# Java-Holding Literature Lawrence Watt-Evans Prints His Novel on Coffee Mugs By Vincent Salera | Published 2012-04-03 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pop-culture-publishing-literacy References: [lwe.livejournal](http://lwe.livejournal.com/57270.html) & [cafepress](http://www.cafepress.com/ethshar.633392645) We are all aware of the big shift from [printed books to electronic books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inkitt) in the past few years, but if it were up to author Lawrence Watt-Evans, another form of publishing to people would increase in popularity -- writing on [coffee mugs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pixelmug). The book is called the Ethshar serial, and he quotes "instead of [posting his chapters on the web](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-holdout), where anyone can read them for free, I'll be distributing the story on mugs, one page per mug, a new page every day." This is not only a very creative way to showcase your work and gain exposure, but it's a great method of increasing sales. With one chapter on each mug, people will have to pay up to 3,000$ to finish the book, with each coffee mug from cafepress.com priced at 12.99$ each. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.5/10 - Popularity: 27% | Activity: 39% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Printed on Mugs:** Authors and publishers can explore new creative ways of showcasing their work on coffee mugs to increase sales and gain exposure. - **Chapter-a-day Distribution:** The serialization of stories or novels, one page per mug, provides readers with a daily dose of content and can generate a steady stream of revenue. - **Physical Merchandising:** Printing content on physical merchandise like coffee mugs offers authors and publishers a way to monetize their book or brand beyond traditional book sales. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Publishing:** Publishers can explore new and innovative ways to distribute stories beyond traditional book publishing, including creative merchandise like coffee mugs. - **E-commerce:** Online stores can offer authors and publishers a platform to sell and distribute content on coffee mugs or other physical merchandise. - **Coffee Industry:** Collaborations between coffee shops and publishers can utilize branded coffee mugs as a way to promote books and authors while providing a unique product for customers to purchase. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Novel-Inspired Wallets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/book-wallets.md) - [$1,000 Coffee Cups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/expensive-coffee.md) - [Utensil Holding Mugs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/1handmug.md) - [Bookish Beer Cans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/faber-faber-beak.md) - [Fantasy Book Tech Accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/throne-of-glass.md) - [AI-Created Romance Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/book-with-chatgpt.md) - [Handmade Novel-Inspired Candles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/literature-candles.md) - [Detailed Ceramic Book Vases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/biblio-bloom.md) - [AI-Enhanced Smart Mugs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pixelmug.md)