Hachette Book Group USA Redesigns Web Site
By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 5/6/2008 11:44:00 AM
Hachette Book Group USA has unveiled a newly redesigned site, www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com. The site spotlights books and authors while continuing to provide booksellers and other partners with trade services information.
Every book and author published by HBG has its own page on the new site, and book detail pages include basic title data along with articles, interviews, links and a “lightbox” video player (new videos will be added to the site continuously, starting with a handful at the initial release). HBG’s OpenBookTM program will be available for some titles, allowing visitors to preview pages and read first chapters; visitors can then place the widget on their blogs and social networking sites. HBG will soon be rolling out thousands of book-browsing widgets on the site.
New bells and whistles include a media and publicity section, which will list “author experts” available to speak on specific topics for interviews; and unique pages for each of HBG’s publishing groups and imprints, complete with histories, publisher bios and featured authors and books. An improved search feature enables users to search for both books and authors or illustrators by title, author/illustrator name, ISBN, format, publisher, imprint, genre and pub date; and a book rights and permissions page includes a new rights availability search feature which connects users with information about serial, audio, international, film and TV rights to HBG titles.
Sophie Cotrrell, v-p and communications director, said HBG is not selling direct to consumer on the site now, but in its second phase (no date has been set yet), will sell e-books and digital audio. Currently, the site includes links to Barnesandnoble.com, BookSense.com, Amazon.com, Books-A-Million, Overstock.com, Walmart.com and Buy.com.
HBG partnered with POP, a Seattle-based design and technology firm, to design and build the site. The site content is managed by the RedDot Content Management System.
