April Fool's Day: J.K. Rowling Publishes Harry Potter Ebooks on Smashwords

1 Apr 2009 14:00 Africa/Lagos

April Fool's Day: J.K. Rowling Publishes Harry Potter Ebooks on Smashwords

First New York Times Best-Selling Author to Go 'Indie' on Smashwords

LOS GATOS, Calif., April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move likely to send shock waves through the book publishing industry, author J.K. Rowling today published all seven Harry Potter titles as multi-format ebooks with the ebook self-publishing service Smashwords, located at Smashwords.


"Publishing with Smashwords was incredibly easy, and you don't need to study at Hogwarts to master its magic," said J.K. Rowling. "With a few waves of my mouse - my Harry Potter books instantly materialized online in multiple ebook formats, ready for immediate sampling and sale."


The news came as a pleasant surprise to some industry watchers. "Until today, J.K. Rowling refused to allow her books to be published in ebook form," said Hobson Gobnobbler, editor of the popular ebook industry blog, DigitalBookNews.com. "This is big news for Rowling fans everywhere, and it's especially significant she's making the ebooks available without copy protection. It means she trusts her customers to not pirate her books."


According to Neil Blair, Rowling's lawyer, the decision to publish with Smashwords was a simple one. "Smashwords offers an 85 percent net royalty on all ebook sales, much higher than we could negotiate with any of the commercial publishers, and infinitely higher than the nothing we're getting from all the ebook pirating sites."


The books are priced at only USD $7.95 each, yet still earn Rowling a hefty royalty of $6.31 per copy.


"Because of the high royalty at Smashwords," added Rowling, "I'm able to offer my books at a dramatically lower cost than their print counterparts, yet earn more than I get selling a print copy for $35.00. The lower cost also makes my books affordable to more readers, which expands the overall market for my books."


In a move that could inspire other best-selling authors to follow her lead, Rowling, already celebrated for her generous philanthropy, will donate all Smashwords proceeds during the first 12 months to charity. Smashwords has agreed to donate its 15 percent share of the proceeds to charity as well.


"We're absolutely thrilled Ms. Rowling has chosen to publish with Smashwords," said Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. "We wish this news was true, but sadly, it's only an April Fools prank. However, for the first former number one New York Times best-selling author to publish their book at Smashwords, we will pay them 100 percent of the net for 12 months."


NOTE TO EDITORS AND LAWYERS:


This press release is an April Fools press release. J.K. Rowling is not a Smashwords author, at least not yet. The quote from her real-life lawyer, Mr. Blair, was purely fictional for he did not say the words we attribute to him so please don't sue us, we're sorry. The offer of 100 percent net, however is real. To qualify, an author's book must have previously appeared in the number one position of the New York Times bestseller fiction or non-fiction list within the last ten years. For all other authors, the standard 85 percent net applies.


About Smashwords, Inc.


Launched in 2008, privately held Smashwords operates a digital publishing platform and online book store for independent ebook authors, publishers and their readers. The free service puts authors and publishers in full control over the publishing, pricing and marketing of their works. In addition to receiving exposure to hundreds of thousands of potential readers on the Smashwords web site and via distribution on Stanza, authors and publishers receive up to 85% of the net proceeds from sales of their works. For readers, Smashwords offers the opportunity to discover exciting new voices in fiction and non-fiction. Smashwords, Inc. is based in Los Gatos, California, and can be reached on the web at http://www.smashwords.com/. Visit the official Smashwords blog at http://blog.smashwords.com/


Press contacts:

Mark Coker, Smashwords, Inc.
http://www.smashwords.com/
email: first initial second initial at smashwords dot com

Source: Smashwords, Inc.

CONTACT: Mark Coker of Smashwords, Inc., +1-408-358-1824, first initial
second initial at smashwords dot com


Web Site: http://www.smashwords.com/

Amazon Presents the Classic "The Tales of Beedle the Bard", Standard Edition

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition

In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, available December 4, 2008.

Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble as it cures."

But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the Tales of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the Tales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead."

Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

Net proceeds from this Standard Edition and the Collector's Edition support of the Children's High Level Group, a charity co-founded in 2005 by J K Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP to make life better for vulnerable children. (The Children's High Level Group is a charity registered in England and Wales under registered charity number 1112575.)

Kisses & Roses Presents Amazon's Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest

Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing ContestCalling all Harry Potter fans!Want to get your (gloved) hands on J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard? Amazon.com wants to send you and a friend to London, England to spend a weekend with the rare and delightful book of fairy tales (security guards included, of course), handwritten and illustrated by J.K. Rowling herself. Open to muggles ages 13 and older in 24 countries, the Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest challenges you to creatively answer one of the following three questions in 100 words or less:

• What songs do wizards use to celebrate birthdays?

• What sports do wizards play besides Quidditch?

• What have you learned from the Harry Potter series that you use in everyday life?

English-language submissions will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. PDT April 22, 2008. An Amazon.com committee will select 10 semi-finalist submissions (based on creativity and writing style) from each of two age categories: 13-17 and 18-and-over. Amazon.com customers will determine the two finalists and Grand Prize winner by voting for their favorites. The Grand Prize includes round-trip airfare, two nights lodging at a London hotel, as well as an expense allowance. Plus, each of the finalists from the two age groups will receive an Amazon Gift Certificate in the amount of $1,000.

Key contest dates:
• April 9-April 22, 2008: Call for submissions.
• May 5-May 11, 2008: Semi-finalists are revealed and customers vote for their favorites.
• May 13-May 19, 2008: Finalists in each age group are revealed, and customers vote for the Grand Prize winner.
• May 22, 2008: The Grand Prize winner is announced.

For more information, view our Frequently Asked Questions, or read the official rules.
Good luck!

Statement by a Spokesperson for J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Regarding Today's Legal Proceedings Against RDR Books

15 Apr 2008 19:42 Africa/Lagos


Statement by a Spokesperson for J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Regarding Today's Legal Proceedings Against RDR Books

NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by a spokesperson for J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment:


"A fan's affectionate enthusiasm should not obscure acts of plagiarism. The publishers knew what they were doing. The problem remains that the Lexicon takes an enormous amount of Ms. Rowling's work and adds virtually no original commentary of its own. As we've said in court, it takes too much and adds too little. Authors have a duty to prevent the exploitation of their works by people who contribute nothing original, creative or interpretive."


Media Contact:

E-mail: warnerbros@webershandwick.com
Tel: +1 212 445 8388

Source: J.K. Rowling; Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

CONTACT: E-mail: warnerbros@webershandwick.com, Tel: +1-212-445-8388,
for J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Statement of J.K. Rowling Regarding Legal Proceedings Against RDR Books

14 Apr 2008 22:13 Africa/Lagos


J.K. Rowling

Statement of J.K. Rowling Regarding Legal Proceedings Against RDR Books

NEW YORK, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Author J.K. Rowling has issued the following statement:


"It gives me no pleasure to take legal action, but I am here today because I feel very strongly about an important issue that affects everyone and not just me. If books that plagiarise other works are permitted, authors, fans and readers stand to lose. There are lots of books in many languages that comment on or criticize Harry Potter, and that's fine. But the book in this case is different. It provides no analysis and virtually no commentary. It takes far too much and it offers precious little in return. I would just like to add that I am extremely grateful for the incredible support of Harry Potter fans everywhere."


Media Contact:
E-mail: warnerbros@webershandwick.com
Tel: +1 212 445 8388

Source: J.K. Rowling

CONTACT: Media relations for J.K. Rowling, +1-212-445-8388,
warnerbros@webershandwick.com

Kisses & Roses Presents: J.K. Rowling’s "The Tales of Beedle the Bard"

We're incredibly excited to announce that Amazon has purchased J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard at an auction held by Sotheby’s in London. The book of five wizarding fairy tales, referenced in the last book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is one of only seven handmade copies in existence. The purchase price was £1,950,000, and Ms. Rowling is donating the proceeds to The Children's Voice campaign, a charity she co-founded to help improve the lives of institutionalized children across Europe.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is extensively illustrated and handwritten by the bard herself--all 157 pages of it. It's bound in brown Moroccan leather and embellished with five hand-chased hallmarked sterling silver ornaments and mounted moonstones.

Enjoy these first images of the book and reviews of each of the fairy tales (if you want to be sure of a link that will permanently work, use www.amazon.com/beedlebard).

Amazon.com Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

There is no easy way to define the experience of seeing, holding, or reading J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard, so let's just start with one word: "Whoa." The very fact of its existence (an artifact pulled straight out of a novel) is magical, not to mention the facts that only seven copies exist in all the world and each of the never-before-told tales is handwritten and illustrated by J.K. Rowling herself (and it's quite clear from the first few pages that she has some skill as an artist). Rowling's handwriting is like the familiar scrawl of a favorite aunt--it's not hard to read, but it does require attention--allowing you to take it slow and savor the mystery of each next word.

So how do you review one of the most remarkable tomes you've ever had the pleasure of opening? You just turn each page and allow yourself to be swept away by each story. You soak up the simple tales that read like Aesop's fables and echo the themes of the series; you follow every dip and curve of Rowling's handwriting and revel in every detail that makes the book unique--a slight darkening of a letter here, a place where the writing nearly runs off the page there. You take all that and you try and bring it to life, knowing that you will never be able to do it justice. With that, let's dig in and begin at the beginning, shall we? --Daphne Durham

1. "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" [CAUTION: SPOILERS WITHIN!]

As in her Harry Potter series, garnishing the top of the first page of the first fairy tale, "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot," is a drawing--in this case, a round pot sitting atop a surprisingly well-drawn foot (with five toes, in case you were wondering, and we know some of you were). This tale begins merrily enough, with a "kindly old wizard" whom we meet only briefly, but who reminds us so much of our dear Dumbledore that we must pause and take a breath.
This "well-beloved man" uses his magic primarily for the benefit of his neighbors, creating potions and antidotes for them in what he calls his "lucky cooking pot." Much too soon after we meet this kind and generous man, he dies (after living to a "goodly age") and leaves everything to his only son. Unfortunately, the son is nothing like his father (and entirely too much like a Malfoy). Upon his father's death, he discovers the pot, and in it (quite mysteriously) a single slipper and a note from his father that reads, "In the fond hope, my son, that you will never need this." As in most fairy tales, this is the moment when things start to go wrong....
Read more about "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"

2. "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" [CAUTION: SPOILERS WITHIN!]

Featured at the top of what may be one of our favorite fairy tales ever is a picture of a sparkling, flowing fountain. Now that we're thirty pages into the book, it has become clear that Rowling enjoys (and is quite good at) drawing stars and sparkles. The beginning and ending of almost every tale appears sprinkled with pixie dust (à la Peter Pan--fans know that Rowling's pixies are less likely to leave such a pretty trail). This first page of the story also features a small rose bush below the text. It is quite lovely, and as anyone who has tried to draw a rose knows, not that easy to pull off--a fact that makes it less likely that Rowling did it to cover up a mistake (the way some of us might). It is a gorgeous way to start, and it gives "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" a lot to live up to. Perhaps this is why the story begins so grandly and with such a perfectly lush and mysterious fairy tale setting: an enchanted and enclosed garden that is protected by "strong magic." Once a year, an "unfortunate" is allowed the opportunity to find their way to the Fountain, to bathe in the water, and win "fair fortune forever more." Ahhhh, such is the stuff of Harry Potter fans' dreams. In fact, this tale stands out as a favorite partly because it follows the quest arc that fans fell in love with in her novels—the kind we still crave.
Read more about "The Fountain of Fair Fortune"

3. "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" [CAUTION: SPOILERS WITHIN!]

Beware dear readers: Rowling channels the Brothers Grimm for her third and darkest fairy tale. In "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" there is little laughter and no quest, only a journey into the shadowy depths of one warlock's soul. There is no evidence of pixie dust on this first horrible page, instead we see a drawing of a heart covered in coarse hair and dripping blood (again, it's really not easy to draw an actual heart, with valves and everything, but Rowling gets it just right--gross hair and all). Beneath the text is an old-fashioned key with three loops at the top, lying in a pool of blood, making it quite clear that we are in for a different tale than the others. Don't say we didn't warn you....
Read more about "The Warlock's Hairy Heart"

4. "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump" [CAUTION: SPOILERS WITHIN!]

A large tree stump (with twenty growth rings—we counted) squats atop Rowling's fourth and longest fairy tale. Five tentacle-like roots spread from the base with grass and dandelion clocks sprouting out from beneath them. At the center of the base of the stump is a dark crack, with two white circles that look like tiny eyes peering out at the reader. Under the text is a small narrow paw print (with four toes). Not as horrific as the bloody, hairy heart of the last story (and this time we do see bright pixie dust on the facing page), but we don’t entirely like the looks of that stump...
Read more about "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump"

5. "The Tale of the Three Brothers" [CAUTION: SPOILERS WITHIN!]

If, like us, you raced through your first reading of "The Tale of the Three Brothers" on your way to the finale of all finales, then you missed quite a tale (one that we think can stand among the best of Aesop). Lucky for you, you can open your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to Chapter Twenty-One and read it any time you like. If you have not already read the final book of Rowling's series (and what a feast you have ahead of you), you might not want read this review…yet. Give yourself a chance to read the tale in context first. You won’t be disappointed.
A trio of toothy skulls stare out at the reader at the top of the last of the five tales (oh how we wish there were dozens more). The skull in the middle has a symbol carved into its forehead--a straight vertical line in a circle, enclosed by a triangle. Underneath the text is a pile of fabric, upon which lies a wand (spouting a swirling stream of sparkles), and what looks like a small stone.
Read more about "The Tale of the Three Brothers"

Read all reviews of the stories in The Tales of Beedle the Bard

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JK Rowling's Unpublished Fairy Tales Sold for $4 Million

A staff member displays the manuscript "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by J.K. Rowling at Sotheby's auction house in London Thursday. The manuscript, a collection of wizarding fairy tales, handwritten and extensively illustrated by the author, was sold for 1,950,000 pounds (U.S $3,985,410.)


J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame has just sold a rare collection of her unpublished fairy tales for $4 million. The money will go to her charity.

J.K. Rowling is enjoying her fame and fortune like other celebrities as shown in the following picture of her recent luxury holiday. She cruised the Galapagos at a cost of around £15,000, blown £14,000 on a holiday in Mauritius and enjoyed the comforts of a £6,000-a week suite.


Photo: From the Daily Mail

Who says writers do not have fun?

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is Out!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is out!

Click here to order "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

The Final Chapter

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's magical Harry Potter series is released Satruday July 21, 2007.

The first copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows have been sold in London and Tokyo to hundreds of thousands of fanatics who kept vigil at the book stores overnight.

Price:
$17.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details You Save: $17.00 (49%)

Harry Potter Made J.K. Rowling The World's First Billion-Dollar Author*

After being rejected by a series of publishers, Barry Cunningham, then of Bloomsbury publishers, signed up Rowling and the author and company never looked back. * Rowling has sold 325 million copies of the first six books of the seven-book series about young wizard Harry Potter, his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his battles with evil foe Lord Voldemort.* The seven books are called: "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (published in 1997 and as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States in 1998), "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (1998), "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (1999), "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2000), "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2003), "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2005), "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (2007).*

The final instalment has been released Saturday July 21.

Warner Bros. have distributed four Harry Potter movies so far, amassing a worldwide box office tally of around $3.5 billion. The fifth is in cinemas now.* Daniel Radcliffe, who soon turns 18, has played the central role of Harry throughout the film series, turning him into a household name in Britain. He has signed up to star in the final two films.

From Yahoo News.

Click here to order "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows