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'


Rebuck bullish on digital after "show-stopping" Xmas

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 08:55 Random House c.e.o. Gail Rebuck has said she expects digital to become a "significant" part of its business in 2011 and hailed a "show-stopping" Christmas, as parent company Bertelsmann announced its full-year results to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #gail rebuck #full-year results


Paver and Seuss among new Bologna deals

Written By: Benedicte Page and Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 15:32 Penguin's international deals for Michelle Paver, HarperCollins' new collection of stories from Dr Seuss and Simon & Schuster paying six figures for a young adult trilogy were among the day two deals... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #michelle paver #dr seuss #benedicte page #international deals


WH Smith reopens shops under British Bookshops deal

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 08:54 Seventeen former British Bookshop & Stationers stores have held their first weekend of trade under WH Smith ownership. Nine venues opened their doors as WH Smith stores and eight re-opened under their original name of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #15% discount #half price


Catherine Cookson estate goes direct in ebook deal

Written By: Bookseller staff Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 08:53 Catherine Cookson's estate has signed a deal to release 100 of her novels as ebooks directly through Amazon, cutting out her publishers Transworld and Simon & Schuster. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook deal #ebooks directly #simon schuster


HarperCollins pays tribute to Wynne Jones

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 15:21 HarperCollins has paid tribute to Diana Wynne Jones who passed away this weekend following a long illness. Victoria Barnsley, HarperCollins publisher and c.e.o., said: “Diana was one of our truly wonderful and much cherished... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paid tribute #long illness #victoria barnsley


Media Decoder: Self-Publisher Signs Four-Book Deal With St. Martin's

Amanda Hocking, the 26-year-old author who shot to fame by selling more than a million copies of her self-published books, has signed a deal with St. Martin's Press. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder #amanda hocking #million copies #self-published books


ABC Board Changes Advertising Requirement for Digital Magazines

Recognizing the fluid state of digital magazine publishing, the ABC board of directors has just modified a key requirement for qualifying a "replica" digital edition. Advertising in the print and digital editions no longer needs to be identical. The board's vote at their mid-March meeting was... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital magazines #digital edition #digital editions


HC buys Shan's digital backlist rights

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Mon, 21/03/2011 - 08:53 HarperCollins is to publish Darren Shan's backlist as ebooks, having concluded a deal with the Christopher Little Agency for the digital rights. Shan has been published in print by HarperCollins Children's Books for a decade... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harpercollins children #digital rights


Media Decoder: Noted Self-Publisher May Be Close to a Book Deal

Amanda Hocking, the darling of the self-publishing world who has sold more than 900,000 copies of nine books in the last year, has been shopping a four-book series to major publishers. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder #book deal #amanda hocking #four-book series #major publishers


New S&S deal for Aliens Love Underpants duo

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 21/03/2011 - 15:15 Simon & Schuster has signed a new picture book deal with the creative duo behind the Aliens Love Underpants series. Emma Blackburn, picture book editorial director at S&S, bought world rights to Monstersaurus from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ss deal #creative duo


Five-figure deal to indie Inside Pocket

Publication Date: Fri, 18/03/2011 - 10:17 Independent children's publisher Inside Pocket has signed a five-figure four-book deal with Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winner Ursula Jones. Director of Inside Pocket, Sarah Harrop, acquired world rights, including audio and ebook, to the titles from Celia... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #including audio #strange world


Epicurious Wins ASME's General Excellence Digital Ellie Award

The American Society of Magazine editors today unveiled the winners of its second-ever Digital Ellies awards. Conde Nast's Epicurious took the award in the General Excellence category as well as top honors in the category of Interactive Tool. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins acquires Jermaine Jackson title

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 14:59 HarperCollins has bought a book by Jermaine Jackson about the life of his pop star brother Michael. World rights to You are Not Alone: Michael, Through a Brother's Eyes were bought by Natalie Jerome, publishing director for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world rights #natalie jerome #harper non-fiction #gordon wise #curtis brown #published simultaneously #simon schuster


As Library E-Books Live Long, Publisher Sets Expiration Date

While librarians are pushing for access to more ebooks to satisfy demand, publishers are reconsidering how much that access should be worth. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #satisfy demand


Two pre-LBF deals top £1m in rights frenzy

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 11/03/2011 - 10:11 Agents have claimed two big-money deals worth £500,000 each, which could mark a return to confidence in the rights market in the crucial weeks ahead of next month's London Book Fair. Simon & Schuster publishing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rights market #pretty close


The Secret to Digital Growth: Investing In Content?

Business Insider's Henry Blodget tells (almost) all. But can online revenue cover the costs of original content? Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #original content #digital growth #business insider


Turning Digital into Dollars

The Engage! Expo 2011, a conference and trade show focusing on tools and strategies for reaching consumers through mobile apps, social networks, online gaming, and other digital content, offered some glimpses into how companies are monetizing their digital initiatives. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile apps #social networks #online gaming #digital content #digital initiatives


Penguin to treble investment in digital content

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 07/03/2011 - 09:03 Penguin is to treble its investment in digital content in 2011 compared to 2010, as both Pearson and Bloomsbury cited a leap in digital sales as a key reason for growth in their interim full-year results, released last... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #penguin group #enhanced ebooks #digital content #digital sales #key reason #john makinson #marketing material


HarperCollins Wants Libraries to Pay (and Pay...and Pay...) for e-Books

Back in 1984, I wrote a book that sold to a lot of libraries. It stayed on the shelves for over a decade. If it had been an ebook published today by HarperCollins, there's a good chance it would have been off those shelves within a year. Or sooner. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #good chance