NEW YORK, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Hachette Book Group USA has announced
 that it is the first publisher to produce its bestselling content in the
 new International Digital Publishing Forum's (IDPF) eBook format called
 ".epub." The new standard will enable Hachette Book Group to produce and
 send a single digital publication file and ISBN that can be used on any
 digital platform that is capable of rendering an .epub file. This new
 process will lower HBGUSA's e-book production costs and allow it to publish
 more titles as eBooks.
     Hachette Book Group is a member of the IDPF committee that created the
 .epub standard. With the enhanced efficiency that the new standard brings,
 Hachette Book Group will steadily increase the number of eBooks it
 publishes, starting with titles released in December 2007.
     "We are pleased to be the first in the industry to adopt the new .epub
 standard, which simplifies the creation of digital content, benefiting
 publishers and consumers alike. Not only will it enable us to create more
 digital files more efficiently, it will allow us to provide consumers with
 more types of digital books than in the past. We look forward to working
 with our distribution and e-tailer partners on this exciting advancement in
 the eBook market," said David Young, chairman and chief executive officer
 of Hachette Book Group USA.
     "Hachette Book Group's leadership in implementing new .epub digital
 standards will accelerate the growth of eBooks for both booksellers and
 readers," said Michael Smith, executive director of the International
 Digital Publishing Forum. "The new eBook file formats that Hachette Book
 Group has helped engineer provide streamlined publishing, distribution, and
 end-user reading features that we expect to be widely supported."
     About Hachette Book Group USA
     Hachette Book Group USA is a leading provider of books in print,
 online, audio, and print on demand formats. Based in New York, Hachette
 Book Group is a division of Hachette Livre, the third largest publisher in
 the world. Hachette Book Group's product lines include adult, illustrated,
 religious, children's and digital and audio books under the Little, Brown
 and Company, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central
 Publishing, FaithWords, Center Street, Orbit, Yen Press and Hachette Book
 Group Digital Media imprints. Its bestselling authors include Ansel Adams,
 David Baldacci, Marc Brown, Michael Connelly, Nelson DeMille, Malcolm
 Gladwell, Robert Kiyosaki, Walter Mosley, Joyce Meyer, Stephenie Meyer,
 James Patterson, David Sedaris, Anita Shreve, Nicholas Sparks, Cecily von
 Ziegesar, and Paula White. Hachette Book Group also sells and distributes
 books for other publishers and has a state of the art warehouse in Indiana
 and customer service operations in Boston. For more information, visit
 www.hbgusa.com.
     About the International Digital Publishing Forum
     The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), formerly the Open
 eBook Forum (OeBF), is the trade and standards association for the digital
 publishing industry. Further information about the organization and
 industry, including membership information, can be obtained by visiting
 www.idpf.org.
 
 

SOURCE Hachette Book Group USA