Macmillan’s Aussie authors go digital thanks to their Indian outsourcing business

I just noticed a press release issued last month by Macmillan Australia which has begun the process of digitising its local list with the help of MPS Technologies Inc. MPS is an affiliated publishing services and technology company that’s a wholly owned subsidiary of Macmillan India and is based in Chennai. They’re creating ebooks in the Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader and Adobe eReader formats and so far claim to have digitised 400 Aussie titles. They also host Macmillan Australia’s online ebook store at www.macmillandigital.com.au.

Here’s the full press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Macmillan Publishers Australia to launch the first
Australian digital publishing programme

Books by Macmillan Publishers Australia’s best-selling authors such as Matthew Reilly, Di Morrissey and Andy Griffiths will be published in Australia in digital format for the first time this week with the launch of MPA’s new digital publishing programme. MPA is publishing 400 titles and making them available to browse, search and purchase through its new website www.macmillandigital.com.au, developed by sister company MPS Technologies.

The digital books will be available in three eBook formats, Adobe eReader, Microsoft Reader and Mobipocket, and in an online version. Each format will have its own ISBN for tracking purposes, in the same way as different print formats of the same book do. Access to the works will be controlled through the use of DRM (digital rights management) to prevent wholesale printing and copying and protect the author’s copyright. The works in the launch programme of 400 titles include the company’s bestselling fiction, non-fiction, children’s, education, academic and science books.

Macmillan will continue digitizing its backlist over the coming year and will publish most of its new titles in print and digital form within a short time of publication.

Macmillan Publishers Australia is also the first Australian publisher to partner with retailer Dymocks and supply their eBooks for sale through digital kiosks in their ‘bricks and mortar’ flagship store and via www.dymocks.com.au.

Head of Macmillan Digital, Victoria Nash, says ‘As a publisher of quality local Australian books we want to ensure Australian authors will benefit from the new opportunities of digital publishing which have been taken up widely overseas. In the main, we’ve found our authors to be incredibly enthusiastic as they understand we are doing all we can to grow their readership by taking their work into the digital space. We’ve been careful to protect the copyright of their work and we’ve ensured a high quality of print to digital text conversion.

The ability to browse, search and buy both print and digital books online appeals to a group of readers that we were previously unable to reach. We now hope to extend the scope of our publishing through a new channel, which will complement the success we already have through existing sales channels.

The longterm success of digital books remains to be seen but we are competing with other entertainment sources amongst the younger generation of digital natives. By offering books in a digital form, in a way that is convenient to buy, we are ensuring continued readership and the future of the book.’

For interviews and further information please contact Annie Coulthard on 02 9285 9114 annie.coulthard@macmillan.com.au.

About MPS Technologies

MPS Technologies provides a range of technology-driven products and services designed to support the information industry. Services include the BookStore eBook platform (www.mpsbookstore.com), BookStore Discovery, ContentStore, PublisherStats and Fulfilment Services. MPS Technologies is part of the Macmillan group of companies and has offices in London, Boston, New York, Basingstoke, Hamburg and Delhi. www.mpstechnologies.com

Media contact at MPS Technologies: Tim Corbett-Winder at t.corbettwinder@mpstechnologies.com