E-Comics on Sony's E-Reader
This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week on October 3, 2006 Sign up now!
by Calvin Reid, PW Comics Week -- Publishers Weekly, 10/3/2006
Senior New York publishing executives were out in force last week at the official launch of the Sony Reader, the latest entry in the development of a secure handheld device for the convenient digital distribution of print content. The likes of HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman, Random House Ventures president Richard Sarnoff and Penguin USA president David Shanks were at the W Hotel, where Sony announced that Borders Books and Music will be the exclusive holiday retailer for the device, selling the Sony Reader in 300 Borders stores, outfitted especially to sell them.
Sony v-p Ron Hawkins said Sony's publishing partners have made about 10,000 titles available to buy and download to the device, including more than a dozen comics titles, all of them either Tokyopop original manga or Harlequin’s romance manga titles. While comics are not the focus of the device, Hawkins and every speaker at the presentation were careful to mention "graphic novels" very loudly at every opportunity. These days comics manage to get some sort of acknowledgment even when they're a throw-in item.
The new device is small (5"x7"), half an inch thick, weighs about 9 ounces and can hold approximately 80 full-text books that can be purchased online through Sony's proprietary Connect Store. The device will cost $350, and Sony is hoping to lure consumers by offering a $50 credit toward the purchase of e-books. The black and white reading device can also be used to view .jpgs and Adobe documents and can be used to download Sony-selected RSS feeds and blog content for free.
Despite its price and proprietary retail system, Hawkins was optimistic that the device would appeal to a market of business travelers and early adopters. "Heavy readers and frequent flyers and technology enthusiasts are our target audience," said Hawkins. He also noted that electronic titles will be offered at discount and priced below the list price of print books.
But Hawkins also emphasized that the comics content available through the device "was just the beginning. Just a start." Devices made available at the presentation were loaded with Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges's original Tokyopop manga series Peach Fuzz, and the reading experience is impressive. The device has a clear and sharp reading screen, and the screen image can be enlarged, turned on its side and read in a landscape format. Tokyopop has10 titles available for purchase including Queenie Chan's Dreaming, Felipe Smith's MBQ and Svetlana Chmakova's Dramacon.
Mary Abthorpe, Harlequin's v-p of new business development, says a selection of its Harlequin Pink shojo romance line, No Competition, Jinxed and A Prince Needs a Princess, are available for download to the Sony Reader. She said offering electronic manga titles is just a small part of Harlequin's overall e-publishing plans. "It’s a good opportunity for us. The Reader works well, and all the parties had the wherewithal to work together to make our titles available."
Jeremy Ross, Tokyopop's director of new product development, says working with Sony on the Reader is just one of its digital publishing initiatives. Tokyopop is also working to offer manga and animation downloadable to cell phones. Ross says the Sony Reader offers an opportunity to market manga and comics in general to an older reader. "It's a chance to convert some older readers," says Ross. "It should win us new manga customers, as well as making sure there's something cool for mom and dad to show their teens when they buy a reader."
