Red Staple Announces Release of Innovative e-Book Authoring Tools

A Walled Garden Alternative, Red Staple Enables the Creation of ePubs and Enhanced iBooks That Include Video, Audio, Images and Links for Commercial Distribution on a Wide Range of Platforms


SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA--(Marketwire - Feb 7, 2012) - Red Staple, Inc., a pioneer of tools that enable artists or distributors to easily create digital packages for rapid commercial distribution on a wide range of platforms, today announced the official release of their electronic book (e-book) authoring tools, which had their worldwide debut last September in the Startup Alley at TechCrunch Disrupt SF.

Based on open standards (ePub) and designed using HTML5 for use on any digital device, the browser-based, Red Staple Enhanced ePub Authoring Tools enable publishers of all sizes and independent authors to make their work accessible to as many customers as possible via commercial digital platforms, including Apple iBookstore, Google Books, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, and Barnes & Noble Nook.

"Since our debut at TechCrunch Disrupt, we have received many requests to release our authoring tool beyond our beta testers," said Lori Jordan, co-founder and CEO of Red Staple. "The message we heard over and over was that the industry wants a solution that offers the widest opportunity to make works commercially available, which is what our open standards approach allows. Being browser-based really resonated too with authors, artists, and publishers because they don't have to buy additional hardware or find a technical wizard to help them make their entrance into the digital world."

For a limited time, Red Staple is offering basic ePub conversion/creation for $29. This includes uploading word docs, inserting images, inserting links for books with fewer than 500 (Word doc) pages and $59 for greater than 500 pages. For those with video and audio assets to include with the written content, Red Staple offers enhanced ePub capabilities for $99.

"Simplifying the process for providing extra content with the primary purchase has been a key driver for us. Our flagship authoring tool for creating music LPs/Extras that was launched last year at SxSW is just one example," said Jordan of Red Staple. "In the world of electronic book publishing, there are so many more assets available we really started seeing our authoring tools as a means for blending those assets in ways that help authors and their publishers to truly enhance and differentiate their offerings."

From start to finish, the process can take as little as one day. After setting up an account, the authoring tools can be used for free. The fee is charged when the validated file is downloaded. Publishers and authors using the Red Staple authoring tools have full ownership of the file created. The deliverable includes two edits after purchase.

"Part of our mission at L.A. Theatre Works (http://www.latw.org/) is to provide wide and affordable access to our superb audio collection of classic and contemporary theatre," said Trond Knutsen, Audio Sales Director of L.A. Theatre Works. "What Red Staple brings to the table is a way for us to leverage the new reading devices people are carrying, like their iPhones, Nooks, iPads and Kindles. With the ability to create e-Books of plays, where our recordings are embedded so you can listen to these great performances as you read the manuscript, Red Staple helps us extend our reach even further as more audiences discover the joys of our award winning productions."

From Private to Public to Commercial Release:

Red Staple is developing tools that create templated layouts for those who want a creation (not conversion) tool that is based on Open Standards. Following the path they've already established, these creation tools will make page layout simple and the insertion of video / audio easy. The output will be an ePub file.

Availability:

The Red Staple Enhanced ePub Authoring Tools are available now. More information is available at http://books.red-staple.com

About Red Staple, Inc.

Red Staple, Inc. is a pioneer of tools that enable independent artists (i.e. writers, musicians and filmmakers) to easily and affordably package their own creative content in a unique way for rapid distribution on digital platforms. Red Staple's founders, Lori Jordan and Dee Jordan, veterans in the digital/new media space are passionate about helping artists tell their story by pulling from ALL relevant digital assets they've created, which helps garner a fuller understanding and appreciation for their work. More information is available at www.red-staple.com.

Contact Information:

For more information, contact:
Annie Gladue
Jedemi Communications for Red Staple, Inc.
415-302-8990