On the local book scene, an interesting psychological-cultural phenomenon is quietly taking place: A group of readers is influencing Yedioth Ahronoth Books. The community, which consists of 250 members, has a forum on the Ynet Web site and enjoys a vibrant literary life.

The group was the marketing brainchild of the publishing house's CEO, Dov Eichenwald; it has since developed into a thriving club. The idea was to create a primary nucleus of readers for each of the company's books, a kind of group that would discuss books before their release and recommend them to friends. In the publishing industry, word of mouth is the best way to sell books.

Thus, three years ago, Yedioth's group of influential readers was born. Those who are interested submit their candidacy on Ynet (this year around 20,000 people signed up), and the publishing house then selects 250 members according to a computerized sample: The system randomly selects readers aged 18 to 80 from all over the country, from as wide a variety of occupations as possible. Once a month, each member of the club receives a "white book," a book slated for publication by the company within a few weeks. It is read in its first edition, without a cover and sometimes without its final title. The book is usually brought to the members' offices by a Yedioth Ahronoth Books messenger. This is not only aimed at generating interest in the group, but also at advertising the publishing house. In addition, the company gives group members two books at the end of each month.

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The influential readers, for their part, committed themselves mainly to one thing: If they like the book, they will discuss it with friends and family. During the past year the publishing house also asked them to send in an opinion of the book, but now Eichenwald has changed his mind and would rather they talk about the book and spread the word than write about it.

A great many of the influential readers are active on the group's Ynet forum. Incidentally, they were asked not to mention books by other publishing houses on the Web site. Such mentions have been frequently deleted from the forum.

About two weeks ago, the publishing house chose a new list of group members. These include a brigadier general from Kiryat Bialik, an architect from Ra'anana, a student from Ramat Gan, a journalist from Haifa and a homemaker and mother of eight from Hebron, among others.

What makes this phenomenon extraordinary is the degree of identification, involvement and commitment that has developed among the members of the group. In effect, most of them become not only "ambassadors of the publishing house," as Eichenwald defines it, but also feel like part of it and may even want to work for it. They offer themselves as salespeople at the publisher's stands during Book Week. They want to buy the company's books at a reduced price as gifts for their friends.

They are not bothered much by the fact that they read Yedioth books almost exclusively, and hardly have any time left to read books from other publishing houses. Most of them are also not particularly disturbed by having become "walking advertisements," as one member of the community defined it.

Nearly two weeks ago, a group of some 20 men and women from across the occupational spectrum, most of them aged 20 to 50, convened at the publisher's offices in Tel Aviv. They came to sum up the year they had spent as influential readers.

Judging from the meeting that day, the influential readers want to continue with the project. "This idea works," says one woman. "We advertise for the publishing house. There are two book stores near my home, and one time a saleswoman phoned to ask whether I recommended a white book I had read, because a customer there was asking whether it was worth buying."

Menashe Livnat of Zichron Yaakov relates that his membership in the community has to some extent changed his status in his area. "In society's eyes you become someone, because the publishing house has chosen you," he says. "The area's attitude towards you changes, your ego swells. In our community I had to moderate a meeting of the Rotary Club with many people. The urge was to do this around books, of course. I invited Yochi Brandes, a Yedioth writer, the lecture was amazing and at the end she signed books and thanked me. This did something for me."

Another reader said that, as she sees it, the group serves the publishing house. "This is a marketing community. All my life I've been someone who reads books and today, with all of my obligations, the children and the job, in my reading time I read only what the publishing house sends me. And then ... a friend phones me from the store asking what to buy, and it's always one of the books from the publishing house."

Another woman related that she works for a high-tech company, and when the white book comes once a month, everyone gathers around her. "They want to see what's in the envelope," she says. "I open it in front of everyone and the book passes from hand to hand. This arouses interest."

Friendships and ties have developed in the forum, so much so that it has become a support group for some of the participants: Orly, for example, stopped smoking and when she announced this in the forum, even though the topic is not connected to literature, she won a great deal of support.

Mutual benefit or exploitation?

It is hard to decide how to relate to this phenomenon: Is it a brilliant marketing idea? Is it a commercial manipulation? As long as the members of the group do not feel exploited, apparently there is mutual benefit here that is somewhat reminiscent of the dilemma in the move, "A Star is Born." On the one hand, it is a populist initiative that derives commercial benefit from its audience, and on the other, it is an open and democratic project that perhaps also encourages the reading of books.

This project costs the publishing house quite a bit of money. According to Eichenwald, the annual investment is NIS 470,000. This includes sending 36 books a year to 250 people, the production of annual events and the payment of the salaries to the publishing house employees who deal with the project. It is difficult to assess whether this investment covers itself. According to Eichenwald, the community indubitably helps to sell books. Every year the publishing house holds a festive meeting of all the members of the group, which includes some sort of cultural performance or a meeting with publishing house writers.

Next year the publishing house is planning to establish a similar group for youths and other reading circles around the country that will be devoted, for the most part, to the company's books. "We are prepared to fund meetings with our writers in people's homes," says Eichenwald. "Suppose there are six meetings a year. Four of them will focus on our books. We are currently in touch with 11 reading groups, among them groups in Arad, Eilat, Ramat Aviv, Mevasseret Zion. Even in Los Angeles there is a group of Israeli readers."

The question arises as to the influential readers' degree of influence. To what extent are their opinions taken into account and to what extent do they affect the fate of the books?

Eichenwald says that their influence on the publishing house is considerable. The publishing house will invest more in marketing a book that the community likes. "If they don't like a book, we issue it nevertheless, but the marketing investment is different. There are cases in which we buy display windows for a book, launch marketing campaigns at Super-Sol, posters in shops. At least 7,000 copies of books that the group liked have been sold and are continuing to sell. These are books that don't die."

The publishing house uses the influential readers for marketing and advertising purposes. "True, but this isn't a cynical use. It's a use that serves both sides," says Eichenwald. "It is intended to generate talk about a book - just like media and entertainment people are invited to film screenings or theater premieres."

"I don't know if I influence the publishing house itself," says Livnat, an importer by profession. "I feel that I have more influence on my surroundings and my friends, on my customers. This community is a game."

Doesn't it disturb you to be a "walking advertisement"?

"Not at all," he says. "I don't listen to those voices at all. If I enjoy something, and I can talk about it and recommend it, then why not?"