Harlequin has reached an agreement with Scribd to make 15,000 of its backlist titles available, exclusively for a year, through the e-book subscription service. The deal will also make the entire Harlequin catalog of titles available for conventional purchase through the Scribd e-bookstore.
The Scribd deal comes on the heels of Harlequin's acquisition by HarperCollins and, in many ways, should come as no surprise. Harlequin's new parent company has offered most of its backlist through the Scribd service, via a nonexclusive agreement, since Scribd launched in late 2013.
Scribd offers unlimited access to over 500,000 e-books for $8.99 a month. The 15,000 titles in the Harlequin deal will come from such imprints as HQN Books, Carina Press and MIRA Books. Titles included are by such popular authors as Shannon Stacey, Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber.
Trip Adler, Scribd CEO, said: "The subscription model is unlocking powerful changes in reading habits and this is most prominent within the romance genre,” he said.
“Harlequin prides itself on being an innovator in the digital space,” said Harlequin CEO and publisher Craig Swinwood. “This innovative model, which combines traditional retail with a subscription offer to backlist titles, will benefit Harlequin authors through extended reach, increased discovery and improved royalty streams.”
