HarperCollins and Apple negotiating e-book deal for tablet: WSJ

Just because U.S. markets were closed today doesn't mean that the WSJ hasn't some interesting news. According to the financial paper, book publisher HarperCollins has been sitting at a table with Apple trying to work out a deal to bring e-book content to the soon to be introduced Apple tablet. The tablet is supposed to be introduced at an event on January 27th in San Francisco and start shipping in March. Sales of new bestsellers could go for $9.99 while enhanced versions including interviews, social networking apps, video and more would run from $14.99 to $19.99 according to a person familiar with the situation. According to the WSJ story, HarperCollins is one a few publishing houses that has been holding back on e-book offerings of its physical bestsellers. For example, "Game Change", a book about the historic 2008 Presidential Election, was released in hardcover January 11th with the e-book version not set for release under February 23rd.

With their higher retail price, enhanced versions of e-books would be launched together with the physical hardcover. And because the Amazon Kindle book reader doesn't show colors, it would be shut out from selling the enhanced versions of e-books. On the other hand, the Kindle retails for $259 while the Apple tablet is expected to cost $1,000. While publishers usually receive half of the proceeds from a bestselling book, it is expected that Amazon and other e-book reading firms will be looking to pay less to the publishers. Another worry for publishers is that if the public gets used to paying $9.99 for a e-book, they will start to think that a physical hardcover should be worth only $10.

What do book publishers think an Apple tablet would look like? Check out the video below!

source: WSJ