Waterstone's and Orange to promote new authors

The Bookseller - 25.11.10 - Victoria Gallagher

Waterstone's is to promote 12 debut authors with the launch of Orange New Writers in a new partnership with Orange. The initiative, which will launch in March next year, will take the shape of 'Book of the Month' promotions offering debut authors the chance to receive month long retail exposure in all 316 Waterstone's stores.

Titles will be displayed in a dedicated 'Orange New Writers' promotional area at the front of store. The authors will also be featured on the Orange Book Cub website. Publishers will be asked to submit new fiction for consideration and both Waterstone's and a team from Orange will select the final titles. The books will be half price to Orange customers and featured as part of a three-for-two offer for all other customers.

Waterstone's head of fiction, Toby Bourne said: "Orange has been championing great writing for years, as have Waterstone's, and we are very excited that we will be co-operating to highlight great debut writers every month. Working together, our two brands will be able to put these new writers in front of more readers than ever."

The partnership is a new Orange initiative created to mark the launch of the Orange Book Club in December. The Book Club will allow users to digitally download and sample e-books and audio books online via mobiles and e-readers. A newly designed Orange Prize for Fiction website will also be integrated into the Book Club site.

Stuart Jackson, brand communications director at Orange, said: "The new Orange Book Club will give unknown writers unsurpassed opportunities across the retail and digital worlds. It will be a springboard from which tomorrow's future best-selling authors launch their careers.