freelancers and bloggers, is being launched later this month by The World Company. Media organizations and individuals interested in developing new opportunities to buy, sell or share content are invited to register for the public beta at storymarket.com.

The Associated Press and Universal Uclick have signed agreements to contribute content to StoryMarket.

StoryMarket, the latest development of Lawrence, Kan.-based World Company, provides a new model for the licensing and circulation of content. Along with offering quality a la carte content from well-known syndicators, StoryMarket gives each user tools to easily sell or share their own text stories, photographs, videos, audio clips and story packages to other StoryMarket members. StoryMarket handles the credit card transactions and authenticated downloads of content to purchasers. StoryMarket is free to join, supports both a la carte and monthly subscription models and takes a percentage of each transaction.

"We created StoryMarket to help publishers develop with more cost-effective content options, and to help creators of content, including major syndicators, to find more opportunities to have their work widely licensed and published," said David Ryan, Chief Architect and Product Manager for StoryMarket.

"In StoryMarket, you can you make your content available to other StoryMarket users in any way you like," Ryan continued, "for sale, for free, in trade with other organizations in public or private content-sharing groups. Each user has full control over their content's pricing, availability and licensing rights. Buy, sell or share — StoryMarket means content syndication on your terms."

A social network solution to developing content relationships

StoryMarket members can follow other users, organizations and topics to customize their own personal feed of content choices, giving users complete control over the content StoryMarket presents to them. Publishers can be as open or restrictive as they like in terms of who can see their content and can set pricing for specific users, organizations, or groups within StoryMarket.

"In StoryMarket, you get a customized feed of content matching your topic interests based on the organizations and users you follow," explained Frank Wiles, Chief Technology Officer. "We see the social network model as a great solution for helping people develop new content relationships that meet their specific needs. It's the heart of the StoryMarket network."

For new media, traditional media and emergent media

StoryMarket is for media companies of all kinds, from freelancers to major news organizations, community newspapers, magazines, syndicators, radio stations, TV stations, bloggers and niche websites — anyone seeking new sources of content and/or new content revenue possibilities.  

"We'd love to see first-rate bloggers establish relationships with print publications or magazines or radio stations looking for new sources of content," said Ryan. "StoryMarket gives everyone the opportunity not only to find new sources of content, but to create new revenue selling content they're already producing on topics they specialize in."

The World Company is a leader in digital journalism practices and new media tools, as well as the birthplace of Django, the open source web framework.

SOURCE StoryMarket