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# @author: Another Plank in Amazon's Platform
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/author-another-plank-in-amazons-platform/
- Published: 2011-09-01T05:25:59.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-30T02:32:36.000Z
- Description: It's only in Beta, but it shows how forward-thinking the company is.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Platforms, Amazon, Frenemies, The Age of the Platform

I for one like reaching out to those who've written books I enjoy.

How about instantly connecting with your favorite authors *while you read their books*? What if they could answer questions that you have in real time?

That's now possible via the Amazon [@author](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/1000714331/?ref=philsimon.com) program.

It's only in Beta, but it shows how forward-thinking the company is. It also shows that publishers are becoming less and less relevant.