MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
March 5 – March 12, 2009 Edition
Thomas Nelson
Launches Bundled
Book Approach
NASHVILLE, TN/Authorlink News/03/05/09–IN a very smart move this week, Thomas Nelson announced that it will bundle e-books and audio books for free with consumer purchases of physical hardback books. The program, called NelsonFree, will provide book purchasers with a secure logon to a NelsonFree website where they can download an audio MP3 file or choose from several e-book formats, including EPub, MobiPocket and PDF.
The first NelsonFree titles to be offered later this month are Scott McKain’s Collapse of Distinction: Stand Out and Move Up While Your Competition Fails and Michael Franzese’s I’ll Make You An Offer You Can’t Refuse: Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss. Another ten titles will be added in multiple formats by the end of the year.
According to Joe Miller, vice president and publisher of business and culture, Nelson does not anticipate raising the price of hardcovers, unless audio and e-book production expenses for a particular project are unusually high. Miller said Nelson plans to release a dozen “format-free” books in several categories and will monitor consumer popularity to decide whether it will release more titles in the multi-format program.
Nelson President and CEO Michael S. Hyatt, said publishers need to explore new methods of getting content into the hands of customers. “NelsonFree will give readers a new level of value and flexibility,” he said. “It will enhance their literary experience and allow greater employment of the content without breaking the bank.”
