HarperCollins UK to release ePub books in September: Simultaneous publication with P in most cases
The IDPF’s ePub standard has won another convert—HarperCollins UK, which, starting in September, just like Penguin UK, will release ePub versions simultaneously with most paper titles. Exceptions will be works with formatting challenges, such as illustrations, although I’d hope that the number of those would lessen in time.
“Every publisher is really getting their act together,” the Bookseller quotes Victoria Barnsley, HarperCollins U.K.’s CEO. “We want to go when the actual hardware is available over here.” Hmm. The Sony Reader? With ePub capabilities for sure via Adobe Digital Editions? Remember the rumors—that Sony will launch in September?
ePub vs. Sony’s proprietary BBeB format
Could HarperCollins and other major Brit publishers be wisely trying to skip Sony’s BBeB proprietary format, at least as their main focus? I don’t know. It would be best to say no to Sony’s proprietary DRM, too, however, so the books can be more easily available on other machines, including maybe even the hot new Readius, assuming that the FBReader folks or others in the ePub community can take an interest. Here’s to reader and publisher power, as opposed to Sony, Amazon or any other company lording it over the publishing industry!
Meanwhile, since ePub is a distribution format, not just a consumer one, there’s no reason why distributors can’t turn HarperCollins UK books into Mobipocket, PDF and other eBabelers. But best to work for a standard format at the consumer level—ePub, in other words!
2,500+ back list titles to be available
At least 2,500 HarperCollins back list titles will be available in E in the fall if rights clearances go well. Does the statistic include Harper in the States? I’m not sure, though I suspect not. And what’s with the front list in the U.S.?
Whatever the case, the latest announcement from Great Britain is wonderful news—especially if HarperCollins UK and other publishers also encourage the IPDF to work toward a wide choice of e-readers and creation tools beyond those from Adobe. Don’t just wait for this to happen, IDPF. Be pro-active in the open source community. As I keep saying, there’s room for more than one business model, particularly since conventional and open source developers can learn from each other!
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