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ABC previews new TV series as free Kindle e-book

In an interesting marketing stunt, ABC has released the pilot script for its upcoming new show "Revenge" as a free e-book on the Kindle.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
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David Carnoy
The pilot script for 'Revenge' is now a free Kindle e-book with a special code at the end. ABC

You might not think of the Kindle as a marketing vehicle for a new TV show, but ABC is promoting its new TV series "Revenge" with an e-reader twist: you can download the pilot script for free on your Kindle and a code at the end will allow you to watch the pilot online before the show hits the airwaves.

Amazon reviewers are mixed on the new series, which features the tawny Hamptons as its setting. And some are finding it a little awkward to read a script rather than, well, a book.

Reviewer kacunnin writes:

The most interesting thing about reading the script for the pilot episode of the ABC prime time soap "Revenge" is checking out the differences between what was originally scripted and what was actually put on film. Since the free Kindle version of the script includes a link to the full-length pilot, readers get a rare chance to see how a television show is made and what kinds of changes happen between the writing and the filming.

This little Kindle promotion probably won't determine whether "Revenge" turns into a hit or not, but it's definitely an intriguing PR stunt that other networks may use in the future to market new shows. In 2009, Showtime released the pilot script for "Nurse Jackie" as a free Kindle e-book, but today there are far more Kindles and tablets (that run the Kindle app) in consumers hands.

(Via Beyond Black Friday blog)