Australian publishers enter Apple iBookstore

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 03 November 2010 15:50

Your IT - Mobility

One thing missing at the local launch of the iPad was support from the local publishing business. That's now changed with the arrival of several Australian publishers at the iBookstore.

Apple today announced that titles from major and independent publishers including Macmillan, Hachette Book Group, Hardie Grant, HarperCollins Publishers, Murdoch Books and Wiley, are now available on the Australian iBookstore.

Hachette imprints include Hodder & Stoughton, Orion, Little, Brown, Headline, Atom, Virago, Abacus, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, Orbit, Gollancz, Hachette Australia, Hodder Moa. Titles from these and other imprints will be available from the iBookstore, and the company promises simultaneous availability with the printed versions of future books.

The company's stable of best-selling authors include Maeve Binchy, Patricia Cornwell, Barry Humphries, Stephen King, Hugh Mackay, Alexander McCall Smith, William McInnes, and Stephenie Meyer.

"The iBookstore in the US and UK have been a huge success, and it is incredibly exciting that Australian readers can now have a store perfectly tailored for their needs, and that Hachette's many authors have an innovative new outlet for their works," said managing director Malcolm Edwards.

"We are absolutely delighted that so many of our books will be available on the Australian iBookstore, as we are committed to ensuring readers can enjoy the very best writing whenever, and however, they want to buy and read it," he added.

One publisher is promising its full catalogue of e-books will be available in the Australian iBookstore - see page 2.