Google’s Cloud Publishing Plans no comments
Google has announced that it will launch an online bookstore called Google Editions in the first part of next year. Any web-enabled device should be able to access the 400,000 to 600,000 titles Google will offer.
Google Editions purchases will be stored in the cloud, with purchasers also being able to store a local version in their device’s browser for temporary offline reading. Essentially you will be paying for online access to a book that you wish to read, but you will not physically own a copy.
Possible Google book cloud sighting over Moscow.
Publishers will get 55 percent of ebook sales revenue, while Google will keep 37 percent. Google plans also to sell Editions books through other brick and mortar and online retail outlets, possibly including Amazon. In these cases the online retailer would receive 55 percent of the sale less a small fee to go to Google. Publishers would receive the remaining 45 percent of each sale.
Google Editions represents perhaps the first serious challenge to the Kindle Store in terms of content. As fast as the Kindle store is growing however, I wouldn’t be surprised if it can boast having well over 400,000 titles by the time Google Editions launches. Also, since web browsing ability is required, Editions seems aimed more at netbooks, smartphones, etc. Reading a lot of books on a backlit LCD screen is not fun for your eyes, though it is fine for casual reading. Most ereaders coming out with a wireless connection do not include web browsing like the Kindle does. Perhaps we’ll be seeing a whole new generation of ereaders with access to the cloud as part of their feature set.
Recommended Reading: For an interesting and in-depth article about cloud publishing and Google see Blackplasticglasses.com’s post.
Photo from Youtube.
