Hachette Book Group launching program to buy books through author Twitter feeds

A leading book publisher is hoping that Twitter will not only help promote books, but sell them directly.

Hachette Book Group announced Monday that it has teamed with the e-commerce platform Gumroad. The deal will allow Twitter users to purchase print editions of selected works by clicking on buy buttons from within authors' tweets.

The books include Amanda Palmer's "The Art of Asking," former astronaut Chris Hadfield's "You are Here" and "The Onion Magazine: The Iconic Covers That Transformed an Undeserving World." The three Twitter feeds each have more than 1 million followers.

The promotion begins Thursday. The books will be available in limited quantities and will include added features, such as a photo signed by Hadfield or notes from Palmer's husband, Neil Gaiman.