Pronoun (publishing platform)

Pronoun was a New York-based company that provides free book publishing, marketing, and analytics services to authors. Pronoun was launched in 2015.[1]

Pronoun
Parent companyMacmillan Publishers
PredecessorVook
Founded2009
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationNew York City
No. of employees11
Official websitewww.pronoun.com

Founded as Vook, the company was renamed Pronoun following acquisitions of publishing analytics platform Booklr and short-form ebook publisher Byliner.[2] In May 2016, Pronoun was acquired by Macmillan Publishers.[3]

Vook

Pronoun was preceded by Vook, a digital book publisher that combined text, video, and links to the internet and social media into singular applications available both online and as mobile applications.[4] Vook was founded by serial Internet entrepreneur Bradley Inman and was announced in April 2009.[5]

Vook was launched October 1, 2009 with four debut titles, published in partnership with Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster: Promises, a romance by Jude Deveraux; The 90 Second Fitness Solution, a fitness book by Pete Cerqua; Embassy, a thriller by Richard Doetsch; and Return to Beauty, a health book by Narine Nikogosian.[6]

In January 2010 Vook raised $2.5 million in seed financing from a group of prominent Silicon Valley and New York investors including Ron Conway, Michael Maples and Kenneth Lerer.[7] In December 2010, Vook raised $5.25 million in Series A financing.[8] Investors in this round included VantagePoint Venture Partners and FLOODGATE.[8][9]

In 2010, Vook, in partnership with NBC Universal and Perseus Books, launched JFK: 50 Days, an interactive eBook, and the Video Guide series of eBooks, among other apps and eBooks. In 2011, Vook launched several new series of titles, including TextVook (animated eBooks and apps on academic subjects) and Brief Histories (historical overviews of popular subjects enhanced with video and text), in partnership with Charles River Editors.[10] Vook partnered with ABC News to create several enhanced eBooks, including A Modern Fairy Tale: William, Kate, and Three Generations of Royal Love, TARGET: Bin Laden – The Life and Death of Public Enemy Number One, and The Amanda Knox Story.

In 2012, Vook launched a platform for self-publishing ebook creation. The platform included management of multiple titles, a WYSIWYG editor, metadata, media management, push-button publishing to multiple ebook stores, and optional additional services such as marketing consultations and copyediting.[11][12]

Vook acquired Byliner, a digital imprint, in 2014.[13]

Change to Pronoun

In 2015, Vook was renamed Pronoun, a self-publishing and analytics platform for authors.[14] In May 2016, the major publishing house Macmillan bought the firm, which retained its brand. [15]

Discontinuance

In November 2017, Macmillan announced the closing of Pronoun, with no new authors or books being accepted. Legacy writers were told they could continue their account activities with already submitted materials but that Macmillan expects to terminate distribution around mid-January 2018. [16] [17]

References
  1. Biggs, John. "Pronoun, A Self-Publishing Platform For Authors, Is Ready To Serve Humanity".
  2. "Vook Relaunches as Free Self-Publishing Platform Pronoun". 19 May 2015.
  3. "Macmillan Buys Self-Publishing Platform Pronoun".
  4. Rich, Motoko (September 30, 2009). "Curling Up With Hybrid Books, Videos Included". The New York Times.
  5. Stone, Brad (April 4, 2009). "Is This the Future of the Digital Book?". The New York Times.
  6. Plesser, Andy (September 30, 2009). "Video: Simon & Schuster Authors on "Game-Changing" Platform for Digital Book/Video Hybrid with a new "Vook"". The Huffington Post.
  7. Dealbook. "Vook, an E-Book Start-Up, Raises $2.5 Million".
  8. Vook Funding
  9. Digital Publisher Vook Closes $5.25 Million Financing
  10. "Charles River Editors".
  11. Teicher, Craig Morgan (March 26, 2012). "Vook Launches E-book Creation and Publishing Platform". Publishers Weekly.
  12. McCartney, Jennifer (Feb 14, 2014). "Which E-Book Publisher Is Right for You?". Publishers Weekly.
  13. "Vook Acquires Byliner".
  14. Reid, Calvin (2015-05-19). "Vook Pivots, Becomes Self-Pub Platform Pronoun". Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  15. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/70484-macmillan-acquires-pronoun-formerly-known-as-vook.html
  16. https://publishingperspectives.com/2017/11/macmillan-closes-self-publishing-platform-pronoun/
  17. https://pronoun.com/
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