There are many retailers that sell eBooks which are part of what accounts for the explosion in eBook popularity. While there are a lot of retailers selling eBooks, there are a few retailers that you should know about from the start. These are the main sources of eBooks on the market today.
Amazon– Amazon is possibly the largest provider of eBooks in the world with its Kindle platform. The Kindle device and platform were crafted by Amazon and Amazon holds proprietary rights over most of the books that are sold on their platform. The Kindle device itself is one of the most popular eReader devices on the market currently. Some authors are hesitant to use Amazon as a base for eBooks because of the particular exclusionary policies that accompany that. However, it is one of the best-known and most-used eBook platforms.
Barnes and Noble– Barnes and Noble runs a close second with Amazon for the largest provider of eBooks. The Barnes and Noble Nook device is one of the most popular eReaders on the market as well. Barnes and Noble also have particular requirements that go along with hosting your book on their platform and they aren’t touted as being as friendly to independent authors as Amazon can be. However, this particular platform is still highly important.
Apple iTunes– Apple made a move to get into the eBook business by offering eBooks for sale on iTunes. While this option is a little lesser known than either Amazon or Barnes and Noble, authors should keep iTunes in mind. The use of iTunes books has dropped some with the Kindle apps that are supported on iPads. That fact also explains some of the proliferation of Kindle books, as well.
Kobo Books– Kobo readers are more popular in Canada, Europe, and Japan than in the U.S. However, there are predictions that the Kobo reader will be gaining international popularity in the coming years. The Kobo platform is another thing to keep in mind when considering different eBook platforms.
Sony eBookstore– The Sony eBookstore has been one of the bigger retailers in the last years. However, the importance of this store will probably be waning in the next several years following Sony’s announcement that they will no longer be making their eReader devices. They will be partnering with Amazon to work on Kindle apps instead, so their influence will slowly be shifting to Amazon as well.
Google eBooks– Google eBooks is another vendor of eBooks. The platform is a little less popular at the moment but may see changes in that popularity as Android devices gain popularity. With the momentum growing behind the Android brand, Google may end up garnering part of the market. However, Sony and Amazon are working together to create a Kindle app for Android, so Google’s advantage may be undermined to a degree.
There are more vendors of eBooks, however, these are the top retailers that you should consider the most carefully. When looking at the different platforms be sure to read carefully as many have particular requirements about proprietary rights when hosting your work.