FlatWorld Surpasses One Million Registered Accounts on its College Textbook Platform

Thousands of faculty members at more than 1,400 institutions across the U.S. and Canada have adopted a FlatWorld textbook.

BOSTON, May 14, 2019 — FlatWorld, a publisher of award-winning college learning materials that are both affordable and high quality, today announced that it has surpassed the one millionth user mark of its college textbook platform.

“When John Eielson and I acquired FlatWorld in 2016, we saw an opportunity to impact the textbook industry by providing students and professors with learning materials that were simply high quality and affordable,” said Alastair Adam, Co-CEO of FlatWorld. “The number of students who have used FlatWorld’s books, coupled with the positive feedback FlatWorld’s books consistently receive, is reflective of the demand for a publisher that puts the needs of professors and students first.”

Faculty at more than 1,400 institutions across the US and Canada have adopted a FlatWorld textbook. The publisher has experienced significant growth over the last year, with hundreds of new textbook adoptions across the US. FlatWorld textbooks received 2019 Textbook Excellence Awards by the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA), and FlatWorld’s average textbook rating by students has been 4.3 out of 5 stars.

“Despite the world’s largest publishers claiming that they are making their textbooks more affordable, students still rightly view new textbooks as being far too expensive. What's particularly worrying is how publishers are pushing digital-only unlimited or inclusive access deals in an effort to eliminate the option of used books or other affordable solutions,” added Adam. “As our customer base grows, and given the ever longer shadow cast over the industry by further consolidation amongst legacy publishers, FlatWorld will play a more and more important role in bringing down the true cost of textbooks.”

According to FlatWorld’s Textbook Cost & Purchasing Study, students spent an average of $396 per semester on textbooks during the spring 2019 semester, and many paid an average of $92 extra for access to homework. The average amount of money students spent on textbooks did not change significantly during the 2018–2019 academic year — respondents to FlatWorld’s fall 2018 survey reported spending an average of $403 on textbooks. Four in 10 respondents reported not buying a required textbook because it was too expensive, and 47% reported buying an older edition of their assigned textbook to save money.

FlatWorld’s textbooks cost between $24.95 and $39.95 for digital access, and include a robust homework platform and instructor supplements. To learn more about FlatWorld’s catalog of 135 textbooks, visit www.flatworld.com.

About FlatWorld
FlatWorld publishes the most affordable, high-quality learning materials, including both digital and print textbooks, and a robust online homework platform. FlatWorld’s rapidly growing catalog features more than 135 titles across more than 20 academic subjects, and FlatWorld’s textbooks cost between $24.95 and $39.95 for digital access. Thousands of faculty members at universities across the U.S., Canada, and around the world have adopted a FlatWorld textbook. Learn more at www.flatworld.com.