Blurb Raises $12 Million to ''Bring Book Publishing to the Masses''.SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden -- Blurb blurb n. A brief publicity notice, as on a book jacket. [Coined by Gelett Burgess (1866-1951), American humorist.] blurb v. , the creative book publishing book publishing. The term publishing means, in the broadest sense, making something publicly known. Usually it refers to the issuing of printed materials, such as books, magazines, periodicals, and the like. service, today announced that it has raised an additional $12 million to further its mission to bring book publishing to the masses. Existing investors Canaan Partners and Anthem anthem [ultimately from antiphon], short nonliturgical choral composition used in Protestant services, usually accompanied and having an English text. The term is used in a broader sense for "national anthems" and for the Latin motets still used occasionally in Venture Partners led the round with the support of additional individual investors. This second round of funding followed Blurb's successful beta testing (programming) beta testing - Testing a pre-release (potentially unreliable) version of a piece of software by making it available to selected users. This term derives from early 1960s terminology for product cycle checkpoints, first used at IBM but later standard throughout the of BookSmart(TM), Blurb's trademark software that transforms digital content into bookstore-quality books. "We're delighted with our continued partnership with Canaan and Anthem," says Eileen Gittins, founder and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Blurb. "This new round of financing enables us to take our product to market, as well as create new ways for people to make books together and to make money on their books." Since early May, thousands of people have tested Blurb's BookSmart software and hundreds have already produced books that showcase their portfolios, blogs, photos, conference proceedings, business plans, recipes, yearbooks, and more. Nearly two hundred customers have already decided to release their books publicly; these books can be viewed at Blurb's public bookstore at www.blurb.com/bookstore. "You have to see these books," comments Gittins. "They're just like what you'd find in a traditional bookstore, only they're made by busy people without any special technical skills, who happen to have a great idea that belongs in a book. Blurb takes away all the hassles of traditional publishing, and frees people to act on their inspiration. The results are truly impressive." Blurb launched its free BookSmart(TM) beta software Noun 1. beta software - software that has not yet been released but has received an alpha test and still has more bugs than a regular release; "beta software is usually available only to particular users who will test it" in May, enabling users to convert their growing caches of latent Hidden; concealed; that which does not appear upon the face of an item. For example, a latent defect in the title to a parcel of real property is one that is not discoverable by an inspection of the title made with ordinary care. digital content such as photos, text, and blogs into professionally designed, ready-to-publish books. "It's simple, smart technology," explains Gittins. "BookSmart(TM) puts the power of books in the hands of ordinary people." "Already we're seeing individuals and businesses putting BookSmart(TM) to work for them, and making books that communicate fresh ideas and capture life-changing moments," says John Balen, general partner of Canaan Partners. In fact, we have been inspired to make our own Blurb book to celebrate our 20th company anniversary, showcasing the many companies and entrepreneurs that we have supported over the years. That's the thing about Blurb: every idea, every innovation, and every book leads to another." BookSmart(TM) is free, runs on either a Mac or PC and is now available at www.blurb.com. Customers pay only when they publish a book. Each book is printed on demand, in any quantity - whether that's one, a couple dozen, or several thousand. Books cost as little as $29.95 for a single copy of a 40-page hardcover book, custom dust jacket dust jacket n. 1. A removable paper cover used to protect the binding of a book. Also called dust cover. 2. A cardboard sleeve in which a phonograph record is packaged. included. About Blurb Blurb, Inc. is a company and a community that believes passionately in the power of books: making, reading, sharing, and selling them. Blurb's creative publishing service is simple and smart enough to make anyone an author -- every blogger, cook, marketer, photographer, traveler, entrepreneur, poet, everyone. Founded by Eileen Gittins in 2004 and funded by Canaan Partners and Anthem Venture Partners, Blurb is bringing book publishing to the masses. For more information about Blurb and the Blurb BookSmart(TM) software, visit www.blurb.com. |
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