Barry Diller And Scott Rudin In Talks To Launch E-Book Business
by Mike FlemingBarry Diller and Scott Rudin are in exploratory talks to launch an e-book business for both fiction and non-fiction. I’m told they have had a lot of exploratory conversations and I expect an announcement of a venture launch shortly with major investment capital. The ramifications will be interesting.
Both Diller and Rudin are big players in media. Diller’s track record includes the new Aereo TV streaming service, IAC/InterActive Corp., TicketMaster and before that Fox (where Rudin became his president of production) and Paramount Pictures. Rudin is a prolific veteran producer of book-to-film and stage adaptations that most recently have included Best Picture Oscar nominees True Grit, The Social Network and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
This is a bigger story than Mike Fleming makes it because these two guys, in addition to being BigMedia honchos/darlings and right up among those considered hell pretty damn tough to work with or for, don’t get involved in anything unless there’s a ton of money involved.
In other words, if Diller and Rudin are behaving as though eBooks are the future, then eBooks are the future. Highly monetized eBooks. eBooks whose publishers will rake in huge bucks no matter what intellectual pirates “steal.”
We’re going to keep our eyes on this development and see just what biz plan they come up with. Because it’s going to be a good one…and wouldn’t it be terrific if writers could adapt that plan and do without pricks unwanted partners/employers like these?