eBooks

There is a colorful new way to read Ivanhoe, Moby Dick and The Three Musketeers in the Kobo eBookstore, and it’s not through public domain ePub files.

Digital publisher Trajectory has signed a content distribution deal with Kobo to release a series of illustrated comics of classic novels through the Kobo eBookstore. The series includes more than 120 visual renditions of classics such as The Last of the Mohicans, War of the Worlds, Treasure Island, The Count of Monte Cristo, Huckleberry Finn, Alice in Wonderland and Jane Eyre.

The video embedded above gives you an idea of what they look like–follow this link to see more at Kobo.
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Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired the eBook rights to “We Can Remember it For You Wholesale,” the short story by the late Philip K. Dick that inspired the Total Recall movie in 1990 and an upcoming remake (trailer embedded above).

The Wylie Agency negotiated the deal with publisher Bruce Nichols.

The publisher will release a tie-in version of the story (entitled Total Recall) in time for the remake’s August release . Len Wiseman directed the August 2012 film that stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel.

After pulling its new eBook titles from libraries back in 2010, the Hachette Book Group is testing a pilot program to offer new eBooks in libraries this spring.

Hachette currently offers backlist eBook titles for check out in libraries, but not new titles. The American Library Association (ALA) sent a delegation to meet with the publisher.

ALA president Molly Raphael blogged about it: “we were pleased to learn that starting this spring, Hachette is conducting a pilot with two ebook distributors for libraries, which will bring a selection of HBG’s recent bestselling ebooks to 7 million library patrons. These pilot programs will help HBG learn more about library patrons’ interests, usage, and expectations, and help the publisher devise the best strategy to reach the widest audience of ebook readers in libraries.”

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U.S. District Court judge Denise Cote has denied both Apple’s and publishers’ move to dismiss a civil class action suit that alleges Apple and major publishers colluded to set eBook prices.

Follow this PDF link to download a copy of the 56-page decision.

Hagens Berman managing partner Steve Berman is the lead counsel in the class action suit against Apple and publishers. He had this statement: “We look forward to uncovering additional evidence in the discovery phase of this litigation … We litigated this case because we strongly believe that consumers were harmed by Apple and the publishers’ tactics and we will not settle without an effective plan to repay consumers for their losses.”

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Penguin Young Readers Group will release S.E. Hinton‘s The Outsiders as an eBook for the first time.

Hinton (pictured, via) published The Outsiders in 1967 while completing her first year in college. This digital version celebrates the 45th anniversary of the controversial young adult book’s release.

Here’s more from the release: “Today, with more than fourteen million copies in print, and translated into more than 30 languages, the book is the best-selling young adult novel of all time. The book was also made into a film in 1983, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring such future stars as Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon and Rob Lowe.”

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95-year-old Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas has a new eBook coming out on June 12th about making the film, Spartacus.

Published by Open Road, the digital book includes a foreword by actor George Clooney.

AppNewser has more: “In I Am Spartacus! Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist, Douglas tells the story of making the historic 1960 Stanley Kubrick film, in which he stars in as the rebellious slave Spartacus who rebels against the Roman politician Marcus Licinius Crassus, which is played by Laurence Olivier. The film helped break Hollywood’s black list ban against suspected Communists.” Read more

Amazon has negotiated an “exclusive license” with Pottermore, adding all seven Harry Potter eBooks to the Kindle Lending Library.

J.K. Rowling‘s major bestseller will join more than 145,000 books that Amazon Prime member can check out for free (a service without due dates). The books will be available here on June 19th.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos did the math for Amazon users: “Over a year, borrowing the Harry Potter books, plus a handful of additional titles, can alone be worth more than the $79 cost of Prime or a Kindle. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library also has an innovative feature that’s of great benefit for popular titles like Harry Potter – unlimited supply of each title – you never get put on a waiting list.”

Bestselling novelist Paulo Coelho has convinced HarperCollins to sell many of his eBooks for 99-cents in the United States and Canada. The sale prices are now in effect at Amazon, iTunes
and Barnes & Noble.

The author could not predict how long the sale would last, but hopes to set the industry standard. In a blog post, Coelho explained that he hoped to make his digital books cost as much as a song in iTunes. The author helpfully did the book-buying math for his readers, revealing that purchasing all his discounted books will cost $10.89 versus $74.19 at regular prices.  Check it out:

One of my US publishers, HarperCollins, following a conversation with my agent Monica Antunes at the London Book Fair 2012, have decided to reduce the price of all my ebook titles (except The Alchemist) to 0.99 USD. Which means a book now costs less than a cup of coffee! This is a crucial decision for me. For years I have been advocating that free content is not a threat to the book business. In lowering the price of a book and equaling it to the price of a song in iTunes, the reader will be encouraged to pay for it, instead of downloading it for free. The email sent by Harper does not specify for how long the promotion will last.

eBook company Copia Interactive has partnered with online news outlet The Blaze to bring eBooks to news readers.

The Blaze’s new books vertical includes a social networking feature in which readers can discuss books related to the news in the margins.

AppNewser has more: “The platform, which is powered by Copia, is curated by Blaze news editors. Readers can use the platform to start their own reading clubs and groups. To promote the launch, the site is highlighting a new book by author Buck Sexton. Discussions about his new eBook, Occupy: American Spring - The Making of a Revolution, are featured on the site along with commentary and annotations from Sexton himself.” Read more

Warner Brothers Digital Distribution is reportedly releasing the screenplays of famous films as eBooks.

AppNewser has more: “While you may not be able to stream classic films like Casablanca, Ben-Hur, An American in Paris and North by Northwest on your iPad, Kindle or Nook, soon enough you will be able to read the original scripts.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, these eBooks will retail for $10 each and will come with some kind of special historical document.

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