This week Amazon has launched a new service which aims to put readers in direct contact with authors. Called Amazon Connect, the service collects postings from the authors of books the user has bought and displays them when the user signs in to the site. Users can also sign up to receive postings from authors whose books they haven't bought.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, claimed that the new service provided a new way for authors to communicate with their readers. "Amazon Connect brings the author's message to the reader instead of waiting for the reader to find the message," he said.
More than 1,000 authors have already signed up, but big names like James Patterson and Elizabeth Kostova are hard to spot in the thickets of the less well-known. At least Patterson is taking his responsibilities as a 'Connect' author seriously. A random trawl through the lists shows that many authors are still agonising over that vital first post. Perhaps they're a little confused by Amazon's ruling that 'promotional posts are not allowed' - isn't that kind of the point?
Personally, I'm looking forward to the moment when other websites catch on. I can't wait to hear how the pilot of the budget flight I booked the other day is getting on with his AA programme, or what the buccaneering right back that I tipped at 50-1 to be first goalscorer this weekend thinks of my chances ...
