Google Books has been on an international trek lately, opening stores in Canada, UK, and now Australia. The company is offering millions of free open source books, hundreds of bestsellers, and recently released content. Google has partnered with local Australian authors for the launch, such as Kate Grenville, Thomas Keneally, Geraldine Brooks, and Christos Tsiolkas.
The essential strategy of Google Books with their international expansion is to partner up with local publishing companies in that particular country. You can buy books from your local publishers and even from independent ones. Companies and individuals can submit their books to Google to sell under their ecosystem and even earn commissions when people buy books from their website. Publishers signed on in Australia include Allen & Unwin, Scribe, and Text Publishing. In addition, the company is working with some of the best local booksellers in Australia, including Booktopia and Dymocks, who are selling eBooks today, with QBD The Bookshop and The Co-op Bookshop coming soon.
Google Books is not limited to just your PC, but can be used on Android and iOS. It also makes the iRiver Story HD more feasible because it is the first e-reader to directly tap into the Google Book ecosystem. The device did not sell too well in the USA because of the accelerated competition, but now that Google has launched in more international markets it suddenly becomes a viable investment. It is only available at Target, but if you live outside America you can purchase it directly from Shop e-Readers. Google Books supports cloud syncing, so if you are reading a book on your PC and go out with your tablet, you can continue to read where you left off.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
