HarperCollins Children's Books launched a text messaging campaign today to promote the Princess Diaries series and other books from author Meg Cabot, reports DM News. The effort, including the set-up of a club, targets mobile marketing programs to teenage readers and includes SMS-based promotions such as sweepstakes, text-based trivia campaigns, book-signing updates, screensavers and voice tones from the author.

Major U.S. wireless networks, including Verizon, Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless and Cingular, have agreed to host - hoping to benefit from teenagers' attraction to mobile-based games, messaging, photographs, music, ring tones or just plain talk.

Mobile marketing technology provider Flytxt is supporting the campaign with its wireless offering and platform. HarperCollins will have real-time reports and complete visibility into its mobile database of users. The publisher will also be able to target consumer segments based on geographic area, preferred book titles or age, among other criteria.

HarperCollins is promoting through ads on www.seventeen.com, www.teenpeople.com, www.ellegirl.com, www.thewb.com and www.cosmogirl.com. Consumers can access the club at www.megcabot.com/mobile or text JOIN + date of birth + ZIP (e.g., 10/4/91 62040) to the short code MEG11 (or 63411).