Though we continually see new ideas and developments around e-books, the original printed paper format has always had the advantage of being more personal, with authors able to pen individual messages to fans at book signings. However a new platform — Kindlegraph — aims to challenge that, by enabling authors to send personalized, digital inscriptions directly to the reading devices of their fans. Created by Evan Jacobs, a former programmer at Amazon, Kindlegraph is designed to facilitate a closer connection between authors and their fans. To personalize their e-book, users log in with their Twitter credentials and select from a list of popular e-books. So far approximately 1,700 authors are involved, with around 7,500 books listed. After selecting an e-book, a request is then sent to the author who, after logging in, will see a list of current requests. There is space to type a personalized message, and clicking “Kindlegraph it” will send the message to Docusign APIs which embed the signed message and sends a PDF back to the reader’s Kindle. Jacobs hopes that authors will use it as a means to build relationships with fans, for example: sending preview chapters or short stories before they are published. A video on the Kindlegraph’s website explains how the platform works in more detail. As more people are choosing e-books as their primary reading format, could this be a unique opportunity for authors to connect and maintain relationships with their fans, virtually? Spotted by: Evan Jacobs

30th September 2011

Email: @Kindlegraph

Website: www.kindlegraph.com