HarperCollins Negotiating With Apple Over e-Books on New Tablet Device?

[MacRumors]

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is in talks with book publisher HarperCollins to bring electronic books to the company's new tablet device, expected to be introduced at next week's media event. The report notes that pricing for the e-books, which would offer enhanced content, would be established by HarperCollins with Apple receiving a portion of the sales.

HarperCollins is expected to set the prices of the e-books, which would have added features, with Apple taking a percentage of sales. Details haven't been ironed out.

It couldn't be learned whether Apple will sell the HarperCollins titles via a new e-book store or through its existing iTunes Store, which sells music, television shows and movies. Other publishers also have met with Apple, people familiar with the matter said. Apple declined to comment.

While Apple has been rumored to be attempting to "redefine" print media with its new tablet device and e-books have naturally been considered a significant segment of that industry as evidenced by the rise of dedicated e-readers, reports on Apple's plans for e-book content have been relatively few and far between. Speculation surfaced a number of months ago that Apple would be unlikely to directly enter the e-book market given the fragmented and difficult industry, but tapping publishers themselves to provide content has long been considered a likely path for the company.

Apple has also reportedly been looking at other aspects of print media, apparently spurring magazine publishers to begin developing their own distribution models while electronic textbooks publishers have been envisioning their products on Apple tablet devices. A number of major newspapers have also reportedly held discussions with Apple about bringing their content to its tablet, with New York Times executive editor Bill Keller even mentioning the device in an all-hands staff meeting addressing the future of the paper.

Article Link: HarperCollins Negotiating With Apple Over e-Books on New Tablet Device?

 

[GeekLawyer]

This is going to be a GREAT week for Apple and MacRumors. Exciting times!

 

[DipDog3]

iTunes will now carry books.

Makes me wonder if iTunes is still a good name for the program?

 

[paulyras]

Just gimmie the Wall Street Journal on the apple tablet and I'll be fine.

Oh, and for the love of god, would it kill you to throw in WSJ.com access so I can read archived stories? Apparently that was a bit much to ask for the Kindle subscription, even though I can get a print version delivered to my door every day and WSJ.com access for less money.

 

[Niteace]

This device seriously needs to have 'e-ink'. If it has that as well as a regular screen I think that would grab my attention..

 

[appleguy123]

This device seriously needs to have 'e-ink'. If it has that as well as a regular screen I think that would grab my attention..

Can eink screens be transparent when off?

 

[jo0]

ive never really had much interest in ebooks or magazines, but reading this article kinda got me excited to see how the tablet interfaces with them.

 

[abijnk]

I do hope ebooks are available on the tablet.

 

[funnyent]

Can eink screens be transparent when off?

That would be awesome! A touch pad over 2 screens with the e-ink on top, and transparent when off. Can't Wait!

 

[Elzlaik]

Harper Collins! Awesome. Just the publisher I wanted. I'll give them three guaranteed sales on the first day: the Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion and the Children of Hurin!

 

[NeuralControl]

If the device is priced right, and electronic textbooks are significantly cheaper than their paper counterparts, this could be a huge hit with college students. Textbooks, especially science ones, are extremely expensive.

 

[TheCoffeeBoy]

The big draw for books on a tablet device for me would be the ability to read and take notes/clippings at the same time in a really simple/easy manner while say commuting on a train.

iPhone is too small for this, macbook is too cumbersome.

 

[Peace]

I can see schools picking up on this fast.

 

[s1gsegv]

Well, they should really get o'reilly and apress on board ... that would be really cool.

 

[VanMac]

If the device is priced right, and electronic textbooks are significantly cheaper than their paper counterparts, this could be a huge hit with college students. Textbooks, especially science ones, are extremely expensive.

For sure. Even for those out of University, buying these books would be nice if the price was right.

 

[cmaier]

I wouldn't put it past Apple to claim a monopoly on books on the device (probably iPhone and iPod Touch, too) and to stop permitting ebook apps that don't go through their new iTunes e-book service.

 

[Dwalls90]

If the device is priced right, and electronic textbooks are significantly cheaper than their paper counterparts, this could be a huge hit with college students. Textbooks, especially science ones, are extremely expensive.

Exactly my thoughts. I have been "fantasizing" about this since the tablet theory was announced. It will be nice to get your books for a fraction of the cost, being able to go green, being able to take notes/search for phrases and sections, and share media and notes, the list goes ON forever as the possibilities are endless. And to think E-books are only one possible part of the Slate. If it has this functionality, Apple will DEFINITELY secure a large portion of the college student market I believe.

 

[cmaier]

Exactly my thoughts. I have been "fantasizing" about this since the tablet theory was announced. It will be nice to get your books for a fraction of the cost, being able to go green, being able to take notes/search for phrases and sections, and share media and notes, the list goes ON forever as the possibilities are endless. And to think E-books are only one possible part of the Slate. If it has this functionality, Apple will DEFINITELY secure a large portion of the college student market I believe.

Unless it supports real-book pagination, it's not going to be very popular among college students (when you're assigned to read pages 44-100, you need to know what that corresponds to on the ebook). It also needs to be VERY fast and be very flexible with equivalents to tabs, folded pages, sticky notes, scribbled notes, etc - imagine trying to take an open book test with an ebook that's as slow as the iPhone kindle app, for example.

 

[TheCoffeeBoy]

Unless it supports real-book pagination, it's not going to be very popular among college students (when you're assigned to read pages 44-100, you need to know what that corresponds to on the ebook). It also needs to be VERY fast and be very flexible with equivalents to tabs, folded pages, sticky notes, scribbled notes, etc - imagine trying to take an open book test with an ebook that's as slow as the iPhone kindle app, for example.

Yep, the added features of having a multifunction device like a tablet at your fingertips while using a book mean squat if it's slower than using a real book.

But I have faith that Apple would take on a similar view, unlike Adobe, who seem to think embedding adverts in books is more important than making their program run or load at a reasonable speed.

 

[ChrisA]

For sure. Even for those out of University, buying these books would be nice if the price was right.

Currently they claim the price is hight because of the low number of copies printed. Have you seen lulu.com? They print books one at a time on demand. The ultimate low volume run. They can sell books delivered for 1/3 the price of a college book store. Volume can't be the reason. Must be something else.

Ok so the real reason the books are expensive is because you have to buy them and the publisher is the only source. How will e-books change this? They have the files, no one else does and you need the files. Prices will remain high.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Textbooks - ONLY if you OWN them.

Regular books - same (given?), or a low cost "rental" - a lot of books i'd pay $1 to read for a week.

But i'm anxious to see where this all goes!

 

[cmaier]

Currently they claim the price is hight because of the low number of copies printed. Have you seen lulu.com? They print books one at a time on demand. The ultimate low volume run. They can sell books delivered for 1/3 the price of a college book store. Volume can't be the reason. Must be something else.

Ok so the real reason the books are expensive is because you have to buy them and the publisher is the only source. How will e-books change this? They have the files, no one else does and you need the files. Prices will remain high.

If anything, the effective price will go up. If things transition to e-textbooks, the "used" market goes out the window. Even if people figured out a way to transfer an ebook, since printing is no longer needed the publishers will just change the books each year, rendering the previous year "out of date" and undesirable to students.

I spent 12 years in various colleges, and the one type of book I would be very hesitant to get in electronic format is a textbook. Textbooks are used as tactile objects - note pages shoved between pages of the book, stickies, highlighters, bent corners, etc. When I was an engineering student I'd scribble equations and derivations in my books - little chance that will be easy in any ebook. It might have worked better when I was a law student, but there we relied heavily on page numbers recited by the professor.

 

[CyberBob859]

So, will Apple approve an Amazon Kindle app on this device if they're going to be involved with e-books themselves?

 

[cmaier]

So, will Apple approve an Amazon Kindle app on this device if they're going to be involved with e-books themselves?

Yeah, that's what I just asked. Let's say Apple gets 30% of each book sold through its own store - why would they let Amazon put a free app on the iPhone/iTablet where Apple gets nothing.

 

[t0mat0]

1st thing - with a few publishers on board, the others will fall into line

2nd thing - This really boosts student teacher Education area use of Apple products. Another shim to get into that area.