Fictionwise, which was launched in 2000 and acquired by Barnes & Noble in 2009, is in the process of winding down operations, with Fictionwise.com (including eReader.com and eBookwise.com) ending sales December 4. Customers will not be able to access the Fictionwise Bookshelf after December 21. In an e-mail to customers Friday, Fictionwise offered step-by-step opt-in instructions "to transfer your Fictionwise.com Bookshelf to a Nook Library." Once the e-books are transferred, they will be in ePub format.
TechCrunch noted that even though "the move shouldn't be all that surprising in a world of Amazon Kindles, iBookstores, and of course, B&N's own Nook library, it's worth a tip of our hat to these sites that laid the groundwork for the digital e-reading revolution."
In its letter to customers, the Fictionwise Team wrote: "We greatly appreciate your support of Fictionwise over the years. Together, we helped pioneer e-books and e-reading."