14 DAY TRIAL // Google is continuing the expansion of its eBookstore and is now launching it in Canada. It's been less than a year since the bookstore launched and, despite not looking like a great success, Google is moving forward and making it available internationally in more places.
A bit less than a month ago, the eBookstore launched in the UK and now Google is looking up north for its latest move.
"Readers there can now access our vast online catalogue, including hundreds of thousands of titles for sale and more than two million free books in the public domain," Kihyun Jung, Google eBooks Product Manager, boasted.
That's a bit less than what's available in the US version, but the gap may close in time, it all has to with getting the right licenses.
There are over three million books in the public domain available in the US though, compared to two million in Canada.
Still, Google has partnered with the big local players as well as international ones for the books.
"We're excited to announce partnerships with both major international and Canadian publishers, including Random House, McClelland & Stewart, Douglas & McIntyre, House of Anansi and Dundurn," Google said.
"As a result, it’s easy to find popular best-selling and Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood and Ami McKay," it added.
Canadians will now be able to visit books.google.ca/ebooks to browse the site and buy their favorite books which will then be available on any web-connected device but also in several formats to use in the ebook reader of your choice.
The books are also available through several partners, like Campus eBookstore and McNally Robinson.
Google took the occasion to tout the eBookstore's major advantage, which is that it's open, the books are available online on any device and can be downloaded in standard formats.