Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) is being considered a serious storefront contender by brands such as Hachette, which is planning to sell its books on the site. Hachette, which has been in a tussle with Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) about selling e-books, is gearing up to sell the books of its best-selling Hachette authors on Twitter, reports The New York Times.
Best-selling books on Twitter
Hachette will enter into a partnership with a company known as Gumroad, which help people sell things on Twitter. Authors that have been shortlisted for featuring their books on Twitter in the first phase are crowdfunding enthusiast Amanda Palmer, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield and The Onion. The micro-blogging company will integrate a “Buy” button which will allow users to shop without leaving their pages.
Palmer, a singer and performer, said anything related to selling books online will be seen largely as influence from Amazon. Palmer, who is the author of the book The Art of Asking, said people should get an alternative to Amazon.
As of now, there will be only a few copies sold on Twitter with the help of the “Buy” button. Also buyers will get an exclusive bonus item, such as an original manuscript page from Palmer. Heather Fain, Hachette’s senior vice president, said the publisher is making efforts to design new ways to connect with customers.
Twitter has been experimenting with the “Buy” button for quite some time and will even create a virtual store. The micro-blogging site bought Cardspring, a payment startup, to move ahead with its plans. The idea, although in its initial phase, does indicate that companies see potential in Twitter as a marketplace. It remains to be seen if users are willing to buy things on Twitter.
Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) are moving forward with their efforts to allow users to buy things directly from their sites. However, until now, none of the sites have been able to build the idea on a large scale.
Twitter investors are eager to know what the company is doing to earn revenue, and by selling books, music and other products, the company could open more revenue streams to satisfy investors.
