Kobo UK E-Bookstore: “First of Many International Launches this Year”

In Global Trade Talk by Edward Nawotka

By Edward Nawotka

Screen shot 2010-02-24 at 4.43.35 PM

Earlier this month we wondered why the UK was so far behind other countries in e-book adoption. Well, things are suddenly heating up: Kobo, the Canadian e-book company previously named Shortcovers, has launched a UK e-bookstore.

At launch the company will offer some two million titles for download (no doubt a large percentage of those being public domain) with UK publishing partners that includes Random House UK, Penguin Group UK, Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster UK and Faber & Faber. The company also says that it is working with the Publishers Association to ensure that small publishers have the opportunity to also sell through the store.

“The UK presents a huge opportunity for Kobo to showcase its global capabilities,” said Michael Tamblyn, Kobo’s Executive Vice President of content, sales and merchandising in a prepared statement. He also said the UK would be the “first of many international launches for Kobo this year.”

Since launch, the company says more than one million people  have downloaded the Kobo e-reading software, in more than 200 countries around the world.

About the Author

Edward Nawotka

A widely published critic and essayist, Edward Nawotka serves as a speaker, educator and consultant for institutions and businesses involved in the global publishing and content industries. He was also editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives since the launch of the publication in 2009 until January 2016.