With the variety of ebook subscription services that have launched recently, there are models that speak to many different reading preferences. From Netflix-style all-you-can-eat to serialized and long-form eshorts, different consumers can find paid models that support the way they choose to read. One interesting aspect to subscription models is that there are also platforms that support limited types of content, such as romance or non-fiction essay.
Entitle Books announced its recent launch of an ebook subscription that is aimed at the Christian book market, allowing its members to find new titles without wading through content that they may wish to avoid. Entitle Christian, as the service is called, allows its members to download up to four books per month depending on the pricing option they choose; unlike typical subscription models, this one serves as more of a book club of sorts, as the ebooks do not disappear after a predetermined amount of time. The books are the users’ to keep, even if they cancel their subscriptions later.
Entitle’s CEO Bryan Batten noted that readers of Christian fiction tend to stick with the genre, much in the way that romance readers are thought to be passionate fans of their favorite story lines and authors. While the industry is experiencing unheard of rates of crossover, not only among readers but among authors as well, some genres more than others experience this level of dedication to their books.
Of course, one of the more appealing aspects of the service–something that members are willing to spend significant money on considering that the two-book-a-month plan starts at $9.99 and increases from there–is the vetting of the titles for appropriateness and content. In recent years, most major retailers have had to take unpopular action against books and authors that were mislabeled. Hard-core erotica works ended up on display and promoted even in the ranks of children’s ebooks, a fact that caused a number of retailers to take swift action in deleting any content that they deemed inappropriate.
Entitle Christian’s platform is compatible with all major devices and operating systems, and has been able to secure contracts with several major publishers. Of the platform’s 200,000+ ebooks available for sale, more than 10,000 titles have been included in the Entitle Christian service to date.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.