Them Anderson boys got themselves some nifty side projects. First, writer Kurt Andersen started brightening my days with the clever recommendations of the pleasantly procrastinatory Very Short List. Then Wired EIC Chris Anderson launched Booktour.com (not to be confused with the backbone of my social life, Bookmooch.com). Will I ever work again?

Booktour.com is a free online service designed to connect writers and audiences. During my secret, sordid, former life as a book publicist, I was constantly frustrated by the separate channels required to reach bookstores, libraries, reading series, book clubs, classes, corporate gigs, JCCs, and Junior Leagues—nevermind regular old readers.

In collaboration with Kevin Smokler (a book-net-buzz-making machine, who also wears great T-shirts, tells great stories, and edited a smart book about writing in our webby, webby world), Anderson is bringing all the author appearance markets to one hub where writers, publishers, and publicists can tell them everything they need to know. Readers, in turn, can check the daily reading options as easily as tv listings or movie times. Hear more about it here.

Check back soon to track appearances for Not Quite What I Was Planning. Edited by Larry and me, the book is actually written by hundreds of you, so it’ll be a tight squeeze on the author tour Winnebago. And like any web 2.0 venture, Booktour.com will be only as good as its community of users—may they be as lucky as we’ve been…