Publishing Tech launches e-book service
14.04.09 Victoria Gallagher writing in The Bookseller

Publishing Technology is to launch a new e-book selling service, which aims to help publishers take on internet giants such as Amazon and Google in the digital book market.

The service will allow publishers to sell their own e-books or highlights of titles and chapters online.

Publishing Technology has been carrying out trials with publishers for the past six months and the service is said to be launching in full later this year.The launch of the Sony Reader and Amazon's Kindle has meant that the e-book market has dramatically grown in recent months. Selling content through internet and mobile platforms is something which publishers are increasingly looking towards. Mills and Boon is one particular publisher that has embraced the digital age and converts its full front list to e-books each month. "In the UK there is an appetite for e-books," said Tim Cooper, director of direct and digital.

Last month Publishing Technology, a provider of information technology tools to publishers, reported a 7% rise in annual revenues in 2008. Total revenue for the year was £15.4m and the company now serves over 400 publishers.

Footnote:

Those attending the recent seminars in NZ on digital publishing will recall that the need for someone to set up an EBook "warehouse/distributor" was one of the matters discussed.