Creatd Launches New 'Fiction' Community on Vocal; Appoints Author Erica Wagner as Lead Editorial Innovator

FORT LEE, N.J., June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Creatd, Inc. (Nasdaq CM: CRTD) ("Creatd" or the "Company"), the parent company of Vocal, today announced the launch of 'Fiction,' Vocal's newest community. 'Fiction' was launched with the goal of showcasing creators' imaginative work, housing fiction stories of any genre or format. In conjunction with the launch, the Company has also named Unbound as the official supporter of the 'Fiction' community. Unbound is the world's first crowdfunding book publisher, whose platform empowers authors with the tools, support, and community to bring their book ideas to life. Through their new collaboration, Vocal and Unbound can leverage one another's resources and networks for the benefit of each of their respective creator communities.

Commenting on the new community launch, Creatd CEO Jeremy Frommer said, "Fiction writers have always had a prominent presence on the platform, with many creators submitting their serialized fiction, in some cases even chapter-by-chapter novels over time. Having a dedicated home for fiction makes the notion of creating on Vocal an even more valuable proposition for the large swath of creators who are bound by their love of fiction storytelling."

Additionally, the Company has also announced the appointment of Erica Wagner, celebrated author, critic, and literary editor, as its new Lead Editorial Innovator. In her new role, Ms. Wagner will be primarily responsible for:

• Leveraging Creatd's intellectual property, including its extensive library of legacy media archives, to apply it to new transmedia storytelling formats such as books, films, podcasts, and more;
• Sourcing and identifying potential acquisition targets within the content publishing space, such as technology platforms and creator communities; and
• Establishing and systematizing the selection process by which Vocal creators' published stories can be leveraged for future transmedia publishing projects; for example, collaborating with a creator to evolve a fiction series into a book format, or translating a story to a short film or podcast.

Erica Wagner's most recent book is Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge, described by the Wall Street Journal as "a welcome tribute to the persistence, precision and humanity of Washington Roebling and a love-song for the mighty New York bridge he built." She is also the author of Gravity: Stories, Ariel's Gift: Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and the Story of Birthday Letters and a novel, Seizure. She is the editor of First Light: A Celebration of Alan Garner: its contributors include Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman. Her stories have been widely anthologised and broadcast on the radio; Pas de Deux/A Concert of Stories, a show co-written with storyteller Abbi Patrix and musician and composer Linda Edsjö, tours around the world. Twice a judge of the Booker Prize, she was literary editor of The Times for 17 years, and she is now a contributing writer for the New Statesman and consulting literary editor for Harper's Bazaar. In addition, she writes for The New York Times, The Economist, and the Guardian. She teaches at Goldsmiths College in London and for the Faber Academy. Mary and Mr Eliot, her account of Mary Trevelyan's friendship with T. S. Eliot, will be published in September 2022.

As Lead Editorial Innovator, Ms. Wagner will report to Creatd's Chief Operating Officer, Laurie Weisberg. "I'm thrilled to welcome Erica Wagner, an award-winning literary editor and master storyteller, as our new Lead Editorial Innovator," said Ms. Weisberg. "Each one of Creatd's components have the common element of deepening the relationship between creator and consumer, helping the creator tell better stories and ensuring the consumer connects with it. Erica will be instrumental in spearheading the crucial effort of identifying new storytelling possibilities, to the benefit of the creator and audiences alike."

Commenting on her appointment, Ms. Wagner said, "My decades-long career in literature is founded on a profound love of stories, and on my commitment to seeking out fine storytellers from all over the world. I have been a close friend to the Creatd family for years, and have witnessed firsthand that, with Vocal, Creatd has established a narrative universe with a wealth of stories that are ripe to be adapted into new and exciting forms. I am thrilled to be formally joining the team in order to develop Vocal's impact in the literary world and beyond."

In conjunction with the 'Fiction' community launch, the Company has also kicked off the Doomsday Diary Challenge, which invites Vocal creators to share a short creative fiction story which imagines a post-apocalyptic society. The only requirement is that their story must include a reference to a heart-shaped locket. With this sci-fi-themed Challenge, creators are invited to exercise their imaginative muscles and channel the work of legends such as Phillip K. Dick, Margaret Atwood, or Cormac McCarthy.

Judging the Challenge will be Ms. Wagner, Creatd's new Lead Editorial Innovator, as well as John Mitchinson, co-founder of Unbound. Mr. Mitchinson has a decades-long background in publishing; prior to founding Unbound, he was the first marketing director at Waterstones, the major British book retailer, and sat in senior publishing roles at major publishing houses Orion, Cassell, and Harvill. He additionally co-hosts Backlisted, the award-winning books podcast.

The Doomsday Diary Challenge is open for submissions through June 29, 2021 at 11:59 PM EDT, and offers a $20,000 grand prize, $5,000 second place prize, and $2,500 third place prize. For more details about the Challenge prompt and participation, please visit: https://vocal.media/challenges/doomsday-diary.

About Creatd

Creatd, Inc. (Nasdaq CM: CRTD) is a creator-first technology company and the parent company of the Vocal platform. Our mission is to empower creators, entrepreneurs, and brands through technology and partnership. We accomplish this through Creatd's three main business pillars: Vocal Ventures, Creatd Partners and Recreatd.

For news and updates, subscribe to Creatd's newsletter: https://creatd.com/newsletter

Investor Relations Contact: [email protected]

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SOURCE Creatd, Inc.

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