Will Google Editions kill the iPad? Slay the Kindle? Google Editions is a browser depending e-book platform that could keep Apple and Amazon looking for some no faxing payday loan. Earlier this week was announced the Google Editions launch date of late June or July. Unlike Apple and Amazon, Google Editions is a digital publishing service offering books that customers can read on any device and purchase from whoever wants to sell them. Publishers are probably the most excited about Google Editions e-books. Google Editions will even let publishers name their own prices, also in contrast to Apple and Amazon business.
eBooks by Google Editions
This Google Editions was announced at Random House's New York offices by Chris Palma who’s Google's strategic partner development manager. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google Edition users can be able to read Google Editions e-books they discover through Google’s book-search. Google Editions may also allow book retailers — including local independent shops — sell Google Editions on their own sites and let them keep most of the money.
The Google Editions launch date
Amazon and Apple's goals of dominating e-publishing is being seriously threatened by the Google Edition launch date. For its Kindle device, Amazon currently has more than 500,000 titles available. Apple has tens of thousands and counting for its iPad. Google has already digitized 12 million books, including out-of-print titles, a far greater selection than Amazon or Apple. Consumers can only purchase Kindle titles at Amazon or iPad titles at Apple. Google Editions will make it so titles are accessible everywhere, to be read on any device that has a browser.
E-pub for Google Editions
The publishing world, including online and in real life, would be turned upside down by Google Editions e-pub in just a couple of months. In an article that was published in the New Yorker in April, Dan Clancy of Google Books said that in trying to dominate the market, Amazon and Apple were taking the wrong approach to business online. “It's much more of an open ecosystem, where you find a way for bricks-and-mortar stores to participate in the future digital world of books,” he said. “We're quite comfortable having a diverse range of physical retailers, whereas most of the other players would like to have a less competitive space, because they'd like to dominate.”
Amazon gets a dose of reality
One of the biggest pros about Google Editions is that it lets publishers set the price of their books, and gives local bookstores a chance to compete with behemoths like Amazon, Apple and Barnes and Noble. Amazon’s book pricing policy is causing ill-will within the publishing world. Because Amazon is insisting on selling e-books for a flat $ 9.99, they’re actually losing money. The New Yorker reports that with 80-90 percent market share, Amazon thinks it can later bend publishers to its will.
Google Editions – iPad killer?
Is Google Editions the iPad killer? With the Google Editions launch date approaching, it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that publishers haven’t officially agreed to participate, but most industry insiders think it's an offer they can’t refuse. Publishers need a lot more outlets to sell books. Small bookstores never seen will make money on millions of titles. Additionally you don’t need to purchase a Kindle or an iPad to read them. So why should you?
Sources
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703866704575224232417931818.html?mod=WSJ_business_LeadStoryCollection
New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/04/26/100426fa_fact_auletta
publishers set the price of their books
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10444878-93.html?tag=mncol;txt
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