After years of shunning the eReader explosion, JK Rowling will finally allow the creation of digital versions of her massively popular Harry Potter book series-- but she's doing it her way.
Rowling recently announced a new online portal for the Potterverse called Pottermore, which will not only sell eBook versions of the seven Potter books, but also provide "an exciting online experience around the reading of the Harry Potter books."
A limited number of fans will get access to a sort of beta version of the site on July 31st. It will open to the public in October.
The author told reporters that the eBooks will feature animations and interactive elements. She said the site itself would play host to previously unreleased Potter material.
“I’ll be sharing additional information that I’ve been hoarding for years about the world of Harry Potter,” Rowling said.
By selling the books directly through the Pottermore website, Rowling is retaining all digital rights while circumventing traditional eBooksellers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Only the books' original publishers, Scholastic and Bloomsbury, will share in the profits.
Potter fans have a lot to look forward to, as the final installment of the 8-part movie series, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part II, is coming to theaters July 15th.
[NYT]
