Orbit Offers Dollar E-Books

By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 1/5/2009 1:01:00 PM

In a bid to promote its print and digital lists, Orbit is offering dollar e-books to readers on a rotating basis. The dollar titles, available at onedollarorbit.com and various partnering e-tailers, it's hoped, will push the sci-fi-focused imprint's backlist and frontlist from authors "across the board," according to marketing and publicity director Alex Lencicki.  

Through the program--Orbit has taken out banner ads on various sci-fi/fantasy sites promoting it--a different title is offered at the dollar price point every month. (The title will return to its list price at the end of the month.) Lencicki said the program is currenlty "open-ended" and will continue as long it is successful. When asked how the success of the program would be measured, Lencicki said if the dollar e-book drives either print or digital sales--or turns readers on to a particular series--it will be a hit. "[Up until now] we haven’t done a lot of direct e-book marketing, but here we found a way to promote our e-book program and to introduce readers to our series." Currently the promotion is featuring the first title in a series from debut author Brent Weeks, The Way of Shadows.