Sourcebooks Announces Ebook Program with Smashwords; Experiments with DRM Free
NAPERVILLE, IL (July 9, 2009)—Sourcebooks, an emerging leader in romance fiction publishing, is partnering with Smashwords, an independent publisher, distributor and retailer of multi-format eBooks (launched in 2008), to make Sourcebooks mass market romance eBooks from the growing Sourcebooks Casablanca imprint available for purchase on Smashwords.
Sourcebooks romance titles went live on Smashwords Wednesday, July 7, and include the works of best-selling authors like Linda Wisdom, Donna Lea Simpson and Amelia Gray. Sourcebooks will price their romance titles at $6.99 and make them available in nine eBook reading formats.
The Smashwords eBook publishing platform puts publishers in full control over the pricing, sampling and marketing of their works. Publishers receive up to 85% of the net proceeds from sales, much higher than traditional industry norms.
"Our mission at Smashwords is to fundamentally remake the ebook supply channel for the benefit of the world's publishers, authors and readers," said Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. "We're thrilled to work with Sourcebooks because they're one of the industry's most innovative publishers. Despite the challenging economic environment, Sourcebooks has thrived over the last few years by continually innovating bold approaches to serving their customers and authors."
This is the first time that Sourcebooks will experiment with selling eBook versions of their books DRM-free.
“The publishing business is changing daily,” says Dominique Raccah, CEO and publisher of Sourcebooks. “There is discussion surrounding DRM, and while partnering with Smashwords does not mean we endorse DRM-free across the board, it does mean that we’re open to exploring different possibilities to better serve our customers.”
“We are very excited to be working with Smashwords and to initiate an eBook program with them, expanding the outreach of our successful romance fiction line,” adds Raccah.
In an effort to further expand their eBook presence, Sourcebooks is also selling select digital eBook titles on Scribd.com, the largest social publishing company in the world, which offers several DRM and No DRM publishing options.
About Sourcebooks, Inc.
Sourcebooks is a forward-thinking, independent publishing house with a passion for books and a dedication to the belief that books change lives. We are committed to innovative publishing, where every book is personal and every author’s voice has a place. We are a group of passionate, energetic and enthusiastic book lovers, and we are committed to helping readers experience each book. Sourcebooks has over 70 employees, publishes over 300 new titles each year, and celebrates their success with eleven New York Times Bestsellers. Sourcebooks is proud to be a leading publisher of poetry, as well as the largest woman-owned book publisher in the country. Visit www.sourcebooks.com for more information, and check out the Sourcebooks blog.
About Smashwords, Inc.
Launched in 2008, Smashwords is an independent publisher, distributor and retailer of multi-format ebooks. The Smashwords ebook publishing platform puts publishers in full control over the pricing, sampling and marketing of their works. Publishers receive up to 85% of the net proceeds from sales of their works. For readers, Smashwords offers the opportunity to discover exciting new voices in fiction and non-fiction. Smashwords, Inc. is based in Los Gatos, California, and can be reached on the web at http://www.smashwords.com/. Visit the official Smashwords blog at http://blog.smashwords.com/
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