New bookselling site offers publishers direct route to readers

Readers sign up to the site, specifying which genres of books they love, and how often they want to be contacted. They will then be contacted with lists of relevant books, and will have the opportunity to read the first chapter for free. Any book that the reader wants to buy can be sent, with Lovereading.com promising at least 25% off the recommended retail price of the book.

The founders say that the point of difference is that the pure approach it provides for readers in a market that is cluttered and sometimes confusing.

It promises publishers the chance to sell directly to interested readers by selling access to its list, and can monitor the success of mailshots by looking at how many people read the first chapter and then buy the book.

The idea is for publishers to use the service to promote new and middle-tier authors in a market that is increasingly polarised between the top-selling novels and the rest of the market. More than 70,000 readers have registered ahead of the launch.

The company has been set up by Peter Crawshaw, who previously worked at Book Club Associates, along with Louise Weir, former marketing director of Hodder Headline, and Hugh Salmon, founder of marketing shop the Salmon Agency.

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