Barnes & Noble announced last month that its Nook reading devices, as well as e-books and applications for reading them, would become available in the U.K. Starting earlier this week, U.K. customers (including those in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) are now also able to purchase e-books created using PubIt!, B&N’s self-service e-book publishing program.
In an announcement to PubIt! users, B&N stated that for e-books priced between £1.50 and £7.99, the publisher will receive a royalty of 65% for each sale from NOOK.co.uk. For Nook e-books priced at or below £1.49, or greater than £8.00, the publisher will receive a 40% royalty.
In a move strategically timed to coincide with the holiday shopping season, U.K. readers are now able to browse, purchase and read Nook e-Books on the Nook HD, NookHD+, Nook Simple Touch, Nook Simple Touch Glowlight, and on dozens of other devices, including iPad and iPhone, using Nook apps.
Nook e-readers and tablets will be on sale at partner retailers throughout the UK including John Lewis, Foyles, Blackwell’s, Argos, and Adsa, a large supermarket chain.
In a statement to Pocket-lint.com, Andrea Palisca, Europe product manager at Barnes & Noble, said that the slow expansion into territories outside the U.S. was deliberate, with the aim of ensuring that the right content and experience is offered in the right countries.
Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, which has 114,000 titles available for Nook reading, told PW that a primary strength of the B&N plan is selling Nook devices in more than 2,500 physical outlets, where consumers can try before buying. "They have a solid product line and compelling go-to-market strategy that leverages thousands of brick and mortar retail storefronts as partners to showcase, sample and sell Nook devices," he said.
