Popular Harry Potter Series To Be Released As Ebooks In October
Note: I’ve been writing about the Harry Potter/Ebook saga for a while now. Check out my most popular Harry Potter post that has links to most of my other HP posts. Thanks for reading!
The announcement has finally arrived for all you Harry Potter fans out there: The popular 7 book series will be released in ebook format this October!
Speculation has been running rampant for the last several days with the mysterious Pottermore website. As it turns out, the website will be home to Harry Potter, the digital version.
According to the New York Times, JK Rowling announced the big news at a news conference Thursday:
J.K. Rowling, the author behind the blockbuster fantasy series, said at a news conference in London on Thursday that a new interactive Web site built around the series will also sell the e-book editions of the seven Harry Potter books, previously available only in print and as audio books.
“I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation,” Ms. Rowling said.
Indeed, it has been many years. The demand for an ebook version of the series has only grown, with fans turning to pirated copies. Within days of a new print Harry Potter book release, it would be readily available online.
Ebooks Will Be Interactive
This will certainly delight fans. The ebooks will include more than just the text:
The e-books will include illustrations and interactivity, she said in a statement: “You visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup.”
The interactivity will have an impact on which eReaders will be the most popular for reading Harry Potter. Dedicated readers, such as the Kindle, have limited graphics. But something like the iPad will be perfect for this kind of illuminated ebook.
Big Profits Will Come With Ebook Release
What I find even more interesting is that Rowling owns the digital rights to her masterpiece:
Ms. Rowling has retained the digital rights to her books and for years has resisted the creation of e-book editions, despite the potential popularity and profit of such a move. In the past several years, electronic sales have exploded and publishers have rushed to digitize their back-list books.
This doesn’t mean much for fans, but for Rowling, it means she’s about to become a whole lot richer. Speculation about just how much she will make with an ebook release is in the millions. One source I’ve quoted in a previous post said it could be upwards of £100 million.
I don’t know if this takes into consideration that she owns the digital rights, meaning she’ll keep most of the profits, not her publisher. Either way, one of the richest authors in the world will be slightly richer. The NYT article does mention that her publishers will get some money out of the deal, it didn’t mention how much.
Will Fans Reread the Series As Ebooks?
I know a lot of people who have read Harry Potter more than once. I’m guessing more than a few will buy the ebook series and reread them, especially those traveling or do not want to lug the print editions around.
Will any of you reread the series in ebook format?
It’s ironic that Harry Potter-as-ebooks has been one of the most popular topics on Brad’s Reader, yet I have never read the series myself, nor do I plan to. That particular genre of fiction just isn’t my thing.
But I’m still grateful to be part of the conversation. There’s no doubt that Harry Potter has gotten millions of kids hooked on reading. And now that it will be released in ebook format, I’m predicting we’ll see a whole new level of interest in digital reading.
Given the ebooks will be released in October, maybe a lot of kids will find eReaders under the Christmas tree; perhaps pre-loaded with Harry Potter.
Related Posts
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- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, ebooks, and the definition of irony
- Can JK Rowling move beyond Harry Potter?
- Harry Potter Mania Heats Up!
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