Google and Amazon have both launched their new ebook stores in Brazil today! Both companies are selling a wide array of ebooks right now and customers can download thousands of titles in their native Portuguese.
The Google launch gives Brazilian customers the ability to purchase ebooks, apps, games, and other paid content. The company is not making the new line of tablets available there yet, but Brazil should see the Nexus after the holidays. When new titles are announced, the ability to pre-order titles is firmly integrated and stored purchases are stored in the cloud. You can then use any Android or iOS device to run the official Google Books app to read all your stuff.
Amazon has opened its store today in Brazil and seeks to compete against Kobo, in one of the world’s strongest emerging markets. There are a number of publishers attached to the ecosystem, but Amazon has not announced which ones are taking part yet, or if they have attained any retail partners. What we do know is that the store has over 1,500 free Portuguese-language books available to download and read on Kindle and free Kindle reading apps. The only e-reader the company is marketing is the Amazon Kindle 4th generation at R$299.
Amazon.com.br also today announced that independent authors and publishers are now able to make their books available in the new Brazil Kindle Store using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) (http://kdp.amazon.com.br). Brazilian independent authors and publishers can utilize the new Portuguese-language KDP website to make their books available in Brazil, and more than 175 countries worldwide. They can also price their books and receive payments in Brazilian Reais for their sales in Brazil, all while retaining control of their content and copyrights.
In the last few months, we now have Kobo, Google, and Amazon selling digital books directly in one of the world’s most populous markets. Although digital adopting is fairly low and 75% of the general public has never even heard of an e-reader or read a digital book, these companies have their work cut out for them on building awareness. Luckily they won’t have to go it alone, with more bookstores joining in to allow for impulse purchases.
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.
