In an effort to speed the release of its book on the Sydney-to-Hobart yachting race disaster, Knockdown by Martin Dugard, Pocket Books is making the title available today, July 19, in e-book and on-demand formats. The hardcover will not go on sale until August 30. "This seems like an ideal way to use the new technologies available to publishers in order to reach an international audience that d sn't want to wait for a story," said Judith Curr, president and publisher of Pocket.
The electronic and on-demand editions of the titles will each be sold for $24.95, the same price as the hardcover. E-book versions will be published by Rocket eBook and Softbook, and print on-demand editions will be available from Lightning Print, Replica Books and Sprout. According to a Pocket spokesperson, any account that receives a request for Knockdown can order the title directly from one of the on-demand printers.
The title is being reviewed in the current edition of Newsweek as an e-book, and the book will be listed in a number of online selling sites such as B&N.com, which will download the title to customers. Once the hardcover is released, the on-demand alternative will be discontinued.
