Introducing the Call Me Ishmael Phone
About the Call Me Ishmael Phone
The Call Me Ishmael Phone is an interactive literary device that helps communities of readers discover and share stories about books they love. It’s designed to be installed in bookstores, libraries, coffee shops, museums, offices, and other literary venues throughout the world.
Here’s how it works
The phone features over 1,000 book recommendations stories that we’ve collected from readers around the world. Just pick up the receiver, dial an extension (including any extension in the Call Me Ishmael Phonebook), and a reader’s book recommendation will play through the phone’s headset. If the reader’s story captures your interest, hopefully you’ll check out or buy the book.
But the Call Me Ishmael Phone is no longer just a listening device! We’re excited to announce that the Call Me Ishmael Phone now allows readers to have real, two-way conversations with fictional literary characters. Using the power of AI, readers can now use the Call Me Ishmael Phone to chat with and get book recommendations from literary legends like Elizabeth Bennet, Winnie-the-Pooh, Frankenstein’s Monster, Sherlock Holmes, and many more.
Want to see a demo?
Demo 1: Here’s Call Me Ishmael co-founder, Stephanie Kent, having a conversation with Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. Topics of discussion include famous opening lines in literature, Mr. Darcy, and of course book recommendations!
Demo 2: Here Steph is again, but this time she’s having a two-way conversation with Winnie-the-Pooh in which Pooh provides several children’s book recommendations to promote the importance of friendship.
Interested in hosting or sponsoring a Call Me Ishmael Phone?
We’ve built a limited supply of Call Me Ishmael Phones, and we’re excited to place them in a beautifully bookish venues throughout the world. If you’re interested in hosting a Phone, or sponsoring the installation of a Phone at a local literary venue, just send us an email at Ishmael@CallMeIshmael.com, or give us a call. We’ll follow up right away.
How it works
Visitors at your literary venue dial a four-digit code on the Phone and either a corresponding story will play through the Phone’s receiver, or the Phone will connect with an interactive literary character . The Phone features over 1,000 stories, over a dozen literary characters, and it is also synchronized with all the four-digit codes featured within the Call Me Ishmael Phonebook.
Can you host your own audio stories on the Phone?
Yes! As part of the installation process, we work with you to record any stories that you want to feature on your Call Me Ishmael Phone. For example, if you own a bookstore, you might want ten different four-digit codes to lead to ten different book recommendations from your staff. Or, perhaps you want your Phone to only host stories around a certain theme for an event that you’re planning. No matter your vision for the Phone at your venue or event, we work with you to make it come true.
Want to learn more?
We’ve started an FAQ below, and we’re happy to answer any additional questions you have about hosting or sponsoring a Call Me Ishmael Phone. Just send us an email at Ishmael@CallMeIshmael.com, or leave us a message. We’ll get back to you in one week or less.
Phones in the wild
Literary venues around the world are using Call Me Ishmael Phones to enchant their visitors, students and staff. Here are some examples of how to use the Phone to connect with your community and help readers discover their new favorite books.
To learn more, or to reserve your Call Me Ishmael Phone, send us an email at Ishmael@CallMeIshmael.com, or just give us a call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reserve a Call Me Ishmael Phone for an event or short-term rental?
Absolutely! The Phones have appeared at festivals, conferences, and special events throughout the country. Drop us a note at ishmael@callmeishmael.com for more information.
How is my Phone powered?
Your Phone gets power through a standard wall outlet or a rechargeable USB battery that fits inside the Phone’s lockable coin bank. The battery will only keep your Phone charged for 6-8 hours, so we recommend opting for wall power when possible.
How do I add my own stories to my Phone?
Your Phone’s rental fees include support for adding customized stories to your Phone. If your community wants to add stories about books that matter to them, just send us the recorded stories over email, and we’ll snail mail you a USB drive contains the stories that you can plug into your phone.
How often can I swap out stories?
As often as you like, but there isn’t much swapping. The Phone holds thousands of stories that are accessed by unique four-digit codes. How you curate and display those four-digit codes is actually how end users know which stories they can access through your phone.
Where should I put my Phone?
Every venue is different, but we recommend placing your phone in the middle of a table full of books or mounting it on a prominent wall. We’ve also sourced a few floor stands that we can order for you.
Will the Phone work without Wi-Fi?
Yes. All of the stories on the phone will play without Wi-Fi. However, you will not be able to connect to and converse with the literary characters without Wi-Fi connection.
Can visitors record book recommendations onto my Phone?
Not directly, because we’ve found that recording a story in the middle of a crowded place isn’t ideal for getting a great audio recording. However, anyone can call Ishmael from a cell phone to record a message. You can also upload or email us a prerecorded audio or video file of a book recommendation, and we’ll convert it into a file that’s playable on your Phone.
Will my Phone ever ring?
No, but we’re thinking of adding a feature that would allow you to make it ring if you want. If someone picked it up a story would automatically play.
What if I break my Phone?
Call Me Ishmael Phones are pretty durable, but sometimes accidents happen. If your Phone breaks, we’d ask that mail the broken one back to us and we’ll send you a replacement for $150 and the cost of shipping.
How much does the Call Me Ishmael Phone cost?
Call Me Ishmael Phones are only available for rent. The daily, monthly or annual rental rates depend on which features you want/need for your installation. To receive a quote, and to reserve a Call Me Ishmael Phone, send us an email at Ishmael@callmeishmael.com or leave us a message.
Why is the CMI Phone offered as a rental/subscription?
Our goal is to create an innovative and sustainable service that celebrates books at local literary venues. Your Call Me Ishmael Phone subscription allows us to add new stories to Ishmael’s library regularly, process any stories that you and your community create, and continuously enhance the features of the Call Me Ishmael Phone.