Target is one of the largest retail chains in the US and they are not sitting idly by as the eBook revolution sweeps over the world. In order to boister their e-commerce experience the company has partnered with Librify to sell digital books and also form an online book club.
The official launch of the new eBook selling platform is several months away but has been announced in time for Book Expo America. This is the largest publishing event in the US and many companies are announcing their new initiatives a few days early to garner hype.
Librify, which started beta testing with select users in March, offers a social-subscription service for eBooks. Instead of offering unlimited books like they charge $8.99 a month, and you will get one recommended book each month, and a 10%-20% discount on all other eBooks. Target employees will select the title each month. Librify has more than 500,000 titles available for purchase so far, which is staggering considering they are a new company.
GoodReads pioneered the social book experience and Librify is putting their own unique spin on social reading. They have developed a virtual book club experience where users can create bookshelves based on their favorite categories, such as beach reads or classics. Other readers can follow your shelf and be notified via Facebook when you add a new title.
“It is a great solution for bringing a digital book experience to the Target guests who have long enjoyed our “Club Picks” selections,” Target spokeswoman Erica Julkowski says. “We are proud to partner with Librify to offer a differentiated experience, which focuses on social connectivity and book clubs.”
Librify stands to gain a tremendous amount of marketing hype and national attention by partnering with an established chain such as Target. Joanna Stone Herman, CEO of Librify said “We’re taking advantage of all the breadth and reach that Target has”
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.