iPad UK Launch: What Does It Mean for European Publishers?

Four major UK publishers struck last minute deals with Apple today, stocking the international iBookstore with new eBooks.

Today’s guest on the Morning Media Menu was Ed Nawotka, the editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives–a news site dedicated to covering the global publishing industry. He discussed socially networked reading in China, international launch of the Apple iPad, and the evolving role eBooks play in the European publishing industry.

Press play below to listen.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview: “For Europeans this is a really big device. It will be a unifying device. The eBook market over there has been a lot more fragmented than the States. There wasn’t a single, defining device like the Kindle. I think iPad is the first iteration of that [single, defining device] overseas.”

Nawotka concluded: “The Europeans tend to be more conservative. It’s taken them somewhat longer to get into eBooks. You can see that reflected in the way they dealt with the iPad launch. It’s no secret that this is going to be a trendsetting device. I’m getting pictures in from Australia, the UK, and Germany–the Apple Stores are just thronged. A lot of the publishers just waited until the last minute to sign up and get their stuff ready.”

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