You have to hand it to HarperCollins: they do seem to want to try new things when it comes to online marketing and promotion. This time around, they've asked the editorial staff primarily responsible for their romance program, along with notable romance writers Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Victoria Alexander, to take part in an eight-week-long writing contest sponsored by FanLibs. More information can be found about it here, and the result will be a six-chapter ebook original written by a collective of romance fans who contribute, beginning August 23.

As the WSJ's Jeff Trachtenberg and Brian Steinberg report, HarperCollins plans to use the contest to promote its existing stable of authors. HarperCollins Publishers and FanLib also hope the venture will generate revenue through sale of ads. "We're creating an online community that will bring the fans closer to the authors we publish," said Jane Friedman, CEO of HarperCollins. "If you are a fan and you get a communication from Julia Quinn, somebody you've been reading for years, then you'll be a fan of hers for life. And I think you'll become a fan of Avon's for life."

And if it works, that means high hopes for the next project: a site that will enable teenage girls to collaborate on original fiction, due to launch this fall.