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November 12, 2020
Author-led AI startup using cutting-edge technology to help readers discover books
they’ll love during tumultuous times
SAN FRANCISCO – Nov. 11, 2020 Booxby, the AI-driven analytics platform that powers publishers’ marketing campaigns, is extending its National Science Foundation-backed technology to create a free book recommendation tool for the public. Responding to the challenges in the book market resulting from the pandemic, the company’s website states, “In uncertain times, we are certain of one thing: books comfort us.”
“Stories are the most powerful medium in which we relate to each other and the world,” said Booxby’s CEO and founder, Holly Payne. “In this challenging time, it made sense to find a way to use our technology to help people find books they’ll love.”
Book reading has surged during the pandemic, and readers are hungry to find new content but many report struggling to find books that suit them. Meanwhile, authors and publishers are struggling to get their books noticed. “It’s heartbreaking,” said Josh Conviser, Booxby’s COO and an author of several novels. “Authors put years into writing their books and can’t get them discoverable in the way they hoped and deserved. We knew we could help.”
When shelter-in-place went into effect, Payne realized that Booxby’s publisher-focused technology could benefit anyone looking for a new book. Her team expanded Booxby’s AI-driven text analysis system to create Booxby Search—a powerful, easy-to-use book recommendation tool for everyone.
Booxby Search offers a new way to find that next great book. Derived from natural language processing and machine learning, Booxby’s recommendations are based on analyzing the text itself to understand writing style, which is the most critical factor in choosing a book, according to 84% of readers. This allows Booxby to go beyond the current discovery tools of most online retailers and offer recommendations that suit each reader’s taste.
“Readers tell us they get loads of recommendations that rarely hit the mark,” Payne said. “They’re not finding what they need because so many of the recommendations for consumers are either paid for, or worse, gamed. Readers want books that suit their specific tastes and Booxby does just that, offering unexpected books across all genres of fiction.”
Booxby’s mission is to help content creators succeed. To that end, Booxby partnered with Ingram Content Group (“Ingram”) to utilize their Aerio platform, which enables authors, publishers, and booksellers of any size to quickly establish their own online bookstore, providing book buyers the ability to purchase directly, often directly supporting authors or independent bookstores.
Using Aerio enables Booxby to donate profits from Booxby Search to PEN, the non-profit organization which “stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide.”
Ingram’s Director of Digital Services, Peter McCarthy said: “Our mission at Ingram is to provide services that get more books in the hands of more readers. To that end, we are thrilled to be working with Booxby to help readers, authors and publishers alike.”
As an author-led company, Booxby functions on a core belief that books are crucial to culture and society. With Booxby Search, Booxby looks to do its part in easing these difficult times by building a bridge between author, reader, and that perfect book.
Booxby is a Bay Area-based software company building artificial intelligence to aid the monetization, discovery, and protection of written content. Using AI and big data to find new markets for original content, Booxby is a SaaS platform built to help content creators succeed. Founded by author Holly Payne, Booxby has applied advances in natural language processing and machine learning to create a patented technology that optimizes marketing for books. The technology was built with a grant from the National Science Foundation for its innovative application to the story industry. Featured in Forbes, Booxby aims to augment human intelligence, using NLP and machine learning to understand and amplify the unique voices of content creators and help optimize their market opportunity. Learn more at Booxby.com.
Booxby Media Contact:press@booxby.com, (415) 212-8390
About Ingram | www.ingramcontent.com
The world is reading and Ingram Content Group (“Ingram”) connects people with content in all forms. Providing comprehensive services for publishers, retailers, libraries, and educators, Ingram makes these services seamless and accessible through technology, innovation, and creativity. With an expansive global network of offices and facilities, Ingram’s services include digital and physical book distribution, print on demand, and digital learning. Ingram Content Group is a part of Ingram Industries Inc. and includes Ingram Book Group LLC, Ingram Publisher Services LLC, Lightning Source LLC, VitalSource Technologies LLC, Ingram Library Services LLC, and Tennessee Book Company LLC.
Ingram Media Contact: Shannon Hunt, shannon@tsgnashville.com, (615) 321-3110
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