AOL rolls out the self help

AOL announced Wednesday a large 2006 lineup of top self-help authors to join its expanded AOL Coaches program.

Joining AOL's Coaches roster, which includes Jean Chatzky, Steven Covey and John Gray, the new AOL Coaches are: Denise Austin ("Eat Carbs, Lose Weight; Shrink Your Female Fat Zones"), Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish ("How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk"), Mary Hunt ("Debt-Proof Living; Live Your Life For Half The Price"), Carolyn O'Neil ("The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!"), Michael Roizen ("YOU: The Owner's Manual") and Jake Steinfeld ("I've Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked, and They've Got Nothing on You!").

AOL Coaches is a self-improvement Web site providing "solutions and answers to people's most pressing questions in the areas of diet and fitness, wellness, business and careers, money, kids and family, and romance," the company said in a promotional release.

AOL said the free program will connect publishers and authors to "one of the Web's largest audiences of book enthusiasts through original, interactive and on-demand programming."

Jake Steinfeld is among the first of the coaches to be featured in a new interactive workshop format available through the expanded AOL Coaches program. The workshop enables consumers to access his tips and insights through a full-featured, multimedia program and includes his programs on how to start a business and how to set up a home office. AOL expects to showcase 12-15 authors in interactive workshops in 2006. Fifty to 75 other authors will be featured with audio and video recordings, about 150 will have their works excerpted, and 300 to 500 will be listed in the Coaches Expert & Advice Directory.

"We feel the time is right for us to introduce this expanded Coaches program," said Jennie Baird, executive director of AOL Coaches. "With the digital books space heating up, and authors and publishers wanting to be online more than ever to reach consumers, we feel confident that we have a platform that meets the needs of both consumers and authors."

Copyright 2005 by United Press International