Google has started a new bookstore called Editions at Play and features digital first e-books. The behind this new initiative is to showcase books that are automatically optimized for your smartphone or tablet and no not have a printed counterpart.
In a blog, Google said: “Editions At Play is an experiment by Visual Editions and Google’s Creative Lab to explore the potential of digital books: that is, books that change dynamically on your phone or tablet, using all the attributes of the modern mobile web to do things that printed books never could. Simply put, we wanted to see if we could keep the integrity of reading, but play with the book’s digital form.”
It added: “Books in Editions at Play are designed to make the most of the mobile web in order to ‘do things printed books never could’. They abide by the principles that books must be envisioned as ‘mobile-first’, have pages and “use the dynamic qualities of the interweb”.
There are a number of concept titles that are available for free, but are only around six pages in length. There are two e-books that can be purchased for $6.99. Google is also hoping you will Tweet them and give them new book ideas.
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.
