NetRead, the Seattle-based company best known for its JacketCaster software that helps publishers organize and transmit metadata to retailers, distributors, and libraries, has partnered with industry veteran Neil Levin to form NetRead Distribution, an e-book distribution service.
The new company will use the proprietary technology platform developed for Jacketcaster to distribute digital content to all the major players, including Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony, said Levin, whose background includes a stint as senior v-p for the distributor National Book Network. While NetRead founder Greg Aden will concentrate on the technical side of the business, Levin is working with publishers to get them to join NetRead Distribution. The company has been in beta for several months with “a couple of dozen publishers and a few thousand titles,” Levin said, but is at the point “where we can scale for volume very quickly.” In addition to offering distribution to U.S. e-tailers, Levin said he expects NetRead to add international accounts soon.
Levin said one way NetRead Distribution will compete with established digital distributors is on price; its fee is 10% of net sales. NetRead will also aggregate sales information, deliver content in chunks, and offer conversion service upon request
