Just in time for the Christmas buying season, Target is going to start pimping the Sony Reader. The e-ink reader should hit stores starting September 14, and purchasers will receive a free, early download of…wait for it…The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. Exciting, I know.
A special display showing prepaid cards, lighted covers, and all the other accessories a Sony Reader could have should help drew onlookers closer to the device. The price will probably stay at the standard $299 MSRP, but just like fixed priced items like the iPod and PS3; expect bundled accessories – like the free e-book – to entice potential buyers.
“purchasers will receive a free, early download of…wait for it…The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. Exciting, I know.”
Not exciting to you, perhaps, but romance readers are a surprisingly large fraction of the e-reader market. (Harlequin now offers 100% of their titles in e-book format.) I’d guess historical fiction about an important female figure will go over better than you think.