With so much buzz about e-book readers on mobile phones it was only a matter of time before Lexcycle’s Stanza application raised the bar for reader experience on the iPhone. This week Lexcycle partnered with top book trailer producer Circle of Seven Productions to offer book video as another way for readers to choose and enjoy books on their iPhone or iPod Touch.
Director of Publisher’s Association of the West (PubWest) Kent Watson thought it made sense to introduce the two companies. “Once Neelan Choksi demonstrated the Stanza reader to me, I knew that I had to link him up with Sheila Clover English of Circle of Seven Productions. The idea of being able to view a Book Trailer before you purchase an e-book is amazing” says Watson.
Both companies agreed with Watson’s assessment and started working on formats and delivery for the Stanza application to add book trailers®.
“The Lexcycle application is easy to use and free,” says COS Productions CEO Sheila Clover English. “It offers a variety of ways for readers to browse books. Book trailers were a natural fit and we are thrilled to be part of the evolution for the Stanza application.”
iPhone and iPod Touch users will soon be able to find several book videos for both the Fictionwise and All Romance Ebooks catalogs which are offered using the Stanza application. Booksellers who have their catalogs on the Stanza program will benefit from the addition of the trailers.
"Millions of iPhone and iPod touch customers are discovering that they're holding the worlds best eBook reader in the palm of their hand. For months All Romance eBooks has been able to supply those readers with instant access to thousands of titles through our Stanza catalog. By collaborating with COS, we'll be able to offer them something extra--mobile book trailers. We've seen the positive impact book trailers have had on our website sales and are very excited to be able to offer them to our mobile customers.” says
Lori James CEO of All Romance eBooks.
The evolution of mobile phone applications continues to be a hot topic in the tech world and now the publishing industry is taking up this new trend. With both Amazon and Hearst now throwing their hat into the mobile ring there’s an expectation that more and more readers will turn to their mobile phones for book information, browsing and purchasing. But, it is still Lexcycle, one of the first companies to create such an application for the iPhone, that continues to lead in reader experience on a mobile device.
"iPhone and iPod Touch users expect multi-media when it comes to their content," said Neelan Choksi, Chief Operating Officer of Lexcycle. "Our 1.5 million readers have enjoyed reviews, book summaries, recommendations, excerpts, and other "traditional ways" of discovering new books. By working with COS Productions, we are now providing our readers with a full color video preview of the book they are considering reading. We are excited about the opportunities Book Trailers bring to our readers when they are trying to find their next book to enjoy on Stanza."
Lexcycle’s application allows for multiple catalogs of books, a variety of browsing experiences from book video to book reviews and offers free books as well. The Stanza program is a favorite with mobile users because of its easy interface and free application. With so much interest from readers and the media in mobile e-book readers one wonders what 2010 will be like for readers on the go.
Availability
Stanza for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store or from http://www.lexcycle.com. From the Stanza Online Catalog, users can search the Stanza Fictionwise catalog for the following initial books that have Book Trailers:
Ø Cry for Passion by Robin Schone
Ø Shattered by JoAnn Ross
Ø Murder Game Christine Feehan
Ø The UltraMind Solution by Mark Hyman
About Lexcycle and Stanza
Lexcycle is a private company that strives to bring the digital reading revolution to readers around the world. With over 1.5 million users in 60 countries, Lexcycle Stanza is a popular electronic book reader for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. To learn more, visit http://www.lexcycle.com/.
About Circle of Seven Productions
Circle of Seven Productions (COS Productions) is the top book trailer producer in the
