Google To Sell eBooks

Google is on its way to put eBooks up for sale before 2009 is over, and looks set to eat into Amazon’s territory. Currently, the Internet search giant already enables people to look for and read extracts from books through its Book Search service, alongside links to book stores such as Amazon and Waterstone’s, where those who are hooked on such a short read can place orders for print and electronic versions of the titles. Google will allow publishers to price their own titles, a move that is unlike what Amazon has been doing with many publishers, selling eBooks at less than cost price. It would be interesting to see how Google’s participation will affect Amazon’s sales – is the pie going to expand, or will Amazon going to have to settle for a smaller slice?