Simon Spotlight Goes Mobile

by Rachel Deahl, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 4/18/2006

It's no secret that the mobile phone market is huge, but publishers may just now be realizing that teens aren't the only ones attached at the ear to the devices. Joining publishers like Random House and HarperCollins—which have both arranged mobile content deals to promote their books within the past year—Simon & Schuster is entering the fray with a partnership between Simon Spotlight Entertainment and cellular content provider MobileSidewalk.

The deal, which will target 18 to 34 year-olds, will allow the imprint to market a number of its current and forthcoming titles through a subscription-based service that sends text messages, excerpts, previews and cover art to cell phone users. There will be "a nominal fee" for the content, with a portion of the revenue going to S&S. The service will launch in May and be promoted online at sites like Yahoo, MSN and various book-centric portals.

SSE is going live with the program by featuring access to eight of its backlist titles including He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys; Hardly Working: The Overachieving Underperformer's Guide to Doing as Little as Possible in the Office; and Pocket DJ: Ultragrrrl's Guide to Building the Best Music Library. While many of the imprint's initial offerings through the partnership are geared toward women, SSE publicist Jennifer Robinson said the program is aimed at both men and women. “Future promotions will be chosen based on how the selection we launch is received and the titles we feel are the best fit," Robinson said.