Google to enter e-book market with Google Editions service

Google’s manager for strategic-partner development, Chris Palma confirmed that the company will start selling e-books via Google Editions sometime in July or August. He also mentioned that the new service will let readers load books onto multiple electronic devices.

As per the Wall Street Journal report, "Google says users will be able to buy digital copies of books they discover through its book-search service.

“It will also allow book retailers—even independent shops—to sell Google Editions on their own sites, taking the bulk of the revenue. Google is still deciding whether it will follow the model where publishers set the retail price or where Google sets retail prices.”

Google Edition good news for publishers?
Though not much is known about publishers’ reaction to Google’s new offering, market analysts believe that it might not be long before publishers start joining Google, considering the new service will reach wider audiences.

Google, who launched its Book Search service in 2004, is most certainly no stranger to the market, but still some experts believe that its new service might run into some troubles initially, considering it will be up against already established company’s like Apple, Amazon.com etc.

"This levels the retail playing field. And as a publisher, what I like is that I won't have to think about audiences based on devices. This is an electronic product that consumers can get anywhere as long as they have a Google account,” believes Evan Schnittman, vice-president of global business development for Oxford University Press.

He also added that this new service will be Google’s “the ultimate test” of whether it will result in better revenue too.

However, it’s not known if Google, like Apple did with iBookstore recently, will let the publishers decide the retail prices of e-books on its service.

Google to make success out of its new venture?
Google, who launched its Book Search service in 2004, is most certainly no stranger to the market, but still some experts believe that its new service might run into some troubles initially, considering it will be up against already established company’s like Apple, Amazon.com etc.

According to an analyst, Youssef Squali at Jefferies & Co., "Google has a chance of becoming a viable player in the space, but if they only support their own standards I don't know who would go there. The devil is in the details. Depending on what the details tell you, that will determine how successful they are with it."