Blurb, Inc.
{{Short description|Book publishing platform}}
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{{Infobox company
| name = Blurb Inc.
| logo = Blurb logo.svg
| logo_size = 150px
| type = Private
| foundation = Incorporated 2005
| location = San Francisco, California, US
| key_people = Rix Kramlich
(CEO)
Eileen Gittins
(founder & chairman)
| industry = Self-publishing
| products = BookWright, Blurb plug-in for Adobe InDesign, Blurb iOS app, BookSmart, Blurb PDF Uploader, Blurb book module in Adobe Lightroom Classic
| num_employees = 120
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.blurb.com/}}
| footnotes =
}}
Blurb is an American self-publishing platform that allows users to create, self-publish, promote, share, and sell their own print and ebooks. It also offers software for laying out books.
History
The company was founded in 2005 by Eileen Gittins and funded by Canaan Partners and Anthem Venture Partners. Blurb's headquarters are in San Francisco, California. Since its inception, Blurb has delivered more than 14 million books.
Time magazine named Blurb one of 2006's "50 Coolest Web Sites".{{cite magazine| url=https://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1222614,00.html#blurb | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819180431/https://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1222614,00.html#blurb | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 19, 2006 | magazine=Time | title=Web Search and Services | date=August 3, 2006 |access-date=April 26, 2010}}
The company generates nearly $100 million{{cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/all-entrepreneurs-need-to-tell-these-six-stories.html|title=All Entrepreneurs Need to Tell These 6 Stories|date=June 3, 2016|work=Inc.|access-date=November 6, 2016}} in revenues per year.
Blurb announced a partnership with Amazon{{cite web|url=https://petapixel.com/2014/04/22/blurb-announces-partnership-amazon-simplify-self-publishing-photo-books/|title=Blurb Announces Partnership with Amazon to Simplify Self-Publishing Photo Books|author=Burgett, Gannon |date=April 22, 2014|publisher=PetaPixel |access-date=November 6, 2016}} in April 2014. The deal allows Blurb-designed books to be sold and distributed on the Amazon platform. The partnership enables self publishing on the platform with a 15% cut on Blurb books.{{Cite web |url=https://www.whatsnewinpublishing.co.uk/content/blurb-strikes-unique-15-deal-amazon |title=Blurb strikes unique 15% deal with Amazon |access-date=November 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111014616/https://www.whatsnewinpublishing.co.uk/content/blurb-strikes-unique-15-deal-amazon |archive-date=November 11, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
In May 2014 Blurb acquired MagCloud,{{cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2014/05/06/blurb-acquires-hps-magcloud-aims-to-dominate-long-tail-publishing/|title=Blurb acquires HP's MagCloud, aims to dominate long-tail publishing|author=Griffith, Erin |date=May 6, 2014|work=Fortune |access-date=November 6, 2016}} a self-publishing platform for magazines, under a licensing agreement from HP. In the deal, Blurb has taken over the company's technology and operations. Blurb was acquired by their print fulfillment partner Reischling Press, Inc. (RPI) for an undisclosed amount in August 2020.{{Cite web|first=Gary |last=Pageau|date=August 3, 2020|title=RPI acquires Blurb|url=https://thedeadpixelssociety.com/rpi-acquires-blurb/|access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=The Dead Pixels Society|language=en-US}}
Awards
- In April 2008, Blurb was nominated for A 2008 Webby Award.[https://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=12 12th Annual Webby Awards Nominees & Winners] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429074337/https://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=12 |date=April 29, 2011 }}
- In August 2010, Blurb was announced as 2010 AOP Open Award Winner.{{cite web|url=https://awards.the-aop.org/AOP_Open|title=2010 Open Award Winners are Announced & Exhibition is Launched|access-date=May 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007192624/https://awards.the-aop.org/AOP_Open|archive-date=October 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}
- Blurb was an Inc. 500 No. 1 media company in 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/20100901/americas-fastest-growing-media-company.html|title=America's Fastest-Growing Media Company|date=September 1, 2016|work=Inc.|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.blurb.com/}}
{{Self-publishing}}
Category:Book publishing companies based in San Francisco