VANCOUVER—BookRiff, a new custom publishing business, allows users to remix content from existing books to create new custom publications. While the service is currently only available for digital books, founder Mark Scott expects to launch a print-on-demand service in mid-2012, and is currently working with Ingram Publisher Services, a book distributor based in Lavergne, Tennessee. Ingram will work with a global group of printers to provide that capability.

Beyond that, Scott said he expects to build an interface allowing other printers to take part in BookRiff's print program.

The custom e-book prices are based on the cost of content set by publishers, who get 70% of the sale, while 30% is retained by BookRiff, who takes care of copyright arrangements with content owners. The pricing for printed books will be different; it will be based on a fixed price (which is still being finalized) plus a per-page charge, noted Scott.

The Riff bookstore on the BookRiff website is live, however the ability to create custom books is only partially live  "as we integrate with data asset managers, such as Ingram, and expand our aggregation of high-quality publisher content."

Scott, a former investment banker and book collector, came up with the idea when he found himself wishing he could exerpt sections he wanted from various travel books instead of carrying several titles with him.