Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

Google today revealed (via The BookSeller) another part of its ebook strategy i.e. the ‘Buy Anywhere, Read Anywhere’ Google Editions eBook program. It seems the Kindle Vs Google Editions Battle will start in the 1st half of 2010 with a simultaneous launch from Google in US, UK and Europe.

Amanda Edmonds, Google’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, spoke at the Tools of Change conference in Frankfurt and revealed a lot of interesting details -

1. Once bought, your ebook would exist in Google’s Cloud and be accessible from any device -
   

   laptops, smart phones or e-readers. As long as you can get onto the library, you can access it. All books will live in the same library, so it doesn’t matter where you buy it or where you read it.

2. Every device you access the ebook from will get a cached version so you can read it later. 
3. Google are pushing openness (what a big surprise ;) ) -
   

   Our concept is that it should be open: they shouldn’t have to pick the device, software or retailer.

Kindle Vs Google Editions – Publishers and Retailers get to join the Party

There are 3 business models -

1. Google Books website sales which give the Publisher 63% and Google 37%. 
2. Retailers – Publisher gets 45% and retailer and Google split 55%. Not sure why retailers would want to split their current 50%+ share with Google. The split isn’t decided yet.
3. No split decided for sales from Publishers’ websites.

Books might be discounted in which case Google would cover the discount from its share.

Apparently publishers and retailers that are part of the Google Preview program will pave the way by being the first Google Editions partners.

Kindle isn’t invited, although eReaders are

The Google Director said that Google would definitely partner with eReaders (have a feeling it might be Sony and Cool-er) though she ‘doubted’ Kindle would be on board.

Well, this paves the way for …

Kindle Editions Vs Google Editions

There hasn’t really been a viable threat to Amazon apart from the rumored Apple iTablet.

Google is using a really good strategy i.e. aggregate everyone with an openness platform -

1. Notice how Google always stresses on the fact that everyone gets a piece of the pie – publishers, retailers, eReader makers, everyone.
2. Also notice how they want to let readers read from any device and not be locked in with any device, software or retailer.

In fact the only thing that’s a constant is Google selling the eBooks and Google storing the eBooks.

If the Cloud holds my books and a single company sells books, sooner or later, retailers serve no purpose. As far as publishers and eReader makers – they don’t have much power left.

It increasingly seems like there are 4 big options springing up -

1. Amazon, with whatever share they get. 
2. Time’s Hulu for Books – the only option that Publishers will actually control. 
3. Apple’s iTunes store with Apple getting 30%. 
4. Google Editions with Google asking for 37% (and presumably less for non-Google sites and retailers).

So much choice for Publishers – hard to blame them if they choose unwisely. Looking forward to the unfolding of the Kindle Vs Google Editions battle.

Filed under: books, news Tagged: | amazon vs google, kindle vs google editions