Harper Collins has launched an author network

In two of my newsletters last week I saw articles about the launch of AuthorAssistant, an author network that will allow authors to post information, images, links and more for their fans. Some 40 Avon authors are participating in a pilot program. Click here to see what it's all about. You will need first to have registered as a user on the HarperCollins Home page.

For some time HarperCollins has had a number of newsletters for which you could sign up to receive regular updates on new titles coming out, author appearances in your area, etc. AuthorAssistant is being marketed as an even better way to connect authors with fans. In a statement, Jane Friedman, president and CEO of HarperCollins, commented: "Our AuthorAssistant tool, and these stunning new Author Pages, demonstrate how we are harnessing our power and scale as a publisher to add value for authors, while connecting them with fans who want more from them."

PW Daily of 9/25/07 said: "In an effort to make more appealing and easier-to-maintain author Web sites, HarperCollins has established a site called AuthorAssistant that allows authors to create, and control, a personalized Web page. The site, which rolled out with 40 authors from the Avon imprint, offers, according to Carolyn Pittis, senior v-p of global marketing strategy and operations, a way for authors to have a strong presence on the Web without having to go to the trouble of creating and hosting their own site."

Other publishers have web sites which connect book groups and fans in general to their authors (see links on this blog). AuthorAssistant looks as though HarperCollins is taking the marketing of their authors to a new level.

In my humble opinion I see a trend among readers, probably fuelled by the boom in book clubs, to be increasingly interested in the personal and creative life of the authors whose books they read. Doesn't knowing stuff about the personal and artistic life of an author whose book you are discussing make that discussion so much richer? Don't you as the reader oft times want to feel a personal connection to someone who has written words that have moved you in some way? And isn't it a thrill to be able to e-mail or leave a comment on an author's blog, or even participate in a conference call at your group meeting?

AuthorAssistant may be a publisher's service to their authors, but I am willing to bet that it becomes a key site for book groups doing research for their discussions, and may even become an early stop on the way to choosing a book for the group to read.