J.K. Rowling Reportedly Close to Allowing Harry Potter Ebooks

Posted on May 31, 2010

J.K. Rowling is one of the few remaing authors who have resisted ebooks. Years ago she was warning fans to avoid a fake ebook website. That was 2005 and the ebook industry has significantly matured since then. Amazon.com has sold millions of its Kindle ebook readers. Apple recently launched the iPad, which highlights ebooks as one of its many uses. Barnes & Noble and Borders both have ebook devices. Barnes and Noble has the Nook and Borders recently announced the Kobo. New ebook readers seem to launch each week.

The Bookseller reports that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels may be on the verge of being converted into ebook formats.

Neil Blair, partner at the Christopher Little Agency (CLA) which represents Rowling, said the agency was "currently considering all the options and opportunities that this evolving space provides". The agency was "actively" looking, whereas previously it had just been "monitoring the developing area", he said.
Richard Charkin, executive director of Rowling's print publisher Bloomsbury, declined to comment on whether Bloomsbury was in discussions with the author on e-book plans, saying: "That's between us and CLA."

The pricing for Harry Potter ebooks will be significant. There has been a lot of debate about ebook prices in the industry and the prices for J.K. Rowling's ebooks could set a standard. J.K. Rowling's ebooks are also likely to set sales records.