Two years after launching its Kindle store in Mexico, Amazon has expanded to offer a broad spectrum of physical goods, including printed books, at http://amazon.com.mx/. Offerings include the three versions of the Kindle e-reader. Indigo will now discount 100 top-selling and bookseller-recommend books by 40 percent, ceo Heather Reisman tells the Globe & Mail, “looking for some way to bring a little bit of added value to the overall experience” while noting that if the retailer “had to sell books at online prices, Indigo could not continue to exist.” (Indigo discounts titles by up to 50 percent online.) Previously, they deep discounted […]
eNews
Disney Division that Includes Publishing Merges with Interactive Unit
Disney announced that their Consumer Products and Interactive divisions will be combined into Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI), run jointly by co-chairs Leslie Ferraro (also president of Disney Consumer Products) and Jimmy Pitaro (also president ofDisney Interactive). The company says the move is “in response to changing consumer preferences in a marketplace increasingly influenced by technology.” COO Tom Staggs says in the announcement, “As technology and digital entertainment continue to evolve, a shared innovation strategy will enable this new segment to create unique and engaging products and experiences that exceed consumers’ expectations.” Disney Publishing Worldwide will report jointly to Ferraro and Pitaro, and is called a […]
Scribd Takes Over Librify; Google Ventures Backs Personalized Children’s Publisher
Scribd has acquired social reading ebook retail platform Librify. Founded in 2013 by Joanna Stone Herman, Ingram Content Group Ventures was among Librify’s funders, and their primary retail relationship was with Target. Scribd ceo Trip Adler said in a statement, “We value Librify’s focus on the social reading experience and the great work they’ve already done within reading communities. This move is a natural extension of the existing Scribd product and something we, and our readers, have wanted to explore more deeply.” Herman adds, “we set out to create a book club like reading experience for the digital age and we’re excited […]
People, Etc.
Jeff James will join Thomas Nelson as vp, marketing for Nelson Books on June 29. Previously he was the founder and ceo of Mythology, a marketing consulting practice for Fortune 500 firms. Steven Sussman will join Skyhorse as director of sales on June 29. Previously he was director of sales at Dover Publications. Antonella Pearce joins IPR License as business development manager. She was at the Publishers Licensing Society (PLS). J.K. Rowling has written extensively about the “reactionary, prejudiced, narrow-minded, ignorant and bigoted” Dursley family and their deep-seated resentment of Harry Potter on Pottermore, covered here by the Guardian. Partnerships […]
Norton Puts eBooks Into Libraries
In advance of the ALA annual conference starting Thursday in San Francisco, Norton announced that they will make their entire catalog of trade and professional ebooks available for lending through libraries, starting later this summer. The company has reached agreements with Baker & Taylor, OverDrive, and 3M to distribute their ebooks to the libraries. They declined to provide information on their lending terms or library pricing. The agreement includes all of Norton’s distributed/affiliated publishers (e.g. Albatross Publishing, C.I.R.C., Fantagraphics, George Braziller, New Directions, Odyssey Books, Guides and Maps, The Overlook Press, Peace Hill Press, Pegasus, Persea Books, Pushcart Press, Thames & Hudson, Tin […]
Corporate: Harlequin’s Customer Rewards Program; Bonnier Germany Drops DRM
Harlequin has launched a new customer loyalty program, Harlequin My Rewards, which gives members opportunities to earn rewards such as autographed books, signature gift baskets and Skype conversations with favorite Harlequin authors. Harlequin My Rewards presents readers with points for purchasing books or engaging in multiple online activities, including sharing book reviews, providing opinions, completing weekly book challenges and games, tweeting and partaking in Facebook activities. In addition, readers who purchase Harlequin books at retail locations can earn points by taking a photo of their receipts, which they email or upload to the Rewards site. Bonnier Germany (which includes Carlsen, […]