As you’re no doubt aware, the publishing industry is being fundamentally transformed by the availability of eBooks and the Web. For authors like me, this presents both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, it’s relatively easy to get your book sold on Amazon. But rising above the noise to build a community of readers can be extremely difficult.

That’s why I was so excited to be one of the first authors selected to participate in a pilot program launching this month by Libboo, a new company backed by technology industry heavyweights such as Bill Warner (Founder of Avid), John Landry (Former CTO of Lotus), the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation, and many others.

Libboo has developed a revolutionary business model that utilizes social media marketing techniques and a set of technologies to connect authors with influential readers, dubbed “Buzzers,” who are rewarded for promoting books they love to their friends and fellow readers.

As they explain in their recent press release, “A buzzer is an influencer who is passionate about books. Buzzers enjoy both finding and being the source of awesome content. People go to buzzers for recommendations, and then take action based on the recommendations given. Libboo will harness the power of buzzers and use that power to help talented authors gain visibility and promote their work.”

The Long Shadows will be included in the first group of books to be promoted in this way when the program launches on September 24. Libboo will provide me with both an author and book page on the Libboo site. They will also reach out to Buzzers to promote my book and encourage them to start spreading the word.

You can help by signing up here as a buzzer yourself! It’s fun, free, and a great way to be rewarded for doing something you would do anyway – reading and sharing great books.

My Uncle Jake would have been amazed to see how much the world has changed since he became a published poet himself so many years ago.

I’ll let everyone know when my Libboo sites go live.