Scribd, HarperCollins Launch $8.99 Subscription Book Service

For a small monthly fee, consumers are used to getting unlimited access to all types of content: movies, TV shows, music, news, video games. Could that same model soon become popular in the world of publishing? Given the success of Netflix in video and Spotify in music, it's inevitable that you're going to have a similar service in the book space––and it could be a really big business. Today, San Francisco–based startup Scribd takes one step in that direction by launching a subscription–based book service with HarperCollins, one of the world's largest publishers. For $8.99 a month, users will now gain unlimited access to an expansive catalog of titles. But rather than maim the industry's traditional à la carte model, Scribd CEO Trip Adler believes the service will provide it with a new stream of incremental revenue. "We're really focused on books because we think this market is ripe for disruption," he explains. "Given the success of Netflix in video and Spotify in music, it's inevitable that you're going to have a similar service in the book space––and it could be a really big business."Read Full Story     Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]

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