Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Penguin Random House Provides Free Digital Reads to NYC Subway Riders

Publishers Lunch

For the next eight weeks, New York City subway riders can download free short stories and 175 book excerpts offered by Penguin Random House. It's part of PRH's "Subway Reads" promotion, in partnership with the MTA, "cel

PRH ceo Markus Dohle added: "For millions of New Yorkers, having a few minutes to get lost in a great book is one of the true pleasures of riding the subway. This fun promotion provides commuters with a new twist on that classic – and classically New York – pastime, with great short fiction, and the chance to access extensive samples of some of the very best, and most entertaining books in the world ebrating the installation of free wireless connectivity in more than 175 underground subway stations." The NYT notes that, "Transit officials approached Penguin Random House...because it had run a similar e-book promotion in the London Underground last year, celebrating Penguin’s 80th anniversary. Transit officials said they were open to other platforms from publishers, and platforms for more than books — anything to draw passengers to the Wi-Fi service" that is being rolled out to all 278 underground subway stations by the end of 2016.

The five available short stories include Lee Child's Jack Reacher novella High Heat, F. Scott Fitzgerald's A Diamond as Big as the Ritz, and Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Book excerpts available include Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and Hamilton by Ron Chernow, as PRH selected "as many titles by New Yorkers – or about New York – as possible." To optimize the commuter reading experience, Penguin Random House has also created a feature for excerpts called 'read time' that enables customers to sort the short stories and samples by the amount of time it would take the average reader to complete them.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said in the announcement: "New York's transportation network must continue adapting to the changing needs of its ridership and a key part of that is delivering the amenities that have become essential components of everyday life. Bringing Wi-Fi into underground stations helps riders stay connected throughout their commute, allowing them to check in with friends or family and access news or entertainment. We've made tremendous progress in modernizing the system and Subway Reads is a fun way to introduce riders to the new Wi-Fi experience."
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