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Digital Books from Modern Age
Judith Rosen -- 8/31/98
At the end of June, digital and computer books publisher Modern Age Books announced an agreement with Hewlett-Packard to pre-install its electronic edition of Sybex's The ABC's of Windows 98, by Sharon Crawford and Neil J. Falkind, on every new HP Pavilion PC home computer.
In just four years, the Norwood, Mass.-based company has placed more than 45 million copies of its V-Books, or "virtual books" -- electronic versions of print computer manuals and books -- into circulation for computer-book publishers ranging from IDG to Microsoft Press. V-Books are licensed electronic versions of popular print titles produced in partnership with their original publishers. In addition to PC-installed editions, V-Books are sold in stores, as separate CDs and bound with the print editions. V-Books are enhanced with live Internet links, software programs, search capabilities and more. Modern Age Books' all-time bestselling title (including PC-installed copies, bookstore sales and web sales) is Osborne/McGraw-Hill's Harley Hahn's Internet and Web Yellow Pages.

According to Michael Grover, director of marketing for Modern Age books, the reason for the popularity of the V-Book is that "it preserves the print experiences and enhances them with technology."

On a computer screen, a V-Book looks like a spiral-bound book. The sections are marked by clickable tabs and there is even space in the margins to make notes. The toolbar above the book provides links to product and to tech support. V-Books are typically created with publishing partners on a royalty basis. Occasionally Modern Age Books will charge a flat production fee, with a lesser royalty, or do a work-for-hire deal.

Grover d s not foresee V-Books, which take about a week to digitally format from start to finish, superseding physical books anytime soon. "We sell electronic books on the web and sales have been pretty sad," he said. "People have shown that they like the book and the electronic book together."
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