Bookmate brings social ereading to Latin America

Bookmate, a subscription-based social reading service that makes reading accessible to anyone in the world with a mobile phone, announced Wednesday from London that it has now partnered with Tigo Mobile in Paraguay and Guatemala.

Through its alliance with Tigo Mobile, a leading mobile phone provider/operator and the largest telecom in both nations, Bookmate will bring a multitude of social reading services to Latin American ebook fans.

With plans to expand its mobile program into four additional Latin American markets in 2015, the company has secured over 40,000 Spanish language ebooks from over 400 publishers, ensuring a diverse base catering to all preferences and representing all genres for Latin American literature lovers.

"We are really excited to be launching Bookmate into Latin America and to have found such a strong local partner as Tigo Mobile in Guatemala and Paraguay,” Paola Landazabal, Bookmate's Latin American regional manager, said. “Our LatAm team is seeking out the best local publishers and authors to showcase on the service.”

The Latin American ebook market is expected to reach $100 million by the end of 2016. With substantial regional smartphone usage and mobile reading popularity, the area holds great potential for the company’s market.

Bookmate brings readers, authors, publishers, brands and distribution partners together through deep social features and a strong business model. It currently has over 2.5 million active users and more than 500,000 titles in eleven languages. Bookmate also operates a self-publishing service, offering an initial collection of over 20,000 titles.