Hachette Is First Publisher to Provide E-book Content in New .epub Format

New York-based Hachette Book Group USA has become the first publisher to adopt the International Digital Publishing Forum’s (IDPF) new e-book format, “.epub.” The IDPF announced in September that it had adopted the Open Publication Structure 2.0 e-book specification, which includes the .epub format, as an official industry standard. Hachette is a member of the IDPF committee that adopted the new format.

According to the IDPF, the .epub format allows publishers to produce and send a single digital publication file through distribution, as opposed to the multiple files previously required. The format also benefits consumers by allowing them to read unencrypted digital books with any software or reading device that uses the .epub standard.

“Hachette Book Group’s leadership in implementing new .epub digital standards will accelerate the growth of e-books for both booksellers and readers,” says Michael Smith, executive director, IDPF. “The new e-book file formats that Hachette Book Group has helped engineer provide streamlined publishing, distribution and end-user reading features that we expect to be widely supported.”

With Hachette’s announcement that it had adopted the new format, it also said it will steadily increase the number of e-books it publishes, beginning with titles the publisher releases in December. “We are pleased to be the first in the industry to adopt the new .epub standard, which simplifies the creation of digital content, benefiting publishers and consumers alike,” says David Young, chairman and chief executive officer, Hachette Book Group USA. “Not only will it enable us to create more digital files more efficiently, it will allow us to provide consumers with more types of digital books than in the past.” Young called the adoption of the new format an “exciting advancement in the e-book market.”