The Bookseller.com

20th July 2008

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Pan Mac adds to e-book momentum

15.04.08

Pan Macmillan will publish new print and e-books simultaneously from January 2009, it was revealed yesterday at a seminar on digitisation.

The move follows Penguin UK's announcement on Friday that it would publish all its black and white titles simultaneously in print and e-book format from September, and Random House UK's plans to launch its first e-books in July.

The "Commercial Angles to Digitisation: Do They Exist in the Book World" seminar also saw Sara Lloyd, Pan Macmillan's head of digital publishing - stressing she was expressing a personal view - argue that e-books without DRM would boost the e-book market. She said: "I want us to lead the way in the promotion of non-DRM e-books."

She said that even giving away content free digitally could drive sales: "It depends on the book but some studies have shown that giving away an e-book entirely for free has not cannibalised print sales, and has even improved sales in some cases," Lloyd said.

Fionnuala Duggan, digital director at RH UK, said publishers should build their assets with online marketing. She added: "Before you had a marketing campaign and after it was over it was gone. Now you can end with a list of names and email contacts."

London Book Fair - Day Two

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