iMinds in Distribution Agreement with OverDrive
Success with eight-minute audiobook downloads
By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 11/18/2009 2:38:00 PM
iMinds, which produces eight-minute downloadable audiobooks, has signed a worldwide distribution agreement with OverDrive. Since launching in September, iMinds has had 30 titles in the Top 100 AudioBook charts on iTunes. It has also doubled its catalog to 180 titles; and launched iMinds Juniors (five-minute tracks for children ages seven to 14) and six iPhone apps.
The audiobooks, or “tracks,” offer compact overviews of general knowledge subjects ranging from the history of whale hunting to creationism. Tracks cost $0.99 each, or customers may buy them in bundles ($3.99 for six, $5.99 for 12, $14.99 for 36 or $24.99 for 72). Since September, the company has released new titles based around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the fall of the Berlin Wall; it will soon release a six-title collection about the history of the Academy Awards.
iMinds founder and managing director Olivia Wood called the distribution deal “an important step forward for iMinds, creating the potential to sell through top online book retailers, as well as providing an entrée into public libraries that are rapidly expanding their digital lending offerings.” OverDrive director of marketing David Burleigh said, “This content agreement gives retailers and libraries access to premium content from an innovator in the audio book space. The iMinds collection represents a unique addition to the OverDrive catalog thanks to an industry-leading, short-form audio book product.”
The company is developing new lines for travel and famous quotations, and a potential e-book component.
