An interesting note from the press release I received from Harlequin a few hours ago:
“The modern romance reader has gone digital,” says Pam Laycock, Executive Vice President of Harlequin’s New Business Development department. “She demands the portability, depth, breadth, immediacy and convenience of romance novels in downloadable formats.” Ms. Laycock illustrates this fact by pointing to the success of the company’s eBooks on the bestseller lists of many eBook Web sites, including eReader.com, where Harlequin titles out-performed The Da Vinci Code just prior to the release of the film.
Of course, the case could be made that everybody has already read The DaVinci Code, softening the demand for the e-book version. But still.
Technorati Tags: Harlequin, e-books
7 comments:
e-books.... never! I can't snuggle up to a palm pilot or desktop computer screen. I want my paperback!
But, I'm probably not the best example. My cell phone is four years old. I don't own an i-pod (really!). I can't run my VCR/DVD player that's hooked up to my TV. (Isn't that what 13 year old sons are for?)
On the other hand, e-books are in demand. The royalties are supossedly higher too. No printing, warehousing, delivery, etc.
I'm not surprised Harlequin is getting into the market. They don't want to get left behind.
I'm with Olivia, but for different reasons. I carry a book with me everywhere. Carrying my laptop to read in line at Wal-Mart would be a little cumbersome. When I'm on my laptop I need to be busy doing other things - like writing and critting.
Several years ago Stephen King had a book that only came out as an ebook. My mom had me download it, but it had some protections set up on it and you couldn't print it so she's never read it.
But, some people love ebooks, so it is a good market to get into.
Michelle's Writing Space
It's the wave of the future, Brenda! The technology (hardware) hasn't reached a point where readers will happily curl up on the sofa with it, but I loved my ebookman until I dropped it at the gym and the screen went all funny. Electronic publishers are in a good position when this does take off. You'll see, one day Wings authors will be recognized by RWA!!!
While I love paper and ink, I say the same thing about ebook readers as alternate energy cars--make them affordable and make them useable. I won't be a monetary martyr to a miniscule saving of the ozone or trees.
Oh, and give me good books to download and I'm all set.
How about some more pictures of your garden? :-)
Just what I need another form of a
TBR pile...electronically, actully I do have 4 e-books I haven't had time to read!
I really love paper, and lining them up on the shelves!
The royalties [for e-books] are supposedly higher too. No printing, warehousing, delivery, etc.
Olivia, Harlequin authors make the same royalty percentage on e-books that they make on print. But since the cover price on an e-book is lower than the print version, authors are making less money on the e-book sales. They've been lobbying Harlequin to improve the royalty rates but have not yet had any success there.
Julana, my late-August garden tends to look a little scruffy because of the heat, but I'll see if there's anything out there worth photographing.
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