Wink and kindle that passion within

BOOKED

Move over hardbound, it’s time for some virtual literary stimulation. With the launch of e-book reader Wink recently, the publishing industry could be on its way to revival.

Launched by Bangalore-based digital publisher EC Media International, Wink allows users to read in 15 languages and makes available two lakh titles to choose from. But is the Indian reader ready for it yet?

“Well, conventionally an Indian likes to possess a ‘book’ and the concept of buying an e-book is still new here. However, there is a buzz in the market and we are ensuring that through devices like Wink there is a lot of awareness created. Wink access will be provided in the rural parts of India where physical books still do not have an outlet,” says Ravi DeeCee, founder and CEO, DC Group, which has promoted EC Media and Kerala-based publishing house DC Books.

The website: thewinkstore.com would also stockpile newspapers, magazines and selected articles, while the titles would range from children’s books, religion to fiction. Priced at Rs 11,490, the e-reader has a 400 Mhz processor, a six-inch screen, screen resolution of 600x800 pixels, Wifi connectivity and weighs 260 gm.

Then there was Amazon’s Kindle, which was launched in India last October and while it’s a big hit internationally, in India it has not managed to create the same furor.

Sachin Wahi, managing director, Indiaebooks.com, explains, “The biggest hurdle is the lack of Indian content so we end up having maximum e-book sales outside India.”

Launched in 2006, Indiaebooks manages to sell 50-60 e-books per week. “The sales are average, but nothing compared to the international market. In India spiritual and educational books are still popular,” Sachin adds.

Priced at Rs 18,000, Kindle users are restricted to e-books. And in order to access it, the multimedia contents are made available at the Amazon store. The Kindle store in the US has a catalogue of 6.3 lakh books. Interestingly, it also has a category of self published e-books that sell for free or as low as Rs 46. “Unfortunately, India is yet to reach that stage when everyone will discard physical books and get glued to an e-book. But I wouldn’t say, it’s not catching up, the awareness is slowly seeping in. In fact we’re also willing to try to sell in this format,” says V K Karthika, publisher and chief editor, Harper Collins (India).

Vishal Mehta, CEO and founder of Infibeam.com, which launched its own version of an e-reader at Rs 9,999 feels that market in India for such devices is estimated to be around 50,000 units annually. According to Vishal, e-book sales contribute up to five per cent of total sales on Infibeam.com. “After the launch of reading device Pi, we also launched Phi -- a coloured e-reader that is priced at Rs 14,999. This progression is surely an indication for more positive things to come,” he says. The website gets 30-40 downloads per day and has also entered into an agreement with independent news agency in the country to publish the country's first e-newspaper – Wink Wire.

The e-reader uses e-ink technology to display content to readers. The main advantages are portability, strain-free reading even in bright sunlight and substantial battery life. To access an e-book, the user needs to download and open Adobe Digital Edition.