Sony Reader Publishing: Crucial Information

The ever-effervescent KatMeyer (who torments me with Hello Kitty links!) sent along a link via Twitter to an article about design in the era of digital distribution. But that wasn't the article that caught my eye, it was the next one.

This one:



Go here and jump to page 36.

From that, I have extracted the paragraph that pertains to publishing for the Sony Reader:



This is information I've never before seen published.

Prior to this revelation, the entry point for the Sony Reader seemed to be undergoing the ministrations of the Perseus Book Group's new Constellation service for small publishers.

I haven't inquired about the details of that service because this is supposed to be the Age of Disintermediation. Why contract with a service bureau if you can do the job yourself? If a small (and I mean very small!) publisher can already afford Quark XPress, picking up Adobe InDesign for ePub is trivial (note to said publishers: bang on Quark to add ePub features!).

A Google search brings up this bit of background info, pilfered from a profile she created:

Professional Interests & Affiliations
Random House, New Media, Digital Media, Publishing, New York, NY, Online Publishing, eBooks, Books, Electronic Publishing, IDPF, Pace University, eReader.com, Motricity, eRights, Digital Rights

Biography
Currently, I am the Director of New Media at Random House and work very closely on Random House's eBook program. Previously I was at Motricity's eReader.com, the world's largest eBook retailer, as the Manager of Publisher Relations and Marketing. Before then, I was promoted to Manager of ePublishing at the Time Warner Book Group (now Hachette Book Group USA) where I helped to implement a cost effective production model using XML that dramatically cut eBook production costs. I first entered the ePublishing business at Warren Adler’s Stonehouse Press while a student at Pace University in their Masters of Publishing Program.

I have been involved in the electronic publishing business for most of my career and have been an IDPF member for just as long. Plainly spoken, I love this industry and am committed to see it grow and develop.

As noted, my experience encompasses a vast spectrum of topics in the industry such as production, coding, marketing, eRights, sales with a special emphasis on building strong relationships with our fellow colleagues and competitors.

She needs to update that, now being at Sony.

Steve Haber said the day will come when Sony's eBook Store is open to direct publishing. I'm tempted to say it can't happen soon enough -- but I'd rather have it done right instead of rushed.

I found one other interesting, yet strange, thing. It seems Kelley Allen remains in New York City (or was still here as of Spring 2008):



"Everything?" I'd be surprised if it contained anything I haven't already come across on my own. No knock on Kelley, her course is probably a concentrated form of what I've had to spend much more time flailing around to find -- which now includes finding her.