Scribd, HarperCollins deal casts long digital shadow

Whether publishers want it or not, the Netflix model is coming to the book business.The San Francisco startup Scribd, best known as a site for posting PDFs of documents, announced Tuesday it is launching a multi-platform digital book subscription service that will provide access to a wide range of titles for $9 a month. Users can read ebooks on iOS and Android devices, as well as on Web browsers, and keep as many as 20 titles available for reading offline.Unlike other Netflix-like services that have launched recently, including Manhattan-based Oyster, Scribd is starting with thousands of titles from HarperCollins, or the majority of the publisher's backlist up until July 2012. Getting the cooperation of the so-called Big Five New York publishing houses has been the holy grail of subscription-service startups, and having even one of them represents a significant advance.More than 30 smaller publishers are also working with Scribd, including Sourcebooks, Workman and Kensington.Scribd, founded in 2007, also starts out with a high profile and an enormous user-base: It claims 80 million active readers monthly, and says that the subscription service—which soft-launched in January—has been growing by 60% every month. The company declined to provide subscriber numbers."There's never been an access model rolled out with this level of support and scale," said Trip Adler, Scribd's 29-year-old CEO and co-founder.Publishers have typically shied away from subscription services on the... Continue reading at 'Crains New York'

[ Crains New York | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #literary agent #message directly #forrester research #attractive option

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Scribd, HarperCollins deal casts long digital shadow'


Gale Partners with the Associated Press to Digitize Holdings

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading publisher of research and reference resources for libraries, schools and businesses, today announced an agreement with the Associated Press (AP) to di ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #press ap #cengage learning #leading publisher #today announced


Publishers in the UK are Expecting Digital Revenues to Increase by 15% This Year

Digital revenue growth among online publishers in the UK is expected to grow by 15 per cent in 2013 according to the fifth annual organisation census by the Association of Online Publishers, while technology and data will play an increased role in re ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online publishers #increased role


HarperCollins and Hatchette UK Introduce Refined Agency Model

The Bookseller reported last week that HarperCollins and Hatchette UK have become the first British publishers to refine the agency model agreement with Amazon co.uk. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookseller reported #british publishers


Digital revenues to grow 15% in 2013

Online publishers predict digital revenue will grow by 15% year on year in 2013, according to the annual census from the Association of Online Publishers (AOP). Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2013-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #15% year #digital revenues


5 Tips for Self-published Authors to Maximize Rights and Licensing Deals

Hannah Sheppard, creative director at IPR License, reminds self-publishers that getting the basics right are key when pursuing international rights deals. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published authors #licensing deals #hannah sheppard #creative director #ipr license


Breaking Digital Ground: E-books and Small Press Literary Publishers

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs annual conference (AWP) began decades ago as a meet-up for academic creative writing departments, students, and writers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Judge Deals ‘Used’ E-book Market a Setback

Publishers breathed a sigh of relief last week as federal judge Richard Sullivan dealt a setback to any potential resale market for digital books. In a forceful ruling in Capitol Records v. ReDigi, Sullivan held that the doctrine of “first sale,” which allows consumers to redistribute lawfully... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #e-book market #digital books #capitol records


Digital publications to head to deposit libraries

New regulations coming into force tomorrow [6th April] will mean that publishers will have to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publications


What Does Germany’s Adoption of Digital Foretell for Europe?

As in financial matters, will the rest of continental Europe be forced to fall in line with Germany's lead in embracing ebooks and digital publishing? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #continental europe #digital publishing


X Factor's Union J sign book deal

The boy band sign a publishing deal to be completed this autumn but have yet to release their first single. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2013-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing deal


Accent Press signs 10-book deal for Goodhind

Independent publisher Accent Press has signed a 10-book deal with crime author Jean G Goodhind... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #10-book deal


At the Intersection of Hyper-Local Digital and Regional Magazine Publishers

Imagine having more than 20 competitors spring up into your market over the course of the last two years. Now picture these competitors being backed by one of the largest digital media institutions on the continent. Welcome to the new city and regional magazine market. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Digital Delivers... Profits

E-book sales had a major impact on all of the major trade publishers' 2012 performance, with Random House coming out the biggest winner thanks to the success of the 50 Shades trilogy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #e-book sales #major impact #biggest winner


Librii: A New Kind Of Digital Library For The Developing World

This new library-in-a-shipping-container plans on using growing Internet access in Africa to create a new model for making available both electronic information and physical books. It’s a conundrum that library advocates have struggled with for years: in many areas in the developing world,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #educational programs


L,B celebrates McCall Smith with digital campaign

Little, Brown is celebrating the 15th anniversary of Alexander McCall Smith’s The No 1... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital campaign #15th anniversary


Google Chairman Advocates 'Digital Fund' for UK Newspapers

Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, has said that the internet giant is willing to launch a similar "digital publishing innovation fund" in the UK to the one it launched in France last month. When asked by the Guardian&rsquo ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk newspapers #eric schmidt #executive chairman


'Digital publishing first' for Stephen King

Hodder & Stoughton has put an interactive version of the cover of Stephen King's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishing #stephen king #hodder stoughton #interactive version


French author survey: digital still not a factor

Just 4% of French authors have signed digital contracts for their most recent books and a third... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #french authors #recent books


Two publishing deals for Lambert

Two publishers have signed up books from Italy-based writer Charles Lambert. Emlyn Rees of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing deals #emlyn rees


The FT Has “Crossed Over” to Become a Digital Business — but Can Anyone Else Replicate that Feat?

A new profile of the Financial Times is the latest piece to hold up the company as a model for traditional publishers that want to create a digital-era business. It sounds great, but it’s not very realistic. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest piece #traditional publishers