Book-focused social media site TheReadingRoom.com will launch a print book retail marketplace on June 1, following the launch of its ebook sales platform earlier this year.
At about half-a-million members, TheReadingRoom is less than a tenth the size of the largest books-focused social media site, Goodreads. But now that Goodreads is a subsidiary of Amazon, TheReadingRoom sees an opportunity to capture users who want an alternative to buying books from the world’s leading bookseller.
Launching print sales to compliment its ebook sales platform will reinforce “the company’s place as a viable and genuine independent alternative for buying and enjoying books in the digital age,” the company said in a statement to be released to press next week at Book Expo America.
“We function as an independent bookseller but take the relationship one step further than mere browsing by also serving as a reliable and trusted digital source, with a range of online tools and community resources – providing the powerful potential for discovery,” said TheReadingRoom CEO Kim Anderson in the statement.
Baker & Taylor, which is already partnered with The Reading Room for ebook sales and for its e-reader, will be providing the print fulfillment, according to Lance Ellisor, the company’s vice president of product and marketing. Initially, there will be about one million titles available from all major U.S. publishers with a focus on trade books.