Netgalley is one of the largest companies for ARC e-books. Publishers send them copies of their digital books before the official release to generate buzz on social media and get early reviews. This helps a book gain traction as soon as it comes out, which is why many review snippets exist on an Amazon or Kobo book listing. Netgalley has just announced that they have formed a tech relationship with Rakuten Kobo to send e-books to users’ e-readers.
Starting today, NetGalley clients can bulk-enable a “Send to Kobo” reading option for their digital review copies before a late May launch to NetGalley members. Once live, the Kobo integration will allow NetGalley members to seamlessly send NetGalley epub files to their Kobo e-readers or the Kobo app, offering greater reading flexibility and convenience without sideloading. The ePub files will be protected with Kobo’s proprietary DRM, which is called KEPUB. For those who do business with Netgalley and own a Kobo e-reader, the Send to Kobo feature will launch in late May.
“This partnership with NetGalley reflects our dedication to a more open approach to digital reading, where readers have more control over how they experience books,” said Rakuten Kobo CEO, Michael Tamblyn. “By launching with easy ‘Send to Kobo’ ePub support, we are giving NetGalley members what we hope is the best possible reading experience, taking full advantage of the format’s flexibility and customization options on their Kobo devices and in the Kobo app. We’re excited to see how this integration enhances how readers discover and engage with new books, and we’re committed to expanding format support as we move forward.”
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.