HarperCollins Christian Publishing to Join the Espresso Book Machine Network
New York, NY (January 30, 2013) – HarperCollins Christian Publishing, comprised of both Thomas Nelson, Inc. and Zondervan, has joined On Demand Books’ growing Espresso Book Machine (EBM) program, making its titles available through EBM’s “digital-to-print at retail” sales channel.
“We’re excited to partner with On Demand Books and the opportunities this relationship presents,” Tom Knight, HarperCollins Christian Publishing svp of sales commented. “The Espresso Book Machine will significantly enhance a customer’s in-store experience by giving bricks-and-mortar retailers the ability to offer an almost endless supply of books! I’m looking forward to a long relationship with On Demand Books and the retailers they serve.”
The EBM is the only digital-to-print at-retail solution on the market today. With the push of a button, a title can be printed with a full-color cover, bound, and trimmed to any standard size. In a matter of minutes, it emerges from the EBM as a bookstore-quality paperback book, which the customer can pay for and walk out the store with right there and then.
“Christian and inspirational content is an ideal fit for the EBM. Stores can now make titles available to customers that may not be on display on the shelves,” says Dane Neller, CEO of On Demand Books. “We are thrilled that both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan understand this and have joined us, and that their titles can now be sold regardless of season or store inventory.”
Content from publishers is fed to the EBM via EspressNet, On Demand Books’ growing digital network of titles (currently numbering over seven million). Much like an iTunes for books, EspressNet retrieves, encrypts, transmits, and catalogues books from a multitude of English and foreign language content providers, including public domain, in-copyright, and self-published titles. Through the SelfServe software, writers can format, design, edit, and upload their books for printing through the EBM, and for inclusion in EspressNet. SelfServe will soon also be able to convert print files to the ePub format suitable for e-readers.
The EBM provides a new sales channel for publishers, and vastly increases the availability of titles for physical bookstores, significantly reducing loss of sales due to books being out-of-stock. In addition, the EBM technology offers libraries and bricks-and-mortar retailers the opportunity to become community self-publishing centers, providing a new distribution platform for self-published authors. And of course the EBM improves overall efficiency and environmental sustainability by eliminating shipping and the return and pulping of unwanted books.
ODB Press Release 2 About On Demand Books
On Demand Books was cofounded in 2003 by Jason Epstein, former Editorial Director of Random House; Dane Neller, former CEO of Dean & DeLuca; and Thor Sigvaldason, former technology consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Espresso Book Machines have been placed in bookstores, libraries, universities, and other locations in the USA, Canada, the UK, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, and South Africa. Made in the USA, Espresso Book Machines are environmentally efficient, reducing production, shipping, and waste. For more information, go to www.ondemandbooks.com.
About HarperCollins Christian Publishing:
HarperCollins Christian Publishing is comprised of both Thomas Nelson Inc. and Zondervan. The two publishing groups provide bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content and live events for the Christian market space. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is committed to meeting the needs of its consumers with resources that honor God and inspire the world. For more information please visit www.thomasnelsoncorporate.com and www.zondervan.com.
- People:
- Dane Neller
- Tom Knight
- Places:
- New York, NY