From the Smashwords blog:
Smashwords books are coming to an app store near you.
Today we announced an agreement withScrollMotion that will transform over 33,000Smashwords Premium Catalog ebooks into individual mobile apps for distribution to the largest app marketplaces for smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices.
The relationship will gain Smashwords authors and publishers free entry into the app marketplaces for Apple, Android, Windows Phone 7 and WebOS.
Our partnership with ScrollMotion expands the distribution of our books to the largest, fastest growing app marketplaces, and will enable Smashwords authors and publishers to reach new readers.
According to Gartner Group, worldwide smartphone sales will reach 468 million units in 2011, a 57.7 percent increase from 2010. Apple, Android and Windows Phone 7 above power 63 percent of all smart phones in 2011, and this will rise to 85 percent by 2015. Separately, in the all-important tablet market, which Gartner estimates will reach 69 million devices this year, Gartner predicts Apple, Android, WebOS will collectively power over 92 percent of tablets sold. Gartner estimates sales of tablets will grow to 294 million units by 2015, of which Apple, Android and WebOS are expected to command a collective 89 percent market share.
Over 47,000 books are published at Smashwords today, with over 5,000 new releases in the last 30 days. Over 34,000 of these titles have been accepted into the Smashwords Premium Catalog for distribution to major retailers.
Shipments to ScrollMotion will commence on Friday, and titles will begin appearing in the app marketplaces later this month. All Premium Catalog books are automatically opted in for ScrollMotion distribution. To modify distribution preferences, log in to your Smashwords Dashboard’s Channel Manager. Like all Smashwords retail relationships, authors and publishers will earn 60 percent of the list price.
Read the official press release here.
Does this mean each book will be an individual app?
That is what it sounds like. If it is correct, I think it is an major retrograde step in a mistaken quest for anti piracy control and higher prices. But I am certain that it will lead to a major drop in sales volume if this is what they are planning to do.
Well, I’m sure this won’t be the only outlet for selling the books, so I don’t see why it would drop volume. But it will certainly clog the app distribution networks.