By Ingrid Süßmann

For Those Switching Between Print and Digital

Founded by German bestselling author Karl-Ludwig von Wendt (pen name: Karl Olsberg), Papego is a mobile reading app meant to bridge the gap between mobile and print books.

All a reader has to do is to download the free app, scan the page last read in a print book, and then the consumer is allowed to read up to 25 percent of the book on a mobile device, starting with the scanned page.

For readers, this technology is an easy way to switch between print and mobile reading, making a definite choice between the two versions unnecessary. While the app is free of charge for users, publishers have to make their books “papego-ready” and pay a small fee (about €0.03 per page) to Papego.

The feedback since its market entry at the Leipzig Book Fair in March has been overwhelming: Papego won the Neuland 2.0 visitor’s choice award. (Read more about The Startup Village for Digital Natives at the Leipzig Book Fair here).

Distributor Libreka and publisher Piper Verlag backed the app during its initial phase, Piper releasing 65 papego-ready titles.

Now three more major German publishing houses have joined the programme:  Aufbau, DuMont and Kiepenheuer & Witsch.

Sabine Glitza, chief sales manager with Kiepenheuer & Witsh says that for the publisher, “it’s all about customer benefit.

“To many of our readers, it’s beneficial to easily change between the printed and the digital version. Papego offers a thoughtful and comfortable solution for readers.”

Karl Ludwig von Wendt

Von Wendt says he’s more than happy with the outcome: “For us it’s an enormous vote of confidence to be backed up by so many renowned publishing houses.

“This hopefully puts us in pole position for the forthcoming rollout.

“Booksellers keep asking for more Papego-ready titles. We’re happy to oblige.”