Publishers Lunch » Penguin Acquires Self-Publishing Service Author Solutions For $116 Million
One significant area this Publishers Lunch coverage does raise is the argument that the POD bubble may be on the wane. ASI has put a great deal into the launch of Booktango, as an ebook self-publishing platform, and the sale of ASI may also be another contributing reason for Bertram Capital feeling the time was right to sell.
Another big strategic question is whether Penguin has jumped on the model of the future, or has ASI’s premium-price, print-centric self-publishing focus peaked. Weiss said they “have been competing with free options for a long time” and noted that in their analysis of their recent BookTango platform–which emulates other free or low-priced ebook publishing and distribution services–“we have not seen any cannibalization” of their other services. Weiss noted, “we have not felt any price pressure thus far from the free publishing market” and suggested that “the market for authors is segmenting itself.”
Further related links below from wider media sources…
