Book Excerpts to Be Viewed on iPhone

This image, supplied by William Morrow-HarperCollins Publishers, shows the book jacket cover of "Soul Catcher" by Michael White. The book is one of more than a dozen new releases that HarperCollins will allow IPhone browsers to view excerpts via a special link,the publisher announced Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007. (AP Photo/William Morrow-HarperCollins Publishers) (AP)

NEW YORK -- The publishing world is linking up to the iPhone.

HarperCollins announced Wednesday that it had set up a special link, http://mobile.harpercollins.com, that will allow browsers to view excerpts from more than a dozen new releases, including Michael C. White's "Soul Catcher" and Michael Korda's "Ike," a biography of President Eisenhower.

"Reaching consumers on mobile devices and the Internet is increasingly important for publishers," Brian Murray, president of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, said in a statement that noted the publisher has some 10,000 titles already digitized.

"Our digital warehouse gives us the unique opportunity to quickly offer access to our titles on the newest technology, and we encourage people to provide feedback about their experiences."

Several publishers have been offering content for cell phone use and the iPhone, which already allows consumers to watch videos, take pictures, listen to music and surf the Web, is an obvious outlet for an industry anxious to boost sales and keep up with the latest technology.

Other titles being excerpted on the iPhone include Faye Kellerman's "The Burnt House" and Ray Bradbury's "Now and Forever." Browsers can view up to 10 pages of a given book's first two chapters and can quickly shrink or enlarge the print size.

The Harper Web site was adapted for the iPhone by LibreDigital, a division of NewsStand, Inc. that has been working with the publisher on digitizing its books and making them available worldwide.

"The `Browse Inside' feature for the iPhone is part of the ongoing effort to advance technology and allows mobile consumers to tap into the power and convenience of online book discovery," Craig A. Miller, general manager of LibreDigital, said in a statement. "We are excited to be a part of it."