Bowker Launches Breakthrough Products for Publishers at Book Expo America 2005 Trade Show.

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. -- R.R. Bowker, the leading provider of bibliographic information in North America, is unveiling three major new products for publishers this week during the 2005 Book Expo America (BEA) trade show at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.

The newly introduced products include a breakthrough technology offering to support publishers' online marketing efforts, a sweeping new decision support tool that provides publishers with valuable business intelligence, and a new membership program for small publishers and authors to help them promote individual books. The simultaneous product launches represent Bowker's evolution from a bibliographic publisher to an innovative provider of dynamic products and services for publishers.

"Bowker has listened carefully to the concerns expressed by publishers of all sizes about how we can help meet their most pressing needs and we have invested significant resources into the creation of new products in response to those concerns," said Michael Cairns, president of New Providence, N.J.-based Bowker. "We are very proud of the hard work that has gone into the development of these products and we're excited to debut them for the book publishing community this week during BEA."

The three new products Bowker is debuting this week are the following:

--Bowker MarketLinks(TM)

Bowker MarketLinks(TM) is a truly groundbreaking technology offering from Bowker that fundamentally changes the way publishers can market their books on the Internet. Making use of next-generation Digital Object Identifier (DOI) technology, MarketLinks are essentially pre-populated menus of linked information about each one of a publisher's titles for use on their own Web site, distribution to prospective customers via email marketing, or for display on third-party Web sites, such as strategic partners or select Web portals.

With MarketLinks, any time that information about one of a publisher's books appears on the Web, the technology instantly displays an array of related titles and ordering information including an excerpt of the text, a list of multiple ordering options, links to other formats or versions of the work, other titles by the same author, and a variety of other information.

"MarketLinks is an amazing tool that has the capability to transform any publisher's online marketing campaigns for its book list," said Carol Cooper, Senior Director of Standards Services at Bowker. "First of all, the sophisticated DOI technology built into MarketLinks application includes search engine optimization benefits which make the titles of participating publishers easier to find on the major Web search engines, various partner sites, on targeted Web portals. Second, the service significantly enhances the quality of publishers' online marketing by increasing their ability to track and measure the effectiveness of their efforts. Moreover, the wide range of data fields that can be populated enables MarketLinks to greatly enrich the content of publishers' book information distributed online."

Bowker's technology solution partner, Content Directions Inc. (CDI) has developed software applications which help companies maximize the commercial effectiveness of their Web presence by applying next generation Web navigation tools and techniques using the DOI. More information about CDI's products and services can be found at http://www.contentdirections.com.

Cooper will be providing one-on-one demonstrations of MarketLinks, including examples of how the service is already being put to use by major domestic publishers, in Booth 3503 at the BEA Expo. More information is also available at www.BowkerMarketLinks.com.

--Books In Print(R) IntelliMarket(TM)

Books In Print IntelliMarket is a powerful new offering from Bowker that provides publishers with highly targeted market intelligence to help them make crucial business decisions, ranging from the kinds of titles they should promote to emerging competitors with whom they may wish to partner or acquire.

The new product is a Web-based analysis engine that mines information from Bowker's world-renowned Books In Print database of more than 5.6 million titles, allowing publishers to quickly research any facet of publishing activity, including market trends, average prices and competitive titles. Books In Print IntelliMarket is a valuable decision-support tool for publishing executives, leveraging the comprehensive information compiled in BooksInPrint.com to generate reports that support all of a publisher's business strategies, from title acquisition and market research to company-wide initiatives such as acquisition planning and business development.

"Publishing executives can combine the independent, empirical data from Books In Print IntelliMarket with the confidential business and sales data from their own systems in order to produce detailed reports that give them the best available information before making important business decisions," said Angela D'Agostino, vice president of business development at Bowker. "This innovative tool allows publishers to cost-efficiently conduct valuable research, such as quickly analyzing book publishing trends by subject or publisher, to track which titles and authors have achieved bestseller status or won various awards, and to compile aggregate searches for more detailed researching on their own."

Bowker staff will be providing one-on-one demonstrations of Books In Print IntelliMarket in Booth 3503 at the BEA Expo. More information is also available at www.BooksInPrintIM.com.

--BookWire Membership(TM)

BookWire (www.bookwire.com) is Bowker's portal to the book trade, and has also served as a channel for small publishers and authors to market their own titles. This week, Bowker is launching its new BookWire Membership, a personalized publicity program that allows publishers and authors to better promote their books by leveraging Bowker's reputation and global presence.

Three membership levels are built around BookWire, Bowker's free Web site that has been ranked as one of the top 100 Web sites for writers by Writer's Digest for four consecutive years.

"BookWire Membership helps publishers and authors get their books on the shelves of the major booksellers by supplying hard-to-get information about how the major retailers select which titles to carry, by helping authors obtain professionally written and unbiased book reviews that can be used in their promotional activities, and by stimulating word-of-mouth demand for books without the assistance of a publicist," said Charlie Friscia, Director of Promotional Services at Bowker. "In addition, BookWire members receive instructions for how to arrange book signings and are eligible for discounts on other Bowker promotional services, such as targeted advertising vehicles and inclusion in our widely distributed 'Bowker Presents' e-newsletter that is sent to book buyers around the world."

More information will be available in Booth 3503 at the BEA Expo or at www.BookWire.com.

Founded in 1872, Bowker is North America's leading provider of bibliographic information, and is also the official agency for assigning ISBNs in the United States. Summary statistics for U.S. Book Production is available on BookWire, Bowker's portal to the book trade, at www.BookWire.com. The company's flagship product, Books In Print(R), is available on the Internet at www.BooksInPrint.com, on CD-ROM and in hardbound print format. For more information, please visit www.Bowker.com or call 1-888-BOWKER2 (1-888-269-5372).