Digital Publishing 2.0 is Coming !

Back on 9 Dec 2009, I posted a piece "'Kindle' & 'Nook' eBook Readers Will Be Left In Dust By New 'Blio'" ! Then I heard almost nothing about Blio again...Until now. The Blio re-surfaced at the digital conference in Manhattan AND, with it's distribution platform, promises to be as big as I originally anticipated for writers to self-publish and get decent distribution (and across all mobile digital platforms).

Calvin Reid of Publishers Weekly writes:

Software developer Quark was joined by K-NFB Reading Technology, developer of Blio, the much anticipated e-reading software, and distributor Baker & Taylor at the Untethered digital conference in Manhattan, to announce a partnership that will launch Digital Publishing 2.0, a comprehensive digital content creation and distribution platform.

Digital Publishing 2.0 will offer designers and content creators tools to produce “enhanced digital content, independent of any specific platform,” according to B&T executive v-p Bob Nelson. DP 2.0 offers the ability to create interactive digital content for tablets, smartphone and PCs; conversion from print to digital; new sources of advertising using digital content and global distribution capability.

Ray Schiavone, president and CEO of Quark, said “we are excited to work with K-NFB Reading Technology and Baker & Taylor to combine our expertise to help publishers and other content creators capitalize on this emerging market. Together we make it affordable and efficient to create compelling digital content that is ready for the Blio e-reader application and available through a world-class distribution network.” K-NFB said the Blio e-reader would likely be available for free download for PCs and the iPhone in August.

Tom Morgan, CEO of Baker & Taylor, said the new platform will “open the door for thousands of new content creators and providers to create digital, interactive content. We have teamed up to provide a simple way to transform static media content into rich digital media content that 21st century consumers demand.”