CHICAGO, May 30, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company (Nasdaq:RRD) announced today that it has been awarded an agreement to provide eBook services and digital content fulfillment to Harlequin. Under the terms of the agreement, which renews and expands the companies' relationship, RR Donnelley will provide eBook conversion services, asset management, delivery to Harlequin's business partners and retailers as well as digital content fulfillment. Services will be provided using RR Donnelley's LibreDigital platform.
Harlequin will also use RR Donnelley's new LibreDigital eBook distribution platform called Harvest when it becomes available in the summer of 2013. This electronic portal provides publishers with access to hundreds of retailers in 75 different marketplaces and allows titles to become available immediately upon release. A preview of the Harvest technology platform will be available at the BookExpo America conference through June 1 in New York City.
"Harlequin is unique in the publishing industry, combining leading imprints, a successful consumer reader service, innovative websites and forward-looking technology," stated Brent Lewis, Harlequin's Executive Vice President of North American Marketing & Digital. "We believe that RR Donnelley complements these qualities with its own forward-looking technologies and that they will further enhance our readers' experiences."
Harlequin, owned by Toronto-based media company Torstar Corporation, is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women. Publishing over 110 titles a month, the company issues titles in 31 languages and sells its books in 110 international markets. Harlequin sells books through retail channels in stores and online, and directly to consumers through its direct mail businesses and its Internet sites.
"RR Donnelley offers publishers a complete suite of production and distribution resources to support both their print and digital supply chains through a single provider," said Dan Knotts, RR Donnelley's Chief Operating Officer. "We are very pleased to have earned the opportunity to expand our relationship with Harlequin and that they have chosen to take advantage of our enhanced Harvest platform."
"Our automated eBook distribution platform lets our customers deliver the right content to the right marketplace at just the right time," added Gary Kohl, Sr. Vice President of RR Donnelley's Digital Solutions offering. "The expanded management and reporting capabilities offered by Harvest will allow publishers greater control and visibility over digital content distribution as it is delivered to the retail channel and goes on sale."
About RR Donnelley
RR Donnelley (Nasdaq:RRD) is a global provider of integrated communications. The company works collaboratively with more than 60,000 customers worldwide to develop custom communications solutions that reduce costs, drive top-line growth, enhance ROI and increase compliance. Drawing on a range of proprietary and commercially available digital and conventional technologies deployed across four continents, the company employs a suite of leading Internet based capabilities and other resources to provide premedia, printing, logistics and business process outsourcing services to clients in virtually every private and public sector.
For more information, and for RR Donnelley's Global Social Responsibility Report, visit the company's web site at http://www.rrdonnelley.com.
About Harlequin
Harlequin (www.Harlequin.com) is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 31 languages and sold in 110 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,300 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation (www.torstar.com), a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.B). Harlequin's website is located at Harlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 19 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York and London. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com and Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks. Follow Harlequin on Twitter @HarlequinBooks.
Use of Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the following cautionary statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and are based on current expectations and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the full cautionary statements contained in RR Donnelley's filings with the SEC. RR Donnelley disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.