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Up-to-date sales and royalties information are to become available to authors and agents via an "author portal"—a one-stop information resource for authors—set for launch by Random House UK.
The site, planned to go live in the second half of the year, will be modelled on a portal recently launched by Random House US but will be "bespoke to the UK market", the publisher promised.
As well as the sales information, the portal will offer Random House news, trade updates, consumer insight reports and marketing and social media tips.
Chairman and c.e.o. Gail Rebuck said the "industry-leading service" would not be a replacement for authors' relationships with their publishing teams.
"It is part of our role as publisher to ensure that we provide our authors with useful and accurate information in real time and we are committed to doing this in the best way possible," she said. "Nothing will ever replace the unique and direct relationships that our authors have with their publishing teams, so we see the author portal as a wonderful added extra. It will give both authors and agents 24/7 access to personalised information and a plethora of useful tools to help authors connect directly in new ways with their readers."
Digital marketing company GroupFMG, which has worked with M&S and Haymarket Media Group, will handle the project.
Discussions with authors and agents have already begun, with further details to be announced ahead of the site launch.