Paul Gillin is writing a book called The New Influencers – a history and commentary on social media, what’s behind its rapid growth, and profiles on some key players in this space.

The book will be published in spring 2007, but Paul has made his draft chapters available on a blog at www.paulgillin.com/NewInfluencers.

I’ve read several of the chapters and will definitely make the time to read the rest. Paul’s style is compelling and the content very interesting. The finished product will make a great primer for anyone wanting to learn the basics of social media.

Posting his work in progress on a blog isn’t new, but it’s still a great way to receive feedback from readers before committing to print. It’s also a great way of creating a pre-publication buzz around the book, without any additional marketing investment.