New Site Hosts 1.8 Million Author Web Pages

-- Publishers Weekly, 3/25/2009 1:17:00 PM

A new Web site that features 1.8 million author Web pages has been launched by Filedby, Inc., a new company founded by former Ingram executive Peter Clifton and industry analyst Mike Shatzkin. Filedby.com host Web pages that provides a brief biography and a list of works for all American and Canadian authors. Users can login and write reviews or make comments about authors. Authors, or their publishers, can update or link to the page.

Clifton noted that filedby was intentionally designed to highlight authors rather than books. “It helps make authors discoverable,” Clifton said. In addition to the social networking aspects of the site, there are links enabling users to buy the book. Filedby will host the site for free, but will charge a fee for authors or publishers who want to add more options such as media postings, event listings and online press kits. Clifton believes that with publishers looking to cut costs, filedby provides an inexpensive way to give authors a Web presence.