Sep 20 2007
Harlequin eBooks Lead the Way
I think that when you say the word “ebook” that the assumption is the major consumer is a male, probably one who is a tech aficionado. The reality, though, is that the most successful epublishing company is one that caters to women. The majority of bestselling ebooks are romances. And yesterday, Harlequin is leading the charge toward an ebook full future by announcing that it is the first major publisher to make their ENTIRE front list catalog available in eBook format.
Each month, Harlequin releases more than 120 titles per month and starting in October, all of the titles will be in ebook format.
"Women have embraced eBooks," says Malle Vallik, Director Digital Content & Interactivity. "They demand portability, immediacy, availability, depth, breadth and convenience and, by making our entire front list and exclusive digital editorial available to them, we are meeting that challenge. We are meeting the needs of our current audience and reaching a new and diverse base of readers. Seeking innovative new ways to serve our audience continues to be a Harlequin tradition.”
All I can say is Huzzah Harlequin!
Via Press Release.
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Sep 20, 2007 @ 10:27:30
That’s wonderful news. I’ve gotten to the point that I really think twice about buying a print book because my house is overflowing with double-stacked, floor-to-ceiling bookcases, and stacks of books that don’t fit on the cases. Ebooks are my major source of book buying nowadays. So I’m glad to hear I’ll be able to get my Harlequin fix in ebook format. Hopefully they’ll sell a format I use…
Sep 20, 2007 @ 10:30:29
I still find it NOT COOL that these people sell only to US folks.
Sep 20, 2007 @ 10:44:15
Mrs Giggles, I am not sure about Harlequin selling only to the US people. I lived in Thailand and can buy e-book from them during the Spice promotion with no problem.
Sep 20, 2007 @ 11:02:28
Really? When is this?
Back in Feb, I only realized that they canceled my account when I tried buying some things and were told to register again. My attempts to register leads me to a page where I can only select my country of residence as US. It’s a good thing I have downloaded the stuff that I bought the month before (before they implemented the whole US only policy) because they pretty much just shut off my account and ignore my emails to their support center.
Did they re-allow non-US folks to buy from them again?
I also know Kensington and Simon Says have a “US-only” policy.
Harper, thank goodness, doesn’t.
Sep 20, 2007 @ 11:02:58
Woot! Makes me very happy.
Sep 20, 2007 @ 12:00:36
I hope, for the authors, if H/S is simultaneously releasing the books in print and digital, as opposed to offering only a digital backlist, that they’ve resolved the issue of offering a miniscule royalty rate on the digital editions.
Sep 20, 2007 @ 17:17:46
Mrs Giggles, I bought an ebook from eHarlequin in July, and I’m in the UK.
Sep 20, 2007 @ 18:34:27
Well, I just tried again to buy something and nope, still no go. I must be an US resident. Here is the screen capture I made when I tried to check out:
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/3067/screenfc5.jpg
Sep 21, 2007 @ 00:45:44
Oh, yet another reason to pick up the iPod Touch when I go to Houston in November. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping the Canadian dollar stays strong.
Sep 21, 2007 @ 00:54:35
Mrs. G, I did the following:
1. Selected my books at the eHarlequin eBook Boutique
2. Clicked eBook Checkout
3. Entered my email address just above the Register icon (I created a new account)
4. On the Online Account Registration page, I was given the option of selecting a country, including Malaysia
Hope this helps!
Sep 21, 2007 @ 18:27:18
Mrs Giggles – you might want to check your ip country code (IP address location) and make sure it agrees with the country you’re shipping to. I haven’t had a problem with books but sometimes ordering music or movies over the internet is impossible (itunes specifically).
Ann – why wait til Nov for the iPod touch? It’ll be available in Canada Oct 12 @ Best Buy. Unfortunately it still hasn’t been hacked so it will be impossible to read ebooks on it Ipod Toch Jailbreak Still Eluding Hacking Community).
I am leaning towards buying a Nokia N800 and using FBReader. There’s a good side by side comparison of the N800 and the iPod touch at Ipod Touch v Nokia N800 (makes a good case for buying both).
Sep 21, 2007 @ 22:26:14
Mrs. Giggles, I emailed someone and hope to have an answer for you maybe next week? I hope it’s just a technological glitch for you because I think part of the appeal of the e book is the ease of access for international readers. After all, your money spends the same for authors as mine, right?
Sep 21, 2007 @ 23:11:15
I’ll be in Houston in November and will save myself some $$$ if I buy it there instead of in Canada.
Sep 22, 2007 @ 08:36:03
I wonder if selling to non-US residents somehow breaks the licensing agreements that HQ has with publishers in those home countries?
Just wondering out loud…not speaking from experience or anything.
I hope the glitch is worked out…I want my books available everywhere!
Sep 22, 2007 @ 17:37:54
I’m not in the US and I have no trouble buying EBooks from them.
Skinssteel.Com » Harlequin eBooks Lead the Way
Sep 28, 2007 @ 11:07:39
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Oct 01, 2007 @ 09:46:56
This story made NPR today:
Harlequin Puts Erotic Pulp Online
Oct 09, 2007 @ 15:13:27
I hate ebooks. Reading is a sensual experience and something to take me away from work and computers. Also prices for them are outrageous on Harlequin as compared to others except maybe for sales considering ebboks are only files, not paper, ink and cover.
Jun 14, 2008 @ 15:04:59
I like to read ebooks, because spending too much time working on PC, I lost my good sight and now I can read just from the screen, because in Word I can make text as big as I need to read without glasses. I love Harlequin books, but I can’t buy ebooks, because I live in Israel and they not sell ebooks to people from Israel. I tried to by ebooks, but my mastercard didn’t went through. The same problem I have with used books in Amazone.com. They didn’t sell used books to Israel. I can buy just new ones which were just released. I would prefer ebooks, because they didn’t take place and I already have more than 600 books in my house. I don’t have place for real books, but I still buying them, because my son love to read real books.
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