Hank Green: 'I used all my power to make YouTube powerful, good and strong'

The brother of author John Green reveals the pressure he felt writing his first novel, and reflects on the what has become of the video platform that made their namesA few weeks ago, billboards began sprouting up around Orlando, Florida, with advertisements for Hank Green’s first novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. On the face of it, this was not such a remarkable thing. After all, Green is a local boy and, being one half of popular YouTube channel Vlogbrothers (3.1 million subscribers, 711m views), it could be expected that his publishers might shell out for marketing. Except this was all paid for by his own brother: young adult novelist (and the other Vlogbrother) John Green – and just one part of John’s larger effort to promote Hank’s debut across the globe. (Among others, a professional women’s Frisbee team in Texas, AFC Wimbledon, the Netherlands’ national quidditch team and a Glaswegian rugby team were also suddenly festooned with a new literary sponsor.)None of this is remarkable if you know the Greens; it’s more a fitting escalation of a long history of public displays by two brothers who have made careers from their interactions online for the last decade. To rewatch their early outings is both charming and disconcerting: here are two young men unknowingly on the verge of becoming very famous for their shared smarts, for their sincere speeches about self-identifying as nerdy, and for their affectionate ribbing. Continue reading…
Via: Hank Green: 'I used all my power to make YouTube powerful, good and strong'