The Future of Books Looks a Lot Like Netflix

Struggling against plunging prices and a shrinking audience, book publishers think they've found a compelling vision for the future: magazines.

Today, the San Francisco-based literary startup Plympton launched an online fiction service called Rooster. It's sold by subscription. It's priced by the month. And it automatically delivers regular content to your iPhone or iPad. In other words, it's a book service that looks a lot like a magazine service. And it's just the latest example of how books are being packaged like magazines.