Barnes & Noble to publish original e-books

Barnes & Noble.com created Barnes & Noble Digital, an electronic publishing imprint that will create a direct link between authors and readers, give authors a greater share of the income from their works and lower retail prices in an effort to build the emerging market of e-books. Barnes & Noble Digital will offer its first selection this spring. Barnes & Noble Digital will provide authors with a one-stop, direct-to-market process, featuring editorial support and online sales monitoring, as well as exposure on the Barnes & Noble.com eBookStore. Barnes & Noble Digital will also make its publications available to all eBook retailers, as well as marketing to the Barnes & Noble.com Affiliate Network of more than 400,000 members. Authors will get a 35% royalty of the retail sale price of an author's work sold directly through the Barnes & Noble eBook store or its Affiliate Network, and 50% of the net revenues received by the company from sales through third parties. Most eBooks in the program will be priced from $5.95 to $7.95, and in all instances will be less expensive than the corresponding print editions. In addition to instant delivery, another advantage of eBooks for the customer is that in all states but New York there is no sales tax on digital content, and there are no shipping and handling charges. Barnes & Noble Digital will also develop original eBook titles from established authors. The first selection is "The Book of Counted Sorrows," by Dean Koontz.