As newspaper publishers attempt to understand how their products fit into the new digital world, they are experimenting with different ways of offering content via handheld devices like mobile phones and e-readers. Now, The New York Times, which already offers a digital version via Amazon’s Kindle, plans to offer a separate version of its Book Review. (via MediaBuyerPlanner).

The New York Times Book Review will be available via three e-reader platforms, beginning with the Sony e-reader, according to Poynter. Price has not yet been revealed. The Times costs $13.99 per month on the Kindle

Unbundling Brings Benefits

Offering separate mobile apps for various NYT content is useful for the paper, writes the Business Insider, because it allows the Times to monetize other forms of content individually, without rolling all content into a monster app that is too confusing to be useful.

Advertisers may also be more likely to sponsor individual sections that are more focused to specific groups of consumers.

Pay Walls More Likely in Future

One of the main discussions regarding newspapers' place in the digital age is whether online content should be free or whether publishers should begin charging for access. New York Times Co.‘s Boston Globe launched a paid online product last fall. The digital version of the newspaper, called GlobeReader, allows readers to access the newspaper online or vie e-readers.

The new product is available for $4.98 per week, though subscribers to the print version of the paper get GlobeReader for free.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. is at the forefront of the movement to make online newspapers charge for access, and Murdoch has said all News Corp. papers will begin charging for online access this year. The Times is expected to be the first, with some media buyers expecting a pay wall to be put into place as early as May.