Kobo Plus, our all-you-can-read subscription service, launched in Canada last week, so we asked the director of Kobo Plus and Publisher Relations, Erik Rigters, to join us on the podcast to help answer the big questions surrounding the launch. Using the data we’ve seen from Kobo Plus in the Netherlands, Erik explains how Kobo Plus can benefit authors, how it can help boost your backlist, and why you should consider enrolling your books!

• Erik gives us an overview of Kobo Plus, our partnership with Bol.com, and why Kobo decided to launch a subscription service in the Netherlands
• He explains how the data shows little overlap between subscription readers and a la carte readers, and how Kobo Plus can offer authors an increase in readership and backlist sales
• Erik breaks down the Kobo Plus Revenue Share model for us to make it easy to understand how authors get paid, and he explains how Kobo Plus calculates the number of minutes read
• He discusses the democratic nature of Kobo Plus and how it utilizes the Kobo recommendation algorithm to present new titles to readers instead of merchandising
• Erik gives us his predictions for where Kobo Plus Canada is going, and why he’s optimistic it will be a success

Useful Links
Kobo Plus Canada
How to Enroll Your Books in Kobo Plus
How Does Kobo Plus Pay Publishers?
Live Slow Ride Fast

Erik Rigters grew up in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Inspired by a Dutch TV series, he began reading and enjoying fiction when he was seventeen. He worked at a publishing house for several years before transitioning in 2007 to focus on eBooks, digital publishing and bookselling for several retailers and publishing houses. He joined Kobo in 2014 as the Publisher Relations manager for the Netherlands and is the current Director of Kobo Plus and Publisher Relations.