I just read over at Palm Infocenter that Barnes & Noble has announced today that it has acquired Fictionwise, a leader in the eBook marketplace, for $15.7 million in cash.
Barnes & Noble plans to use Fictionwise as part of its overall digital strategy, including the launch of an e-Bookstore later this year.
Fictionwise founders Steve and Scott Pendergrast will continue to operate the e-book marketplace as a separate business unit within Barnes & Noble.
There is a FAQ section on the Fictionwise website regarding the Barnes & Noble acquisition. As to the question, "Why was Fictionwise sold at this time?", the answer is:With the eBook market expanding rapidly, Steve and Scott were looking for the right partner with a shared vision on the future of the industry. Barnes & Noble was an excellent match and Steve and Scott look forward to working with them during this exciting time for eBooks.
Another question was, "How will Barnes & Noble's acquisition of Fictionwise, Inc. affect the Fictionwise.com and eReader.com websites?"
The Answer:
The acquisition is very good news for eBook customers at both websites. Customers can expect to see more eBook content than ever before. It also means that additional resources will be available to improve the websites and continue the expansion of the eReader format onto more platforms.
Fictionwise is my favorite eBook website, and I'm excited to learn that we can expect more eBook content than ever and the expansion of the eReader format onto more platforms. I may have just bought a Kindle 2 and also put the Kindle App for iPhone on my iPhone 3G, but that won't stop me from reading eBooks on my Palm smartphones. I love reading eBooks on my Treo's and my Centro and have found many great eBooks at Fictionwise over the years. Plus many great bargains!
Congrats to Steve and Scott and to Barnes & Noble also!
