Barnes & Noble this week unveiled its widely anticipated Nook electronic reading device, which joins a handful of similar devices on or soon-to-be on the market. The Nook, which B&N said will start shipping in November, is priced at $259, similar to Amazon's Kindle - the device B&N clearly hopes to beat in this emerging space.

Pushing into the Digital World

Aside from the rivalry within the online bookseller space, the Nook's introduction also represents a larger trend that is relevant to online marketers. As print publishers increasingly seek to diversify into the digital space, these efforts will lead to more granular opportunities to target advertising locally, or by gender, or by consumer taste.

Other efforts include the recent Simon & Schuster-backed Vook venture to publish four video e-book hybrid titles, and Disney Publishing Worldwide's launch of Disney Digital Books, the latter being accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign.

For their part, the Vooks, which can be downloaded as an app onto an iPhone or iPod Touch or to a desktop/laptop, could prove valuable in a number of ways, according to Publisher's Weekly. "They could be marketing platforms for authors - a way to entice readers to buy pricier print and e-book editions. Or they could be viable revenue drivers on their own, standing as alternatives to either print books or e-books," the publication said.

Efforts by publishers to push and then monetize content online are still embryonic - and not likely to become a major part of marketers' online strategies in the near term. Still, the industry is preparing for the day when they could be.

Audit Bureau Weighs In

A survey released last month from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) found that print publishers are focusing on the online market to generate additional revenue – and offer advertisers the chance to reach locally targeted, engaged audiences.

There also has been an increase in publisher inquiries about auditing and reporting requirements for e-readers and smartphones, as well as about counting mobile editions as paid circulation, ABC reported. "The mobile market is also a frequent topic of discussion at ABC’s numerous industry committees, including its Digital Advisory Committee.

The nonprofit association has also seen an increase in its associate membership from firms that target the digital publishing market, including developers of popular e-reading devices and iPhone applications."

Currently, ABC-publisher members appear to be spending more energy and resources exploring smartphones and their customizable applications - but e-readers are definitely on their radar as well. The survey found that 11% of respondents already make their publications available on an e-reader device, with consumer magazines most likely to be developing relationships with e-reader manufacturers.

ABC also reported membership growth from firms specifically targeting digital publishing, pointing to five organizations involved in developing mobile applications and e-reading devices that recently joined. Joining Amazon.com, Texterity Inc. and Zinio, which are already ABC members involved in digital publishing, the five are:

• Bite Sized Candy - creator of Handstand, a new, soon-to-launch proprietary technology that adapts magazines for digital consumption on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
• Pixel Mags - a developer dedicated to bringing magazines and newspapers to the iPhone and iPod Touch.
• Plastic Logic - creator of the Plastic Logic Reader for mobile business professionals, scheduled to debut in early 2010.
• ScrollMotion - creators of the Iceberg Reader and a leading developer of original iPhone applications.
• Sony Electronics - creator of the Sony Reader line of digital readers.