Rise in ebooks claims a casualty as DB Publishing boss decides to abandon print for digital

It is still hard to imagine a day when sports books in their traditional printed form do not exist but with the growing popularity of ebooks comes a warning that such an eventuality may not be as far-fetched as it might once have seemed.

The rise of the ebook has been blamed for the decision taken by one long-standing publisher to abandon print books altogether and concentrate solely on the ebook market.

DB Publishing, the Derby-based concern that began life 30 years ago as Breedon Books, has closed down after managing director Steve Caron took the "difficult decision" to focus his attention solely on DB's digital offshoot, JMD Media.

Caron said: “Our intention had been to sell ebooks alongside our printed publications. But the e-book market has grown so much that it got to a point where it was affecting demand for conventional books.”

The closure comes despite DB transferring hundreds of its titles to ebooks, making them available to readers to download to devices such as the Kindle, iPad and Kobo.

DB took the place of Breedon Books in 2009 after the latter, founded in 1982 by Derby journalist Anton Rippon, went into administration.

Breedon was well known for The Complete Record series, which catalogued the complete history -- including results, scorers, line-ups and attendances for every game and biographies of every player -- for a large number of Football League and Premier League clubs. Rippon had sold the concern in 2003.

Caron said that JMD Media will sell titles that have been transferred from the printed books sold by DB Publishing.

DB's recent publications include Jim Read's biography of the late Justin Fashanu, who was the first professional footballer to go public over his homosexuality.

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