J.K. Rowling Publishes Harry Potter Ebooks on Smashwords (April Fool)

[anurag]

From http://www.smashwords.com/press/release/8

J.K. Rowling Publishes Harry Potter Ebooks on Smashwords

First New York Times Best-Selling Author to Go “Indie” on Smashwords

Los Gatos, Calif., April 1, 2009 -- In a move likely to send shock waves through the book publishing industry, author J.K. Rowling today published all seven Harry Potter titles as multi-format ebooks with the ebook self-publishing service Smashwords.

“Publishing with Smashwords was incredibly easy, and you don’t need to study at Hogwarts to master its magic,” said J.K. Rowling. “With a few waves of my mouse - my Harry Potter books instantly materialized online in multiple ebook formats, ready for immediate sampling and sale.”

The news came as a pleasant surprise to some industry watchers. “Until today, J.K. Rowling refused to allow her books to be published in ebook form,” said Hobson Gobnobbler, editor of the popular ebook industry blog, DigitalBookNews.com. “This is big news for Rowling fans everywhere, and it’s especially significant she’s making the ebooks available without copy protection. It means she trusts her customers to not pirate her books.”

According to Neil Blair, Rowling’s lawyer, the decision to publish with Smashwords was a simple one. “Smashwords offers an 85 percent net royalty on all ebook sales, much higher than we could negotiate with any of the commercial publishers, and infinitely higher than the nothing we’re getting from all the ebook pirating sites.”

The books are priced at only USD $7.95 each, yet still earn Rowling a hefty royalty of $6.31 per copy.

“Because of the high royalty at Smashwords,” added Rowling, “I’m able to offer my books at a dramatically lower cost than their print counterparts, yet earn more than I get selling a print copy for $35.00. The lower cost also makes my books affordable to more readers, which expands the overall market for my books.”

In a move that could inspire other best-selling authors to follow her lead, Rowling, already celebrated for her generous philanthropy, will donate all Smashwords proceeds during the first 12 months to charity. Smashwords has agreed to donate its 15 percent share of the proceeds to charity as well.

“We’re absolutely thrilled Ms. Rowling has chosen to publish with Smashwords,” said Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. “We wish this news was true, but sadly, it’s only an April Fools prank. However, for the first former number one New York Times best-selling author to publish their book at Smashwords, we will pay them 100 percent of the net for 12 months.”

[Nate the great]

That is newsworthy. I moved it to the front page.

[davidspitzer]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

That is newsworthy. I moved it to the front page.

This press release is an April Fools press release. J.K. Rowling is not a Smashwords author, at least not yet. The quote from her real-life lawyer, Mr. Blair, was purely fictional for he did not say the words we attribute to him so please don’t sue us, we’re sorry. The offer of 100 percent net, however is real. To qualify, an author’s book must have previously appeared in the number one position of the New York Times bestseller fiction or non-fiction list within the last ten years. For all other authors, the standard 85 percent net applies.

[Alexander Turcic]

In a move likely to send shock waves through the book publishing industry, author J.K. Rowling today published all seven Harry Potter titles as multi-format ebooks...

There is still hope...

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

There is still hope...

Yea, hell has frozen over already, See Eagle's tour.

BOb

[kevindorsey]

J.K Rowling is one rich mama.

[DixieGal]

Thanks for the link - got 'em, stripped 'em, converted 'em, and sent it out to my entire email list. Thanks!

[Sonist]

"...Blair, Rowling’s lawyer...."

------

I always wondered, where the title "Blair's Witch Project" came from....

[strangeseraph]

AUUUUGH! What a thing to do to a Harry Potter fan! I knew it was an April Fools joke the moment I saw it but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH! Salt in the wounds! Don't fool around with Harry Potter news please.

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Yea, hell has frozen over already, See Eagle's tour.

BOb

No, no. The Reds have not yet played the Rangers in a World Series. Ralph Sir Edward and I have alread agreed that that would be a sign of the Apocralypse.

[GraceKrispy]

Drat! I was instantly excited! That is one major series I couldn't seem to find anyway, and I didn't know why.

[Sweetpea]

Some things are just too good to be true, and thus very suspect on a day like today...

[Smashwords]

Hi everyone, I hope I didn't cause anyone any undue trauma.

I'm hopeful that one day, it won't even be a question for authors whether to publish in e- or not.

Best wishes all,
Mark

[Neil]

Waaaaayyyyy too many April Fool's jokes here. The people in charge should now flag this and the other thread as jokes in their titles and take down ant prank articles on the front page. I have a modest sense of humor but I'm not finding much funny on April 2nd wasting my time with this stuff. Also I suggest that these be taken down soon so as to limit the problems with spiders adding them to Google references for years to come and making real information harder to find in the future.

[fugazied]

I actually haven't read the last 2, time to put them onto the list!