MightyWords starts its final chapter

Digital publisher MightyWords has announced that it will close shop Jan. 12, according to its Web site. As a result, the company will lay off 23 employees. MightyWords was a division of Fatbrain before Barnes&Noble.com acquired a majority stake in the company. Santa Clara, Calif.-based MightyWords said its digital titles will be for sale on its site and through its distribution partners, which include Fatbrain and Barnes&Noble.com, until January. The move comes weeks after AOL Time Warner announced intentions to shut its electronic book-publishing division iPublish.com, citing poor sales. In November, Bertelsmann's Random House Trade Group also closed its e-book unit, AtRandom.