Some say the best part about reading a book is imagining how characters and places look like. With “Waiting at Hayden’s”, a new e-book by Riley Costello launched this week, readers no longer have to imagine. They can actually shop the characters’ clothes and home décor.
The digital version of the book includes links to photos and videos which show the characters wearing clothes described in the text. If interested, readers can click on those photos and videos and visit the retail websites selling the items. Similar to bloggers and influencers, Costello earns a small commission for each sale she generates.
"Imagine if after watching episodes of last year's mega-hit, Big Little Lies, viewers could have clicked on shopping links to Reese Witherspoon's Burberry coat, Nicole Kidman's Zimmermann dress, or Laura Dern's Stella McCartney jumpsuit", said Costello in a statement. "That's what I'm bringing to the printed page."
For those who read “Waiting at Hayden’s” print version, shopping the items is a bit more complicated. They have to type the web addresses themselves into their Internet browser.
By Alex Guarino | September 5, 2018 at 3:56 PM EST - Updated September 23 at 1:48 PM
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WECT) - Ten years and ten drafts later, Riley Costello is finally a published author who not only created a book, but also a whole new experience for readers.
"With this book I coined and branded a new reading experience: it's called shopfiction. It's the first book where you can shop all the characters clothes and home decor as you're reading," Costello said.
A lifelong reader of Nicholas Sparks novels, Costello set out to find inspiration for a love story of her own while at college in California.
"When I was in college, I was really discouraged with the college dating scene and I actually took a year off to move to the most romantic place I could think of which was Nicholas Sparks south, so then I just started writing a love story of my own."
Costello combined her love for writing, romance, and fashion to create her new book Waiting at Hayden's, which hit stores in July.
"My generation, in particular, is super visual with Instagram and all social media so I don't want my generation to stop reading but they are, so I wanted this to be a way to pull them back into reading stories again because I can't imagine a world without books and I just want everyone to keep reading them."
Costello also worked to create digital versions of scenes in the books, so readers can watch the most important parts come to life.
Whether reading hard copy or digital, the shopfiction experience makes it so readers can shop their favorite character's looks.
"Within the print version of the book there are actually web addresses to type into your phone or into your computer to have the exact same experience so if you are...you know I'm an old-fashioned, I like my hardcover, so you can read it that way. And then the digital version has all the links to make it easy so if you're a Kindle reader or you read on your iPad that's also an interactive way to do it."
Collaboration has been a large part of the process for Costello, who worked with young designers to create outfits for the characters in the novel.
"I actually collaborated with a lot of young females who have clothing brands and they sent pieces from their collections for my readers to shop. I learned a lot through this process I have a fashion blog so that transition was sort of natural to me," she said.
She is now working on a platform for authors to add shopfiction into their novels.
The book itself is a love story that taps into the difficulties of modern day dating.
"It's a story about the complicated nature of timing in modern-day relationships so it's about a boy and a girl who meet and fall in love too early in life before they're ready to settle down and then a woman who is ready to settle down but hasn't met the love of her life yet," she said.
Copyright 2018 WECT. All rights reserved.
Women's fiction author Riley Costello announced a July 10 release of her new patent-pending reading experience format: Shopfiction™.
Waiting at Hayden's, a novel that deals with the complicated nature of timing in modern-day relationships, will be the first book that allows readers to shop the characters' outfits.
Waiting at Hayden's provides links (in the digital version) and web addresses (in print) to take readers to video highlights where they can watch key scenes unfold, as well as to photos of the characters wearing the clothing described in the text.
In Waiting at Hayden's, the author has primarily featured brands such as Winston White and Van De Vort that were started by other female entrepreneurs.
Costello is providing readers a new interactive approach to fiction. "Imagine if after watching episodes of last year's mega-hit, Big Little Lies, viewers could have clicked on shopping links to Reese Witherspoon's Burberry coat, Nicole Kidman's Zimmermann dress, or Laura Dern's Stella McCartney jumpsuit," Costello said. "That's what I'm bringing to the printed page."
At 28 years old, Costello is creating a new platform on which authors can not only connect with their audiences, but also profit from their work through affiliate links.
When readers follow shopping links to retail websites to purchase the items featured in the book, the author can earn a small commission.
Costello has also included filmed scenes from the book, which readers can enjoy by visiting her website. These video highlights provide another way for readers to get to know the characters and in many cases, relive a scene they just read.
"I was inspired by Reese Witherspoon who started her own production company in order to let women tell women's stories," Costello explains. "I write love stories with strong female characters and decided to use technology to reach and engage readers in a new, exciting and fun manner."
Waiting at Hayden's is available online.
For more information, visit: www.sincerelyriley.com.
Ever wish you could have your favorite character's wardrobe? Shopfiction is now making it possible for you to shop right from your novel.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Women’s fiction author Riley Costello announced a July 10 release of her new patent-pending reading experience format: Shopfiction.
“Waiting at Hayden’s,” a novel that deals with the complicated nature of timing in modern-day relationships, will be the first book that allows readers to shop the characters’ outfits.
“Waiting at Hayden’s” provides links (in the digital version) and web addresses (in print) to take readers to video highlights where they can watch key scenes unfold, as well as to photos of the characters wearing the clothing described in the text.
In “Waiting at Hayden’s,” the author has primarily featured brands such as Winston White and Van De Vort that were started by other female entrepreneurs.
Costello is providing readers a new interactive approach to fiction. “Imagine if after watching episodes of last year’s mega-hit, “Big Little Lies,” viewers could have clicked on shopping links to Reese Witherspoon’s Burberry coat, Nicole Kidman’s Zimmermann dress, or Laura Dern’s Stella McCartney jumpsuit,” Costello said. “That’s what I’m bringing to the printed page.”
At 28 years old, Costello is creating a new platform on which authors can not only connect with their audiences but also profit from their work through affiliate links.
When readers follow shopping links to retail websites to purchase the items featured in the book, the author can earn a small commission.
Costello has also included filmed scenes from the book, which readers can enjoy by visiting her website. These video highlights provide another way for readers to get to know the characters and in many cases, relive a scene they just read.
“I was inspired by Reese Witherspoon who started her own production company in order to let women tell women’s stories,” Costello said. “I write love stories with strong female characters and decided to use technology to reach and engage readers in a new, exciting and fun manner.”
“Waiting at Hayden’s,” is available online.
Author Introduces First Book Where Readers Can Shop the Characters' Clothes: Shopfiction ™
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 11, 2018. Women's fiction author Riley Costello has just released her new patent-pending reading experience format: Shopfiction™.
Waiting at Hayden's, a novel that deals with the complicated nature of timing in modern-day relationships, will be the first book that allows readers to shop the characters' outfits.
Waiting at Hayden's provides links (in the digital version) and web addresses (in print) to take readers to video highlights where they can watch key scenes unfold, as well as to photos of the characters wearing the clothing described in the text.
In Waiting at Hayden's, the author has primarily featured brands such as Winston White and Van De Vort that were started by other female entrepreneurs.
Costello is providing readers a new interactive approach to fiction. "Imagine if after watching episodes of last year's mega-hit, Big Little Lies, viewers could have clicked on shopping links to Reese Witherspoon's Burberry coat, Nicole Kidman's Zimmermann dress, or Laura Dern's Stella McCartney jumpsuit," Costello said. "That's what I'm bringing to the printed page."
At 28 years old, Costello is creating a new platform on which authors can not only connect with their audiences, but also profit from their work through affiliate links.
When readers follow shopping links to retail websites to purchase the items featured in the book, the author can earn a small commission.
Costello has also included filmed scenes from the book, which readers can enjoy by visiting her website. These video highlights provide another way for readers to get to know the characters and in many cases, relive a scene they just read.
"I was inspired by Reese Witherspoon who started her own production company in order to let women tell women's stories," Costello explains. "I write love stories with strong female characters and decided to use technology to reach and engage readers in a new, exciting and fun manner."
Waiting at Hayden's is available online.
For more information, visit: www.sincerelyriley.com.
Shopfiction: Lake Oswego native Riley Costello makes her fiction debut with "Waiting at Hayden's," a Portland-set novel about millennial dating and relationships that introduces a format she's branded as shopfiction. Download the digital edition and you'll find links to Costello's blog, Sincerely, Riley, that allow you to watch scenes, listen to music composed for the novel, and shop the characters' outfits, provided by brands that Costello solicited. A longtime writer - she freelanced for The Oregonian as a Lakeridge High School student - Costello said that every time she posted a story online, "everyone just wanted to know what (brands) I was wearing. You know, they're like, 'Where did you get that outfit?' And I was like, 'No, but the story! Read the story!' That is honestly why I started my blog and had the fashion component." The book also addresses something she's noticed as a reader of women's fiction: "I've been feeling like there aren't books that speak to what it's like to fall in love today as a young woman." In the hardcover edition, links to Costello's blog appear after selected chapters. Eventually she hopes to convert other titles to the format and bring in other types of products. "Anytime I mention it to people, they are instantly really excited about it," she said, adding, "It'll just be another way to enrich people's reading experience."
Oregon-raised author Riley Costello invented a novel way for readers to get their fill of fashion and fiction between two book covers. It’s called “Shop Fiction,” and it allows readers to shop the outfits their favorite characters are wearing. MORE’s Molly Riehl is with the author of “Waiting at Hayden’s,” Riley Costello.
To learn more about Shop Fiction: https://sincerelyriley.com/2018/04/02/waiting-at-haydens-first-book-where-readers-can-shop-characters-clothes/#
CHARLESTON, SC (FOX 24 NEWS NOW) — The sign of a good book is when the author draws you in and you enter another world, walking in the footsteps of the stories’ characters.
Expertly-crafted sentences can paint a vibrant picture, every scene, thread of clothing, scents and so much more.
So what if the story became your reality?
Author Riley Costello is flipping the script on traditional storytelling with her novel, ‘Waiting at Hayden’s’.
The book weaves descriptive situations with online clothing shopping — thus creating the term ‘Shopfiction’.
She joined us in-studio to talk about her first-ever novel that allows readers to shop the characters’ clothes and home decor.
For more information on Riley and her books, please visit her website.
‘shopfiction’ is the name of a new, patent-pending reading experience format from women’s fiction author Riley Costello, which gives readers the chance to shop character outfits with ease.
Waiting at Hayden’s is the first book that is launching in this new format, making it possible for readers to connect with links via digital versions and web addresses in print. Users will also be able to discover video content, watch key scenes unfold and see characters and their outfits come to life before their eyes.
As Costello puts it “Imagine if after watching episodes of last year’s mega-hit, Big Little Lies, viewers could have clicked on shopping links to Reese Witherspoon’s Burberry coat, Nicole Kidman’s Zimmermann dress, or Laura Dern’s Stella McCartney jumpsuit. That’s what I’m bringing to the printed page.” This new platform gives authors the chance to connect with their audience in new ways, as well as earn commissions through affiliate links.
When Riley Costello would watch the television show "Sex and the City," she wanted to have immediate access to shop for the outfits worn by Sarah Jessica Parker's character Carrie Bradshaw.
Costello's dream of having her own romantic novel published has been realized, but with an interactive e-commerce twist. With today's release of her first novel, "Waiting at Hayden's," the Newport Beach, Calif., resident allows readers to shop for the clothes worn by her own characters.
Through the digital and print editions of Costello's novel, readers are able to use her new Shopfiction platform. The e-book application links text to videos of the scenes in which an item of clothing appears and leads readers through the steps of ordering the piece. Readers who have the print edition will find a list of webpages in the back of the book to easily locate the complementary videos for each outfit.
"I styled, wrote and produced all the videos that are in the book," she said. "I collaborated with a lot of clothing brands to pick pieces that were either from their summer collections or things that fit the personalities of my characters."
While Costello admits that she has always loved to shop, her inspiration to launch Shopfiction was deeper than simply creating a new e-commerce platform. Taking cues from some of entertainment's strong female forces, Costello is seeking to tell women's stories from their perspectives and lift up her peers.
"I was really excited about Shopfiction because, not only does it give me an opportunity to hire a lot of women actors, put in a lot of clothing brands to get a lot of female voices heard and seen, but I think it will be another way for women's stories to be out there," she explained. "What Reese Witherspoon is doing in the movie industry, I want to bring that to the book industry."
Many of the featured outfits were designed by brands that were founded by women, including Witherspoon's Draper James and San Diego-based Van De Vort, supporting Costello's mission to tell women's stories and promote the businesses of female entrepreneurs.
"It was neat to feature bigger brands, such as Tory Burch," she said. "Then I tried to also feature people that maybe my readers haven't found but I have."
In addition to featuring smaller clothing labels, Costello is excited to expand the Shopfiction platform to other authors whose books would be enhanced through this technology.
"We're continuing to work on the technology to make this better, faster and easier for other authors to put their books out the same way," she said. "Down the road, we're trying to make a bar code or improve the technology so it's easier to interact if you have the print book, so you won't have to type in a website."
Published by Sullivan & Shea Publishing, "Waiting at Hayden's" is now available in print and digital editions.
Futurists and marketers have long discussed the idea of a shoppable television program, where you could simply click on a product or an outfit being worn by your favorite character, and buy it directly from your television. That concept is not quite ready – but imagine watching an episode of “Project Runway,” seeing an outfit you like, and being able to buy it through your TV remote! But it’s not all television – fiction fans of the written word now have the ability to do precisely that.
“Waiting at Hayden’s,” the first shoppable novel from author and fashion blogger Riley Costello, lets you as a reader watch key scenes unfold, and shop each characters’ clothes through links in either the digital version of the novel, or through the web addresses included in print.
“I like to think my readers get a two-for-one deal when they visit my blog,” Costello explains. “Not only can they see and shop my looks, but they also get to read about and relate to what it’s like to be out in the dating world today through my stories.”
The novel focuses on the often complicated nature of timing in modern-day relationships. In the book, we follow the paths of a couple who meet and fall in love before they are ready to settle down, and a thirtysomething female entrepreneur who is ready to settle down, but has not yet met the right person. Besides the romantic story itself, the novel features some wonderful fashions, many of which are from brands started by other female entrepreneurs like Winston White and Van De Vort, as well as Draper James. When a reader clicks on a link in the novel, they are taken to a “character lookbook so they can see the characters and what they are wearing. Clicking in the lookbook then brings the reader to a retail site where they can purchase the items.
“Imagine if after watching episodes of last year’s mega-hit, Big Little Lies, viewers could have clicked on shoppable links to Reese Witherspoon’s Burberry coat, Nicole Kidman’s Zimmermann dress, or Laura Dern’s Stella McCartney jumpsuit,” Costello said. “That’s what I’m bringing to the printed page.”
Lake Oswego native Riley Costello says she has wanted to be a novelist since she was eight years old. She recalls running through her house shrieking with excitement upon learning her entry "How the Rainbow Lost Its Colors" was named a winner in the Crayola Storybook Maker's Contest.
She also says she is a firm believer in following your gut, especially when it tells you to pursue something others might think is crazy. So it was no surprise to family and friends that after her freshman year in college she moved to Charleston, South Carolina, the setting of many of novelist Nicholas Sparks' novels, to spend a year writing.
"I've never had a stronger gut feeling that I needed to do something than when I made that decision," she said. Now, 10 years later, she has completed "Waiting at Hayden's," a novel that deals with the complicated nature of timing in modern-day relationships. But the novel is presented in a striking new patent-pending reading experience: shopfiction. "Waiting at Hayden's" is the first book that allows readers to shop the characters' outfits.
Building on a format that has proven successful for fashion bloggers, "Waiting at Hayden's" provides links (in the digital version) and web addresses (in print) to take readers to photos of the characters wearing the clothing they are described wearing in the text and also to video highlights where they can watch key scenes unfold and buy the characters' clothes.
"It's a way to bring others into the story," said Costello. "I remember watching 'Sex and the City' and thinking how cool it would be to buy Sarah Jessica Parker's clothes right then. Imagine if after watching episodes of last year's mega-hit 'Big Little Lies' adapted from the popular novel, viewers could have clicked on shopping links to Reese Witherspoon's Bayberry coat, Nicole Kidman's Zimmerman dress or Laura Dern's Stella McCartney jumpsuit. I think that's the way of the future and I'm bringing it to the printed page."
With Costello's new platform authors not only connect with their audiences but profit from their work through affiliate links.
"Readers can click on links or type in web addresses that will take them to a photo of my characters wearing the looks featured in my book," she said. If they follow shopping links to retail websites where they can purchase the clothes in some cases Costello earns a small commission.
Costello has primarily featured brands started by other female entrepreneurs such as Winston White and Van De Vort, while pairing two things many women love: reading women's fiction and fashion.
To heighten the entertainment value of "Waiting at Hayden's" Costello has included filmed scenes from the book at the end of seven different chapters which readers can enjoy by linking to her website. These video highlights provide another way for her readers to get to know her characters and in many cases, relive a scene they just read.
"I spent a long time vetting the actors," she said. "I did several test runs with viewers to make sure the actors looked like they imagined them to be."
Costello said she enjoyed directing the videos and creating the shopfiction model.
"I was inspired by Reese Witherspoon who started her own production company when she ran into so much resistance by the film industry to let women tell women's stories," she said. "I write love stories and I want to get them out. Rather than wait for someone to 'let me,' I decided to use technology to reach and engage an audience in a way that just reading a book does not."
Costello says she is excited to help revive romantic comedy as a genre.
"The romantic comedy is dying," she said. "And I'm excited to help revive it with my novels that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you feel good as you take journeys with characters I hope you won't forget."
To order "Waiting at Hayden's" visit amazon.com/author/rileycostello. To view the trailer scenes from the book or read Costello's blog visit sincerelyriley.com.
Costello now lives in Newport Beach, Calif.
Reporter Barb Randall
contributed to this story.
July 10, 2018
We recently sat down with the beautiful Riley Costello, women’s fiction author, and fellow Delta Gamma sorority sister (ITB!). She recently just launched a romance novel, Waiting at Hayden’s. Although this alone is a-m-a-z-i-n-g, she took it a step further and has created mini youtube video’s of major scenes in the book. She created a platform called shopfiction™ where you can shop the character’s looks and even home goods. This book is the first of it’s kinda, and we love any excuse to support a badass innovator like Riley. Check out our interview with her below, and run and read her book, I know we are!
Introduce who you are, what you do, what you love?!
Hi! My name is Riley Costello. I’m a women’s fiction author and the creator of shopfiction™ (books where you can shop the characters’ clothes!). I love books, fashion, happy hours, dancing, and traveling.
Where did your love for writing come from?
I grew up reading Nicholas Sparks’ novels and fell in love with love stories. After my freshman year of college I actually took a gap year and moved across the country from Portland, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina (the romantic setting for many of his novels) to write the first draft of Waiting at Hayden’s.
Tell us about your book Waiting at Hayden’s… where did you get your inspiration?
Waiting at Hayden’s is about the complicated nature of timing in modern-day relationships. It tells the story of a boy and a girl who meet and fall in love too early in life before they’re ready to settle down, and a woman who’s ready to settle down but hasn’t met the love of her life.
I became really interested in the role that timing plays in our relationships after I graduated from high school. I had just broken up with my high school boyfriend—not because something went wrong, but because we both got into college in different states. A lot of my college friends were in the same boat. It got me curious about what happens to those people who we meet and fall in love too soon. In more recent years, I have talked to lots of women who are in the opposite situation—ready to settle down, but haven’t met anyone they truly loved yet, so I wanted to explore that perspective as well and ended up with two interconnected stories.
How did you tie Winston White in with the character’s lifestyle?
My main character Gianna, is someone who loves stylish clothes with a fresh, creative flair. I imagined she’d have a closet full of Winston White for nights out with her close friends, or date nights with her boyfriend. The Flora dress with its sophisticated flair and colorful design was a perfect first look to kick off the shopfiction™ format.
Tell us about social media and youtube and how they have helped with the promotion of your book?
Social media has been a great way for me to connect and collaborate with so many inspiring women in the fashion, photography, modeling, and acting worlds—as well as with my audience. Through Instagram (@rileycostello), Facebook (@rileycostelloauthor), and Youtube I’ve been able to share the story of bringing Waiting at Hayden’s to life from filming my trailers to signing books at my pre-launch party. Since my book has a visual component through the shopping links and video highlights, it only made sense to promote it on social media as well. It’s an exciting time to be creating. We no longer need to wait for someone to let us share. Technology has given us all sorts of ways of reaching people.
Tell us about your goals, aspirations and what’s next for you?
I’m at work on my next novel, Map of Us, which is a cross-country road trip love story, that will be published in the same shopfiction™ format next summer! I’m also excited to finally get to connect and hear from my readers. I’m planning lots of speaking engagements and signings around the country so be on the lookout. I’ll also continue working on my blog: sincerelyriley.com and sharing more stories about love, relationships, and life as a twentysomething.
Check out the trailer to Waiting at Hayden’s here. Enjoy!
