Huge Labs Launches Book Publishing Industry Startup, Togather
August 6, 2012 - Brooklyn.New book publishing industry startup Togather launched today in private beta. Togather is the first company to emerge from Huge’s product development and startup incubation division, Huge Labs.
Togather is a free tool that helps authors easily connect with fans by arranging book readings and speaking opportunities, one of the most reliable drivers of book sales in the publishing industry. The site gives fans and event planners everywhere the power to book their favorite authors for live events, based on criteria set by each author. Users can propose events based on the author’s minimum requirements, in terms of book sales, ticket sales or speaking fees.
“Our goal is to make being an author a viable career and democratize the market for speakers,” said Andrew Kessler, co-founder/CEO of Togather and author of Martian Summer. “Book tours and speaking gigs are time-consuming and costly to arrange, yet they make a real impact in terms of book sales and audience reach. Togather allows authors to put the planning of these events in the hands of their fans, engage their platform in a meaningful way and never speak to an empty room.”
Aaron Shapiro, co-founder of Togather, CEO of Huge and author of Users Not Customers, welcomed the launch of Togather, saying, “We created Huge Labs to harness entrepreneurialism and foster innovation inside Huge. I’m excited that our first product is a tool that will help authors do the same in the publishing industry, which is ripe for disruption.”
Togather is the first of three companies expected to launch out of Huge Labs in 2012. Togather received financial backing from Interpublic Group.
About Togather
Togather is a free, online fansourcing platform that brings authors and audiences together. It was co-founded by Andrew Kessler and Aaron Shapiro in April 2011, inspired by their experiences as authors on tour. Togather is the first of three companies to launch from Huge Labs, the startup incubator division of digital agency Huge, in 2012. The company is funded by Interpublic Group and is headquartered in Brooklyn, N.Y. For more information, visit www.togather.com.