Hachette to sell books through Twitter

Hachette Book Group in the US has partnered with Gumroad to sell books directly through Twitter.

From later this week (11th December), tweets from certain authors will contain buy buttons allowing customers to buy the books without leaving Twitter. The first book to be offered this way will be Amanda Palmer's The Art of Asking, followed by astronaut Chris Hadfield's You Are Here and satirical newspaper the Onion's The Onion Magazine: The Iconic Covers that Transformed an Undeserving World.

Each of the books will come with an exclusive bonus item, with original manuscript pages accompanying Palmer's book, signed aerial photos with Hadfield's, and note cards with the Onion title.

Hachette is the first publisher to sell books on Twitter with Gumroad. Gumroad first partnered with Twitter this autumn, primarily working with music labels and charities.

Sahil Lavingia, founder and c.e.o. of Gumroad, said: "We’ve been really impressed by Hachette’s commitment to exploring new opportunities for their authors to make money and engage directly with readers through social commerce. They don’t shy away from new technology—they’re genuinely committed to exploring what the future of publishing looks like."

Hachette Book Group c.e.o. Michael Pietsch said: "With so much of our book marketing done socially now, in-stream Twitter purchasing is a natural next step. Gumroad’s success working with music labels and artists to enable sales to fans, and their partnership with Twitter, put them at the forefront of social media commerce."