Digital book company Kobo is reportedly getting into publishing early next year. Like a traditional publishing house, Kobo will do the book editing, design and marketing, and will sell the books.
Sound familiar? Amazon has been pushing into the publishing business itself making deals with agents and authors alike. The online giant already has a handful of imprints under the Amazon Publishing umbrella including: 47North, AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Powered by Amazon, Montlake Romance and Thomas & Mercer.
Kobo has been fighting with Amazon for the international eBook business. eBookNewser has more: “The news comes just as Kobo is getting ready to ship out its new tablet computers. The device, which ships tomorrow, is a $199 competitor to the $249 Nook Color and the $199 Kindle Fire (which ships 11/15/11).”
CBC News has more about Amazon’s publishing push: “American thriller writer Barry Eisler is one of the top-selling authors who Amazon has signed as it expands from being an online retailer to a publisher of both electronic and print books. Eisler gave up a $500,000 US two-book offer from his long-time publisher to go with Amazon. His new book, The Detachment, was released digitally last month and is smashing his personal e-book sales record. ‘I’m making far more per unit than I would ever make with a legacy publisher,’ Eisler said. ‘And I’m also selling the book in far more volume than I would have with a legacy publisher or than I could have even on my own.’”