iPublish Officially Launches

A virtual foot in the door for authors

May 02 2001

Laurence Kirshbaum, Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Trade Publishing, called iPublish the first fully dedicated Internet publishing venture from any American book publisher. After being operational since September, the media giant Time Warner, Inc. has officially launched its electronic book-publishing venture. The fact that this new attempt is only found online, makes it unique from rivals Random House.

Greg Voynow, General Manager said "...iPublish.com dramatically expands the opportunities for new authors who don't have a high-powered agent in New York [or presumably, elsewhere either…] By placing priority on merit rather than connections, we will be able to give the best writers the attention they deserve...".

iPublish is split into three specific areas or units; iWrite, iRead and iLearn.

iWrite is the area dedicated to Publishers where authors can get manuscripts published as eBooks and obtain ideas of what editors are interested in publishing. The 'Editors Desk' is a community where authors can get familiar with the publishing process and interact with Time Warners' own editors.

For those interested in purchasing eBooks, iRead area is for you. The ability to search by a variety of options or just browse categories makes it a convenient experience. With 238 eBooks available at last check, the iRead area is quite substantial and sure to grow. Just as importantly, the prices of eBooks available through iRead are competitively priced, at 40-60 less than comparable print counterparts

If you are a budding writer or even if you have serveral books under your belt, the iLearn area is targeted to those who want to expand their writing skills. The iLearn area encompasses three sub-section of its own; live events for access to publishers and authors, self-studies for those who like lectures and bulletin boards to give it the community touch.

iPublish will have its own independent editorial and marketing staff. According to Voynow, Time Warner's new venture will offer authors "a virtual foot in the door".

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