AUDIO: Fifty Shades of Grey spurring self-publishing

TORONTO, ONTARIO
July 15, 2012 9:00pm

The book “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the hottest best seller of the summer and could perhaps dominate book sales in 2012.

But the millions of sales of the steamy novel started inauspiciously.

“We’re in the middle of something that’s on par with when ‘Harry Potter’ exploded, the ‘Da Vinci Code,’ ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’” says Nathan Maharaj, director of merchandising at ebook app and content seller Kobo Inc., of Toronto, Ontario, a unit of Rakuten Inc., of Tokyo, Japan,

“Fifty Shades of Grey started its commercial life with a tiny, little, digital-only publisher based in Australia with put out the series to no fanfare, no great adieu,” says Mr. Maharaj.

(Nathan Maharaj talks about the book phenom and what blasted it to success – and also how it is increasing the acceptance of ebooks and ebook authors -- in today’s exclusive CVBT Audio Interview. Please left-click on the link below to listen now or right-click on the link to download the MP3 audio file for later listening.)

Mr. Maharaj says what makes the three-part “Shades of Grey” series so influential is the halo effect it has generated across erotica/romance categories, with both rising significantly since the initial upswing of the Fifty Shades titles which began in March of this year.

The acceptance of digital books along with the power of self-publishing will significantly change how authors and fans engage with the written word, Mr. Maharaj says.

In addition, he says, publishers are able to gain immediate insight into new book titles before sending them to a printing press.