Kindle Review – Kindle 3 Review, iPad Review

Let’s start with two Kindle specials -

1.  The Hunters by Jason Pinter is free in the Kindle Store. It’s the lead-in to his soon to be released The Darkness.
2. Orbit’s $1 ebook specials continue with Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman. Its rated 4 stars across 7 customer reviews.

Both books are rocketing up the charts. The Hunters is now at #5.

LibreDigital making a big play on eBooks

LibreDigital are trying to create a universal ebook store. Its called AllAccess and it lets you buy books and get them for your eReader of choice -

1. On your iPhone. 
2. For BlackBerry.
3. On your kindle (they email you the ebook). 
4. Download for Sony. 
5. For the Nook.
6. View in your web browser.
7. Download to your desktop.

They are starting with samples from The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.  

The Press Release includes this -

“When consumers purchase eBooks, they want options to be able to read them on the device of their choice – whether it`s an eReader, computer or mobile phone,” said Russell P. Reeder, President and CEO of LibreDigital, Inc.

LibreDigital is an emerging force in marketing, publishing and digital content distribution. “With our AllAccess technology, we make this possible – a benefit for both consumers and the book-selling industry.”

And this -

LibreDigital works with six of the world`s top ten book publishers, including HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette Book Group, and Simon & Schuster, and many of the leading newspapers.

LibreDigital following the Google Editions Strategy

LibreDigital are doing exactly what Google are doing i.e. we’ll sell you ebooks for whatever device you have.

Here’s why its good -

1. It gives both Google and Amazon competition.
2. It gives publishers an option.
3. It takes away the uniqueness.
4. It shows other companies this option is available and they hopefully come in and keep cutting what percentage ebook distributors get.

The higher the competition amongst middle-men the lower the percentage they get. The ideal would be companies like Gutenberg or the books equivalent of Craigslist that are focused on reading and not on profits.

Will Amazon be forced to Split out eBooks from the Kindle?

Mr. Bezos has said Amazon is open to splitting the Kindle into two businesses i.e. Kindle eReader and Kindle Store, and has already done it to an extent by introducing Kindle for iPhone and announcing Kindle for PC.

However, the imminent arrival of Google Editions and LibreDigital AllAccess is basically an attempt by ebook retailers to turn eReaders into dumb pipes.

1. The only way for Amazon to survive in ebooks might be to do it BEFORE anyone else can.
2. Make the Kindle Store available everywhere.
3. Sell ebooks even for other eReaders and use the Kindle Store’s range and low prices to take over every eReader and reading channel (non-physical ones).

Kindle Store can best fight Google Editions by stealing the Google Editions idea.