Through a partnership with independent bookstores, the Authors Guild has created a program called Booktalk Nation, which will feature phone talks with various authors. The program, which the Guild previewed last year, will allow readers to call in to speak to the authors, with each session hosted by a different indie. The program also has a sales component, as readers can log onto Booktalknation.com to order titles that authors will then sign at various stores.
The Guild said that revenue generated through the Web site will be divided between the host store and "any affiliate brick-and-mortar bookstores that brought the reader to the site." To participate in the program, authors do not need to be members of the Guild, but they do need to have an event planned at an indie store.
Talks are currently scheduled through February 6, with authors such as Ian Frazier, Emma Straub, D.T. Max, and Lois Lowry set to participate. For more information, go to Booktalknation.com.
